The sixth edition of the webinar series “Climate Resilient Water Management Approaches: Adaptation in an Age of Uncertainty” focuses on urban flooding in South America as the main topic for discussion. Hydro-climatic extremes such as heavy rainfall and floods are responsible for catastrophic impacts worldwide. Densely populated cities in coastal areas and river margins, increased impermeabilization of the land surface, and sea level rise tend to aggravate these problems.
José Luis Gutierrez Ossio, from Integrated rural development at river basin level project (PROCUENCA), a program implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in Bolivia commissioned by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), will present a study case from Bolivia, where the consequences of two climate change related hazards — water scarcity and water excess — are evaluated for their impacts on human communities, agricultural activities, and livestock production. Using a climate risk assessment methodology developed by GIZ, José and their team identified the most vulnerable communities and proposed a set of adaptation measurements in order to increase climate resilience to a number of meteorological events.
For the second presentation, speakers Luis Dominguez and Monica Menendez, from Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) and Municipality of Guayaquil, Ecuador, respectively, will discuss about applying the Climate Risk Informed Decision Analysis (CRIDA) approach to build flood resilience in the delta city of Guayaquil. Through participatory processes and systems modeling, project partners identified and analyzed nature-based solutions to address flooding in the area before ultimately developing a strategy for implementation. The study was a joint effort between local and Dutch institutions, supported by city authorities.
*The webinar will take place in English and Spanish. Live Spanish and English interpretation will be available during the event.
Webinar Agenda (times listed as CEST)
Moderated by: Will Logan, Director, ICIWaRM
16:00–16:05 | Welcome and Opening Statement by Miguel Doria, Programme Specialist, UNESCO Montevideo
16:05–16:25 | Climate Risk Assessment at a River Basin Scale Applying GIZ Methodology, by José Luis Gutierrez Ossio, PROCUENCA – GIZ Bolivia
16:25–16:45| Climate Risk-Informed Decision Analysis to enhance urban flood resilience at the delta city of Guayaquil: the opportunity of multi-agency collaboration, by Luis Dominguez-Granda, from Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), and Mónica Menéndez, from the Municipality of Guayaquil
16:45 –17:25 | Moderated Q&A with José Luis Gutierrez Ossio, Luis Dominguez-Granda, Mónica Menéndez, Carlos Pedro Saavedra, GIZ Bolivia
17:25 – 17:30 | Closing Remarks and Announcements by Anil Mishra, Chief of Section, Hydrological Systems and Water Scarcity (HSS), UNESCO