Objective: WSP will concentrate its efforts on helping governments mainstream climate change impacts into ongoing programs by developing and implementing climate change adaptation and disaster risk management approaches for the water and sanitation sector. In the second year of the FY11-15 Business Plan, WSP is on track in the few countries where this business area is being implemented. This is a forward-looking business area in which issues of climate change and the ability of sectors to adapt and mitigate these changes will continue to evolve as initial results help to inform both the practice and WSP’s contribution.
Context: The impacts of climate change are being manifested locally as a consequence of extreme and more frequent weather patterns. These more extreme natural events are disproportionately affecting the poor. The impacts of these natural events on water and sanitation infrastructure, how to best manage their consequences, and how to adapt to their increasing recurrence are of direct concern to client governments. In the water and sanitation sector, these climate challenges, in addition to the challenges of existing fragile WSS systems, must be addressed.