A handbook on adapting urban water systems to climate change was released in June 2011. The handbook is authored by the Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), UNESCO-IHE and the International Water Association (IWA) as a part of the "'SWITCH – Managing Water for the City of the Future" project.

The main goals of the book are to fill the gap in the adaptation field related to urban water. In fact, in many cases, while a lot of information is available on various adaptation topics, there is a lack of guidance for decision makers at the local level.

Besides presenting a series of case studies in cities throughout the world that have already planned for adaptation or implemented specific actions aiming at increasing their resilience to climate, the book examines some of the key areas of vulnerability to climate change within urban water systems. In addition the handbook proposes flexible and future-oriented urban water planning as a means to address climate change and implement adaptation actions.

For more information and for downloading the handbook and case studies, please consult the handbook website.