Water Resource Management and the Changing Climate in Angola's Coastal Settlements

 

Angola's civil war caused a massive movement of people from rural conflict areas to settlements in places vulnerable to climate extremes - low-lying coastal zones, floodplains, and steep ravines. Climate-related risks to the population are likely to worsen in the future and it is important to understand and prepare for them. Unfortunately, a dearth of relevant data has made it difficult to assess these risks. The limited climate data that is available shows that Angola's coastal areas are experiencing low rainfall, increasing pressure on water supplies. This project addresses climate risks and inadequate access to quality water faced by informal settlements in three Angolan coastal cities - Luanda, Cabinda, and Benguela/Lobito. The project will assess the impact of climate variability on water markets and infrastructure, and propose changes to how water is governed. Through a series of workshops, research capacity will be strengthened to better inform climate risk analysis and policy development. Systematic data collection will be supported, while databases of existing climate information will be augmented and maintained. As a result of the project, academics and researchers working on climate and environmental issues in Angola will have better access to baseline climate and socio-economic information. Research findings from the project will help in the design of technical and policy adaptation options, as well as the publication of peer-reviewed articles.