26 April 2012: The Third Workshop on Water and Climate Change in Transboundary Basins, which addressed the theme “Making Adaptation Work,” called attention to the expected impacts on climate change, including the higher risk of drought and floods, on shared transboundary basins. The event brought together over 140 participants to discuss conflict prevention and cooperation to address climate change adaptation at the transboundary level.

The Workshop, which convened in Geneva, Switzerland, from 25-26 April 2012, included a session on experiences in vulnerability assessment, which featured case studies on: the Mekong climate change and adaptation initiative; assessment of climate change induced water stress in the Nile basin; vulnerability assessment in Colombian transboundary basins; glaciers and water use in Central Asia; and water and adaptation to climate change in Myanmar. Participants also heard presentations on how to prepare a vulnerability assessment in transboundary basins, which showcased experiences from pilot projects. Other sessions addressed: ecosystem-based adaptation in transboundary basins; the selection and implementation of adaptation measures; the integration of different levels and sectors; and economic aspects of climate change adaptation. The pilot projects presented included: community-based solutions in the Yorkin basin shared by Panama and Costa Rica; and adaptation strategies in the Danube and Meuse basins.

The Workshop was organized under the framework of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, and was opened by UNECE Executive Secretary Sven Alkalaj. The Workshop was held in anticipation of the opening of the UNECE Watercourses Convention to the rest of the world expected in 2012-2013. [UNECE Press Release] [Workshop Provisional Programme]