The Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics and the Vienna University of Technology were commissioned by the Ministry of Life and the Water Resources Divisions of the State Governments to carry out a study on developing climate change adaptation strategies for water resources management in Austria. The aim of the study was to summarise the current state of the art, to assess, in a consistent way, climate impacts on water resources and water resources management based on the most recent data and methods, and recommend adaptation measures. The study includes the following themes: Climate variability and change, floods, water balance, low flows and droughts, water temperatures, potential sediment loads, ground water, lakes, glaciers, hydropower, water quality, water use and water demand. The traditional scenario method of climate impact studies is problematic due to the large uncertainties which are difficult to estimate. The study has hence adopted three main principles which differ from the usual practice: (1) Soft and hard facts were distinguished to find robust adaptation measures; (2) Complementary information sources were used to enhance and assess the reliability of the conclusions; (3) The focus was on the mechanism to allow a more nuanced and transparent assessment of cause-effect than is possible by scenarios alone. The adaptation strategies developed on the basis of these principles involve a set of robust and flexible measures.