Policy and institutions in adaptation to climate change: case study on responding to water stress in Chitral, Pakistan
In Chitral, Pakistan, existing local institutions for water management play a major role in enhancing the adaptive capacity of local communities. However, government rules and regulations concerning water governance are posing challenges for community-based institutions and affecting the local capacity for adaptation. Hence, there is a need to examine the relationship between community-based institutions for water governance and local adaptation to inform decision-making to ensure that policy works to strengthen adaptive capacity. This case study, focused on local water governance systems in Chitral, documents past and present systems and assesses the local capacity to adapt to changing climatic conditions. It also looks at the impact of governmental and non-governmental water sector interventions on the functioning of traditional institutions and how such interventions affect the adaptive capacity of local communities.