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Backgrounder Transit, Active Transportation, and Public Health
The document outlines the public health benefits of shifting from car-dependency to active transportation (walking and cycling) and public transit. It links these modes of travel to reductions in cardiovascular risk, improved mental health, and lower rates of traffic fatalities. Environmentally, it highlights the role of transit and active travel in reducing traffic-related air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions to meet climate goals. Finally, it discusses how transit-supportive infrastructure reduces the financial burden of transportation for low-income individuals and improves access to essential health services.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Bridging the Gaps: A Survey of Methods, Challenges, and Pathways Forward for Superhot Rock Heat Extraction
The paper identifies critical gaps in materials, drilling, and geomechanical modeling required to extract heat from rocks above 375 °C. It argues that while current EGS technology is limited to lower temperatures, leveraging oil and gas techniques and multidisciplinary collaboration can unlock high-enthalpy SHR resources.
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Document type: Research paper
Bridging the Gaps: A Survey of Methods, Challenges, and Pathways Forward for Superhot Rock Siting and Characterization
The report provides a comprehensive survey of subsurface characterization technologies for superhot rock (SHR) geothermal systems, defined by temperatures above 374°C. It categorizes methods by spatial scale: exploration (100s-10s km), reservoir (10s-1 km), and monitoring (1 km-1 m). Key findings highlight that while many geophysical tools are mature, they lack validation in SHR-specific environments. The authors emphasize the need for integrated data analysis, such as joint inversion and machine learning, to reduce exploration risk and improve the accuracy of temperature and stress models. The report concludes that advancing SHR energy requires standardized data sharing, increased investment in high-temperature sensors, and the development of SHR-specific play fairway analyses.
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Document type: Report
EXPOSING THE GENDER GAPS IN FINANCING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION – AND PROPOSING SOLUTIONS
The report examines the historical lack of gender consideration in climate change mitigation financing, which has traditionally prioritized 'gender neutral' technical measures. Through case studies in Nepal, Mali, and Colombia, it demonstrates that gender mainstreaming—integrating gender issues from a project's outset—enhances outcomes. Key findings emphasize the necessity of socially disaggregated data, the role of economic co-benefits in securing community support, and the importance of gender-sensitive institutional policies. The document highlights that women's active participation in planning and decision-making is critical for the long-term viability of emission reduction initiatives.
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Document type: Report
matimba-health-risk-assessment_6-e4803f6ab69f5bcb.pdf
This report reviews risk factors to quantify the potential health impacts of particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions from various Eskom operations. It synthesizes global epidemiological data from organizations like the WHO and USEPA to establish risk estimates for mortality and morbidity, while incorporating South African provincial population and health data to support a health risk assessment.
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Document type: Report
matimba-health-risk-assessment_8-64d754a8a3e40115.pdf
This report, prepared by INFOTOX (Pty) Ltd for Eskom Holdings, evaluates the confidence levels and uncertainties associated with the health risk assessment of particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from Eskom operations. It concludes that risk quantifications based on mortality and particulate matter are more reliable than those based on hospitalisation and gaseous pollutants.
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Document type: Report
A review of the phosphate lifecycle, impacts and strategies for sustainable use in the South African context
The report argues that marine phosphate mining is unwarranted in South Africa because it would increase environmental phosphate flows and contamination. It proposes that a sustainable supply of phosphates can be achieved through 'loop-closure'—specifically recovering phosphorus from human and animal waste and improving fertilizer application efficiency in agriculture. A substance flow analysis indicates that approximately 164 kt/year of phosphorus enters the South African environment, with 133 kt/year potentially recoverable through recycling. The document concludes that terrestrial reserves are sufficient for 90–220 years, making the ecological risks of seabed mining unnecessary.
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Document type: Report
The sociology of the sociology of knowledge
The document provides a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the sociology of knowledge, tracing its evolution from early sociological thought to the development of a reflexive 'sociology of the sociology of knowledge'. It explores how social structures, power dynamics, and historical contexts influence the creation and validation of knowledge, while critically assessing the methodologies used by sociologists to study these processes.
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Document type: Research paper
THE HEALTH COSTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
The report identifies ground-level ozone, heat waves, and Lyme disease as significant health threats in Canada, with ozone-related societal costs potentially reaching $250 billion per year by the end of the century. It emphasizes that climate change will exacerbate existing health inequities driven by poverty and racism, and warns that current federal funding for health adaptation is inadequate, representing only about 0.3 per cent of total federal climate change program funding.
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Document type: Executive summary
Plus qu’une question de durabilité : la force des logements autochtones
The report examines how inadequate, overcrowded, and energy-inefficient housing contributes to poor clinical outcomes for Indigenous communities in Canada. It proposes a holistic 'healthy energy housing' approach that integrates energy efficiency and clean energy to improve physical and mental health, reduce the financial burden of energy poverty, and lower carbon emissions. The document highlights systemic governance failures and funding gaps, while showcasing community-led innovations as a path toward self-determination and reconciliation.
