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Spate irrigation is an ancient practice by which floodwater is diverted from its river bed and channelled to basins where it is used to irrigate crops and feed drinking-water ponds, serve forest and grazing land and recharge local aquifers. It has evolved over the centuries and provided rural populations in arid and semi-arid regions with an ingenious way to cope with the aridity of their climate. It is thought that spate irrigation started in present-day Yemen, where it has been practised for around five thousand years.
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The programme for the sessions on Water and Climate at the World Water Week in Stockholm (5–11 September 2010) is ready.
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The August 2010 Newsletter (97) of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) is now available for download. The IAHS newsletter is now published in electronic form only.
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Late July 2010, heavy rain caused record flooding in Pakistan, especially along the Kabul River in the northwestern part of the country. The UN, governments and private organizations are joining forces to help. One of the means is to provide accurate and timely data about the situation on the ground. Maps, as supplied by many organisations, are very helpful for getting an overview of the problems, e.g. of the flood extension.
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A position paper on climate change by UNHCR’s Independent Expert on human rights, water and sanitation, Ms. Catarina de Albuquerque, has recently become available. The paper examines the legal obligations concerning the rights to water and to sanitation, as well as those arising from the climate change regime. It further outlines the impact of climate change on the enjoyment of the rights to water and to sanitation, and offers recommendations on integrating human rights into climate change negotiations.
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 Climate and other drivers of change raise questions about the continued reliance on surface water resources, prompting countries to fundamentally rethink groundwater management strategies. The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has issued Water Policy Brief 32, titled «Banking on Groundwater in Times of Change». The findings are in line with «Managing the water buffer for development and climate change adaptation».
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The World Water Week in Stockholm is the annual meeting place for the planet’s most urgent water-related issues. The thematic scope for 2010 is «The Water Quality Challenge – Prevention, Wise Use and Abatement». Organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the Week brings together experts, practitioners, decision makers and leaders from around the globe to exchange ideas, foster new thinking and develop solutions.
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After a week of massive flooding in Myanmar, France and China, the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) has urged governments to take flood risk into account in urban planning, and citizens to avoid building in flood prone areas.
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