Critical success factors for resilient water infrastructure

This research paper by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) identifies five critical success factors for increasing the climate resilience of water infrastructure. Based on a review of six projects across Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, the paper argues that resilience requires moving beyond engineering design to include strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and institutional capacity building to avoid 'stranded assets' and protect economic growth.

• Effective communication of climate risks to decision-makers is essential for project planning and design. To be successful, climate risks must be integrated with non-climate risks and vulnerabilities to provide a comprehensive risk profile. In Cartagena, this was achieved by presenting risks by sector—such as tourism and agriculture—and developing the 'CartaClima' online tool to inform investors.
• Broad stakeholder engagement at every stage of a project is vital for ensuring long-term local ownership and leadership. This process should begin with mapping actors in the water sector to balance core stakeholders, newcomers, and under-represented groups, thereby avoiding conflicts and maintaining a focus on climate resilience.
• Identifying and capitalising on 'entry points'—specific windows of time or institutional processes—is critical for implementing resilience measures. Effective interventions require identifying decision points that provide sufficient lead time. For example, in Nepal, project outputs were timed to coincide with the development of a hydropower and river basin master plan.
• Infrastructure resilience should be pursued through a programmatic approach rather than a project-by-project basis to maximise co-benefits and systemic resilience. This includes integrating infrastructure with broader environmental and social contexts, such as combining water supply upgrades with catchment management to improve raw water quality and reduce landslide risks.
• Long-term resilience depends on building the institutional capacity of national government agencies and river basin organisations. Capacity development is most effective when it is tailored to specific gaps, utilizes local expertise to create ownership, and integrates training into the actual job roles of participants rather than relying on theoretical lectures.
• Financial barriers often hinder the implementation of resilient infrastructure, particularly for large-scale projects that require complex international financing. In Nepal, it was found that while local lenders could fund small-to-medium projects, international sources were necessary for larger ones, though these sources often impose more stringent environmental and social safeguards.
• The longevity and high upfront costs of water infrastructure make it particularly vulnerable to climate uncertainties, as historical data may no longer be valid for future planning. This can lead to 'stranded assets'—infrastructure that loses value due to changing circumstances, such as declining river flows.

APA

Hurford, A. P., Moschini, F., & Woolhouse, G. A. (2017). Critical success factors for resilient water infrastructure. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Working-Paper_Critical-success-factors-resilient-water-infrastructure_CDKN.pdf

Chicago

Hurford, Anthony P., Francesca Moschini, and George A.F. Woolhouse. Critical success factors for resilient water infrastructure. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2017. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Working-Paper_Critical-success-factors-resilient-water-infrastructure_CDKN.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hurford |first1=Anthony P. |last2=Moschini |first2=Francesca |last3=Woolhouse |first3=George A.F. |title=Critical success factors for resilient water infrastructure |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=August 2017 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Working-Paper_Critical-success-factors-resilient-water-infrastructure_CDKN.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hurford2017critical, author = {Hurford, Anthony P. and Moschini, Francesca and Woolhouse, George A.F.}, title = {{Critical success factors for resilient water infrastructure}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2017}, month = aug, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Working-Paper_Critical-success-factors-resilient-water-infrastructure_CDKN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }