Both observational records and climate projections provide strong evidence that freshwater resources are vulnerable, and have the potential to be strongly impacted. However, impacts on water resources and water-dependent services have yet to be adequately addressed in either scientific analyses or water policy.

This report aims to fill in some of the gaps. No new research is presented; rather the aim is to pull together what we know about the links between climate change and water, drawing on both the scientific and non-scientific literature, for an informed but non-specialist audience. Commissioned by WaterAid in the UK, the report has two broad objectives:

• To summarise current understanding of climate change projections and scenarios, and the impacts climate change may have on water resources, and water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia.
• To discuss implications of the above for policy and practice at a range of different levels – from funding for climate change adaptation at an international level, to the planning and implementation of WASH interventions at a community level.