Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a crucial component of efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. Water-related disasters have devastating consequences, affecting communities worldwide and resulting in significant economic losses. A paradigm shift is needed in DRR planning to place water resource management at its core. Effective water management involves strategic alignment with the Rio Conventions, which address the interconnected challenges of climate change, desertification, and biodiversity loss. The Sendai Framework, for example, emphasizes understanding disaster risk across all dimensions. Integrated water resource management coordinates the development of water, land, and related resources to maximize socio-economic welfare without compromising ecosystems or human lives. The global DRR strategic pillars linked to Rio conventions for integrating water management are outlined below:

Despite progress, conventional DRR strategies often compartmentalize water management, overlooking its interconnected role in climate adaptation and disaster preparedness. A shift toward integrated water-centric DRR recognizes water’s ties to sustainable development and community resilience. To achieve this, six key actions are critical:
* Policy coherence and multi-sector alignment: Strengthen vertical (national to local) and horizontal (across sectors) coordination between water, environment, agriculture, and DRR agencies. * Innovative and blended financing: Combine vertical climate funds, national disaster budgets, and private capital to bridge the gap in funding climate adaptation. * FAIR data and interoperability: Use hydrological, meteorological, socio-economic, and land-use data for risk tracking and management. * Transboundary governance, legislation, and regulatory framework: Adopt integrated water-DRR laws aligned with NDCs and National Adaptation Plans. * Local empowerment and indigenous knowledge: Prioritize youth engagement, traditional early warning systems, and participatory water governance. * Rethinking DRR begins with water: Place water management at the core of DRR and integrate it with the Rio Conventions to establish feedback loops and resource flows that support governance, ecosystems, and infrastructure. By harnessing these synergies, resilience-building efforts can fundamentally transform outcomes for now and in the future. Integrating water management into DRR strategies can safeguard communities and ecosystems from future climate risk, ensuring effective, equitable, and sustainable outcomes. Effective water management involves strategic alignment with the Rio Conventions, emphasizing understanding disaster risk across all dimensions. A holistic approach to water management serves as a shield against water-related disasters and a catalyst for sustainable development in an era of climate change uncertainty. By recognizing water’s ties to sustainable development and community resilience, we can redefine DRR by placing water management at its core. The global DRR strategic pillars linked to Rio conventions for integrating water management are outlined in the table below:

• Understanding Disaster Risk: Combining water/soil conservation, weather-index insurance, and livelihood diversification to combat drought, flooding, and salinization
• Strengthening Disaster Risk Governance: Integrating green-grey infrastructure to address dual flood-drought risks in Thailand’s Chao Phraya basin
• Investing in DRR for Resilience: Restoring rangelands, strengthening decentralized governance, and boosting climate resilience for pastoralists in Kenya
• Enhancing Preparedness & Recovery: Boosting water retention, restoring degraded lands, and strengthening community resilience through climate-smart agriculture and early warning systems in Ethiopia
• Cross-cutting: Leveraging local knowledge to strengthen community-led adaptation in the Solomon Islands

The table above highlights the importance of integrating water management into DRR strategies. By recognizing water’s ties to sustainable development and community resilience, we can redefine DRR and build a resilient future. The benefits of integrated water-centric DRR are numerous, including:
* **Enhanced resilience**: By recognizing water’s ties to sustainable development and community resilience, we can redefine DRR and build a resilient future. * **Improved disaster preparedness**: Integrated water-centric DRR can enhance disaster preparedness by providing a holistic approach to water management. * **Sustainable development**: By coordinating the development of water, land, and related resources, we can maximize socio-economic welfare without compromising ecosystems or human lives. * **Climate adaptation**: Integrated water-centric DRR can enhance climate adaptation by providing a framework for understanding disaster risk and promoting sustainable development. By harnessing the benefits of integrated water-centric DRR, we can build a resilient future and safeguard communities and ecosystems from future climate risk. The EU’s WorldFAIR Project provides excellent case studies on how disaster-related data can be standardized and shared across domains to enhance disaster resilience and cross-domain interoperability for risk assessments and loss and damage calculations. Countries must adopt integrated water-DRR laws aligned with NDCs and National Adaptation Plans. Ethiopia’s GEF-funded Sustainable Land Management Program enforces basin-level regulations, reducing upstream-downstream conflicts and land degradation. Top-down DRR often fails without community ownership. DRR must prioritize youth engagement, traditional early warning systems, and participatory water governance. Disaster resilience starts with communities. By centring Indigenous knowledge, empowering local leaders, and ensuring participatory governance, DRR becomes more effective, equitable, and sustainable. Rethinking DRR begins with water. Integrating water management with the Rio Conventions enhances resilience by establishing feedback loops and resource flows that support governance, ecosystems, and infrastructure for effective DRR. This integrated approach encourages synergies between sustainable development and DRR, underscoring the interconnected role of water management in safeguarding communities and ecosystems from future climate risk.