Editing IPCC:AR6/WGII/Chapter-9 (section)

==== 9.7.3.3 Climate-proofing Water Infrastructure ====

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While natural variability in the hydrological cycle has always been considered by water resources planners and engineers ( [[#Müller%20Schmied--2016|Müller Schmied et al., 2016]] ; [[#Muller--2018|Muller, 2018]] ), many countries will have to take into consideration the range of historically unprecedented extremes expected in the future. Increasingly, the provision of urban water security is dependent on the functioning of complex bulk water infrastructure systems consisting of dams, inter-basin transfers, pipelines, pump stations, water treatment plants and distribution networks ( [[#McDonald--2014|McDonald et al., 2014]] ). Risk-based studies on the potential climate change risks for water security show that there are benefits when risks are reduced at the tails of the distribution—floods and droughts—even if there is little benefit in terms of changes in the mean ( [[#Arndt--2019|Arndt et al., 2019]] ). When risk is taken into account in an integrated (national) bulk water infrastructure supply system, the overall impact of climate change on the average availability of water to meet current and future demands is significantly reduced ( [[#Cullis--2015|Cullis et al., 2015]] ). Further, stemming leakages and enhancing efficiency through technology and management improvements is important in building climate-resilient water conveyance systems ( [[#UN%20Environment--2019|UN Environment, 2019]] ). African cities could leap-frog through the development phases to achieve a water sensitive city ideal, reaping benefits such as improved liveability, reduced flooding impacts, safe water and overall lower net energy requirements and avoid making the mistakes developed countries’ cities have made ( [[#Fisher-Jeffes--2017|Fisher-Jeffes et al., 2017]] ) ( [[#Brodnik--2018|Brodnik et al., 2018]] ). However, the challenge of large proportions of the population lacking access to even basic water supply and sanitation infrastructure ( [[#Armitage--2014|Armitage et al., 2014]] ) must be simultaneously and effectively addressed, particularly in light of other major exacerbating factors, like the COVID-19 pandemic ( [[#9.11.5|Section 9.11.5]] ).

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