18 August 2008: In an interview, Vahid Alavian, World Bank
water adviser, who is attending the Stockholm World Water Week that focuses on
sanitation and will conclude on 23 August 2008, reports on progress and
preliminary findings of a two-year World Bank study on water and climate
change.

He explains that the study addresses the impact of climate change on
water systems and ways to reduce vulnerability. He details the objectives of
the study, underlining that it focuses on: the impacts of climate variability
and change on water systems; adaptation strategies to reduce vulnerability of
water systems; and decision-making regarding water investments adaptation
options. He outlines some preliminary findings, including that future trends in
climate variability and climate-related hazards pose an increasing challenge to
national water management. To respond to these riskier conditions, he describes
two sets of measures, those that carry “no regrets” and those that are “climate
justified.” Alavian lists other factors that can affect water availability and
provides an overview of the impact of water and climate change on food
production and prices. He concludes by explaining how climate change affects
sanitation, highlighting that less water avilability affects hygiene and
increased precipitation and moisture may lead to higher risk of vector-borne
diseases. [World Bank press release, 18 August 2008]