This book provides a useful tool for decision-makers to identify potential risks to freshwater resources in the region from the impacts of climate change. Already a major constraint to socio-economic development, water stress in West Asia is expected to deepen due to the impacts of climate change. Understanding the vulnerability of water systems in West Asia, therefore, is vital to sustainable water resource management in the region. The approach employed in this assessment recognizes that a sustainable freshwater system can only function within an integrative operational framework that combines both the natural and management processes. The assessment concludes that political action is needed to ensure sustainable management of water resources, with vulnerability and adaptation to climate change integrated into future national plans. It recommends that resource management policies shift to demand management, water use efficiency and conservation.