Abstract ID: 3.11718 | Accepted as Talk | Talk | TBA | TBA

Anthropogenic climate change has placed enormous pressure on water security in mountain cities. Cuenca, is a middle-size city that has lived with sufficient quality and quantity of water in the past; however, recent drought events have increased in magnitude and frequency. Climate change, population demand and the lack of water management adaptation strategies are to blame. Therefore, we started a project two years ago called SWACH. SWACH aims at finding adaptation strategies to face climate change impacts in water availability. One aspect of the project focuses on providing climate change projections of precipitation and temperature, hydrological projections and population increase towards 2100 to understand how climate change will influence water availability in the most important catchment that provides half of the drinking water for the city. Then a second aspect of the project is to find adaptation strategies focusing on the offer and demand for drinking water. A pilot project works with three neighbourhoods in the city to understand their water use habits and reduce water consumption. On the other hand, we work with the water company of the city to find strategies that optimize the water system. Water availability issues are social, political and technical, therefore, SWACH aims for a transdisciplinary approach that enables cooperation among the academy, decision-makers, policy-makers and citizens to work together to face climate change.