ISO 24566-1:2023

Overview - ISO 24566-1:2023 (Assessment principles for climate adaptation of water services)

ISO 24566-1:2023 establishes principles for integrating climate change impacts into the planning and design activities of water utilities that provide drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services. The standard focuses on assessment principles and outlines methodologies to evaluate those principles in the context of climate change. It also provides examples of adaptations already implemented. Parts addressing specific service types (stormwater, drinking water, wastewater) are published as subsequent parts (ISO 24566-2/3/4) and were under development at the time of this publication.

Key topics and technical requirements

The document frames systematic approaches and technical topics that water utilities and planners should consider:

• Nature and impacts of climate change: descriptions of environmental, institutional and social drivers, and chronic impacts such as rising temperatures, rising water levels, flooding, changing precipitation patterns.
• Impacts on water services: effects of extreme temperatures, extreme precipitation, floods, droughts, fires and related operational consequences for utilities.
• Adaptation approaches: categories of responses (preparatory, short-term, long-term), adaptive and mitigative measures, and example adaptations.
• Adaptive response approaches: promotion of a risk-based approach, integration with urban and regional planning, and consideration of contributions to sustainability and resilience.
• Whole-business and asset management: guidance on embedding adaptation within management systems, asset planning and long-term economic viability assessments.
• Assessment and monitoring: recommended assessment templates and methodologies (see Annex A and Annex B for practical tools and templates).

Practical applications - who should use this standard

ISO 24566-1 is designed for professionals and organizations involved in water services and climate-resilience planning:

• Water utility managers and engineers assessing infrastructure vulnerability and adaptation options
• Asset managers incorporating climate risk into lifecycle and maintenance planning
• Urban and regional planners coordinating land use and drainage strategies
• Consultants and technical auditors conducting climate adaptation assessments
• Regulators and policy-makers setting resilience requirements and investment priorities

Practical uses include risk-based adaptation planning, integration of climate scenarios into design standards, prioritizing capital works, and stakeholder engagement for long-term funding strategies.

Related standards and resources

• ISO 24566 series: Parts 2, 3 and 4 address stormwater, drinking water and wastewater response strategies (under development at publication).
• Prepared by ISO/TC 224 (Drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems and services).

Keywords: ISO 24566-1, climate change adaptation, water utilities, assessment principles, risk-based approach, asset management, drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, resilience.