The Vulnerabilities of Water Systems to Climate Change in the Philippines
Highlights
- USAID’s climate-resilient development framework was difficult to implement
- Abt conducted a case study to serve as a model
- We provided the first in-country application of the CRD framework
USAID released its climate-resilient development (CRD) framework in March 2014 to ensure consideration of climate issues in development decision-making. The goals included reducing climate vulnerabilities and improving development outcomes. The framework’s intentionally broad language made it difficult for development practitioners to implement without additional explanation, so USAID requested a case study before the CRD framework’s release to provide a concrete example how the framework would operate.
Abt, which led development of the CRD framework and several annexes, conducted the case study: a water security and climate change assessment of Iloilo, Philippines. The study both helped Iloilo and served as a field test for the CRD framework and its water annex. Abt reviewed local development priorities in Iloilo and identified climate and non-climate stressors. Abt also assessed climate risks and evaluated 22 potential actions to reduce those risks.
This project represented the first in-country application of the CRD framework and was critical as a verification exercise for the framework and its water annex.