Chapter 8 - Challenges faced by developing economics to mitigate the impacts of climate change on water resources

The impacts of climatic change will manifest as water stress in the tropical zones where most developing countries are situated. The socioeconomic development of these nations is predominantly linked to water-dependent industries. The implications of climate change and associated hydrological variability are thus increased hunger, epileptic energy provision, and general water scarcity for meeting domestic, industrial, and environmental needs. This chapter provides an update on the challenges faced by developing nations to adapt to these extreme variations. The work adopted a social investigation approach to assessing the underlying challenges. The social investigation comprised four separate interviews with experienced experts and a questionnaire administered to water practitioners. The research found poor governance to be the predominantly limiting factor to either the development of sustainable water management practices or the adoption of water-energy-food (WEF) nexus concepts in developing nations. Good infrastructure alone is not sufficient unless issues such as education, human rights, gender equality, social justice, and poverty eradication are comprehensively addressed. Water pollution also constitutes a major problem, and improvements in sanitation services and facilities are required to alleviate widespread diseases associated with fecal sludge (FS).