1. No / Low regret Investments
Work Package 3
28 August 2013, Regional Days
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2. Work Package 3 - Overview
• Objective / Outcome Challenge : Stakeholders at all levels
develop gender sensitive ‘No/low Regrets’ investments and
financing strategy document
• GWP Overall Output: Support organizations (all levels) in
the development of investment strategies supporting policies
and plans which integrate water security for climate resilience
• Indicator: Number of organizations (all levels) supported in
the development of investment strategies supporting policies
and plans which integrate water security for climate
resilience.
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3. WHY this Work Package?
• Lack of adequate funding for water resources management, as well as
the low and declining investment in water infrastructure, which has led to
low per capita water storage in the world.
• Adapting to climate change will benefit from the prioritisation of
investments, which perform well under a full range of climate scenarios.
• These investments are referred to as no/low regret investments
• There is need to support countries to prepare and prioritise ‘No/low
regrets’ investment programmes and projects that promote climate
resilient development for all plausible climate scenarios.
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4. Potential no/low-regrets measures include:
• early warning systems;
• risk communication between decision-makers and local citizens;
• sustainable land management, including land use planning;
• ecosystem management and restoration
• improvements to health surveillance,
• water demand management,
• water supply, sanitation, irrigation and drainage systems;
• climate-proofing of infrastructure;
• development and enforcement of building codes; and better education
and awareness.
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5. Priority areas for GWP
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• Infrastructure: water storage, new technologies for water
recycling and irrigation, and ‘natural’ infrastructure such as
wetlands.
• Institutions: No/low regrets investments in relevant
institutions for example, that provide water for people,
industries, energy, agriculture and ecosystems.
• Information: reliable modelling scenarios to enable better
responses, information on vulnerable ‘hotspots’ - arid
regions, areas reliant on shrinking water resources and low
lying deltas.

6. With whom?
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• Regional – Local levels: National governments, RECs,
RBOs, strategic alliances with agencies such as OECD,
AfDB, ADB, Regional Development Banks, EUWI-FWG,
UNDP-WGF and others.
• Global level: Linkages with the Adaptation Funds available
through UNFCCC, World Bank, GEF, AfDB-Green fund,
regional banks such as the Arab bank for Economic
Development in Africa (BADEA), Development Bank of
Southern Africa (DBSA), ADB and others.

7. Examples on the types of activities
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1. Investment options identification – options for the short-
term can be identified through screening climate risks in existing
water assets, systems and infrastructure as well as planned
projects and programmes.
investment opportunities that will directly influence and
benefit on-going activities.
New and innovative investment opportunities can also
be identified through multi-stakeholder platforms which
break through the sectoral ‘silos’.

8. Examples on the types of activities
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2. Investment options appraisal and analysis:
Group and prioritize these ideas and options
to develop a balanced portfolio of priority
no/low regret investments.
Develop an economic case for the balanced
portfolio of investments in order to argue a
case for investing to financial planners and
economists - looking at social, environmental
and economic benefits (costs – benefits
anlaysis)

9. Examples on the types of activities
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3. Investment Plan and integration
• The portfolio of balanced investments with their economic case
analyses will form the “Water Security and Climate Resilience
Investment Programme”, which will either be taken for
endorsement as a separate plan or incorporated in a similar national
investment plan and then for further financing.
• Integration in national budget plans… needs to be part of the
system.

10. • Capacity ?
• Timing ?
• Understanding of concepts ?
Discussion

11. Work Package 3: Indicator
Number of organisations (all levels) supported in the
development of investment strategies supporting policies and
plans which integrate water security for climate resilience
Results which demonstrate that support activities (the need for which is
acknowledged, and even identified, by the recipient) to complete specific
tasks in direct relation to investment planning have been carried out
Baseline
2012
Milestone 2014 Milestone 2015 Target 2016
Target 0 1 3 6
Observed