IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

As floods, drought and other impacts of climate change on water become more frequent or intense, economies and livelihood security will weaken. Adapting to such impacts by building resilience is integral to addressing these global priorities. As water is at the centre of climate change impacts, this demands a focus on resilience to impacts on water. The environment has a critical role in building resilience to climate change and reducing vulnerabilities in communities and economies. Well-functioning watersheds and intact floodplains and coasts provide water storage, flood control and coastal defence. They are ‘natural infrastructure’ for adaptation.

The global business community increasingly recognizes the water challenge, but to respond effectively needs guidance, tools, standards and schemes to enable change to more sustainable practices. Since 2006, many new initiatives and concepts have emerged to address this need, driven by business leaders in the field, civil society and governments. Most are global with multistakeholder representation. WBCSD and IUCN have joined forces to produce this guide to help business better understand and meet the water challenge.

This report represents a joint effort between a number of organisations and individuals working at the forefront of research, training, and implementation of environmental flows. The collective goal is to illuminate the role of environmental flows in simultaneously improving human well-being and sustaining vital ecosystems. The reader will come to understand environmental flows as essential to meetingwater management challenges faced today and into the future, including adaptation to climate change.