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Document type: Report
TURNING THE TIDE: How flood risk transparency can drive equitable outcomes in Canada
The report examines the intersection of flood risk transparency and social equity in Canada, arguing that current practices in mapping, disclosure, and pricing often disproportionately disadvantage marginalized communities. It highlights gaps in map availability for rural and remote areas, ambiguities in real estate disclosure, and the risk of 'bluelining' or 'degentrification' where equity-deserving groups are trapped in high-risk areas due to financial constraints. The authors recommend accelerating co-developed flood mapping, standardizing disclosure requirements for rentals and real estate, and implementing affordability assessments in the forthcoming national public flood insurance program to support just climate adaptation.
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Document type: Research paper
Justice and equity in climate change adaptation: overview of an emerging agenda
The document examines the concept of 'just resilience,' which seeks to ensure that climate adaptation does not create new winners and losers or reinforce existing marginalisation. It identifies three core dimensions of justice—distributive, procedural, and recognition—and argues that adaptation must address structural drivers of vulnerability such as wealth, gender, and ethnicity. The paper highlights maladaptation risks, where technical solutions can inadvertently increase long-term risks or displace vulnerable groups. It reviews policy examples from Australia, South Africa, the EU, and Canada, and discusses emerging trends like the rights of nature and locally led adaptation. Finally, it addresses barriers to implementation, including resource constraints and the need for equitable international climate finance mechanisms.
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Document type: Research paper
Microsoft Word - Photojournalism_as_a_vehicle_for_public_engagement.docx
The document argues that traditional climate change imagery often relies on stereotypes or distant, 'sublime' disasters that can lead to public apathy or feelings of powerlessness. By reviewing a decade of research, the author suggests that effective communication requires a balance of threat and self-efficacy, recommending the use of local images, human presence, and depictions of innovative solutions rather than solely focusing on victims or destruction.
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Document type: Research paper
GCF Social protection and climate change: A strategic review of the evidence
The report analyzes social protection as a tool for climate resilience, highlighting its ability to provide shock-responsive support, facilitate sustainable natural resource management, and cushion the impacts of low-carbon transitions. It identifies a gap in long-term structural adaptation and notes that while multilateral climate funds are increasingly engaging with social protection, integration remains fragmented and often prioritizes project-based interventions over systemic strengthening.
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Document type: Report
Nature‐based Solutions to Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Areas
The document provides a comprehensive analysis of nature-based solutions (NBS) as a means to address urban climate challenges. It evaluates the efficacy of various NBS—such as urban wetlands, green roofs, and sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS)—in regulating temperature, managing stormwater, and improving air quality. Beyond environmental benefits, the report examines the positive impacts of urban green spaces on public health and social cohesion, while critically addressing issues of environmental justice and the risk of 'green gentrification'. It also explores the governance and financial barriers to NBS implementation, proposing a 'mainstreaming' framework to integrate these solutions into municipal planning and policy.
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Document type: Report
Urban trees, air quality and human health
The research paper examines how urban forests influence air quality and public health. It highlights that trees improve air quality by directly removing gaseous pollutants and particulate matter, and indirectly by reducing urban heat island effects and building energy demand. However, it notes that trees can also emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pollen, and may trap pollutants near emission sources like roadways if not designed correctly. The paper concludes that while the overall effect is positive, local forest design is critical to maximize health benefits.
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Document type: Research paper
Land use change, biofuels and impacts on soil carbon dynamics in the La Plata Basin
The report examines how the expansion of commodities, forestry, and biofuels—particularly sugarcane—affects soil carbon stocks in the La Plata Basin. It highlights that converting native vegetation to agriculture generally reduces carbon stocks, though no-tillage systems can mitigate these losses. Case studies in the Brazilian Cerrado demonstrate that pre-harvest burning of sugarcane and the removal of crop residues negatively impact soil bacterial communities and mycorrhizal associations, respectively.
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Document type: Report
Incorporación de sistemas de conocimientos locales y tradicionales: nuevos puntos de vista para los servicios ecosistémicos y las colaboraciones transdisciplinarias
The project investigates governance modalities that incorporate local and traditional knowledge to improve biodiversity conservation. Using a 'decentralizing academia' approach, the team established Communities of Practice Collaborators (CCP) to foster co-learning between academics, farmers, and local knowledge keepers. The research identifies plurality, power asymmetries, and conflict as key facilitators or barriers to conservation and is producing a collaborative book featuring local voices from Colombia, Chile, and Uruguay.
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Document type: Report
A few useful references on agent-based modelling
The document is a bibliography of literature on agent-based modelling (ABM), categorised by application area including land use change, urban systems, and ecological economics. It highlights essential readings for a workshop and provides examples of ABM applications within the IAI region.
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Document type: Guide
Landscape mapping of software tools for climate- sensitive infectious disease modelling
The report identifies 37 unique software tools for climate-sensitive infectious disease modelling, finding a heavy bias toward vector-borne diseases, particularly malaria. It highlights significant gaps in operationalization, accessibility, and geographic representation, noting that most tools are developed by North American and European institutions despite being intended for use in the Global South. Expert interviews reveal critical barriers to implementation, including poor data sharing between climate and health sectors, lack of political mandates, and a mismatch between complex model outputs and the needs of public health decision-makers.
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Document type: Report