Search Climate Insights Directory

The document provides a synthesis of challenges and lessons learned from the preparation of intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) by UNFCCC Parties prior to the Paris Agreement. It aims to support the implementation and development of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) by improving clarity and ambition. The findings are based on NewClimate Institute research, including two surveys of developing country representatives, and incorporate examples from GIZ's work with over 30 partner countries to address thematic challenges.

The synthesis identifies significant data availability and quality gaps as primary constraints in analyzing climate-resilient economic development, particularly regarding high-resolution geographical data and disaggregated household information.

The report examines design elements for mitigation commitments in the 2015 global climate agreement, focusing on participation, commitment types, ambition guidance, and transparency to ensure effective and equitable national targets.

The document examines the drivers and barriers to climate change adaptation in the Swedish forestry sector, emphasizing that social and cultural factors are as critical as scientific data. While forest owners recognize increasing productivity and risks from extreme weather, many adopt a "wait and see" approach due to the gradual nature of climate change and distrust of scientific communication. The research highlights the importance of social networks, the role of indirect global climate impacts on export markets, and the need for relevant, credible, and legitimate science communication to foster proactive adaptation.

The document outlines methodological approaches for aligning national mitigation pledges with global temperature targets, discusses the challenges of integrating equity into these pledges, and proposes a minimum list of upfront information to ensure transparency in INDC reporting.

The document argues that conventional formal institution building is insufficient for sustainable development and calls for new collaborations between governments, civil society, and the private sector. It emphasizes the need to link livelihoods in low-income regions with consumption patterns in affluent regions and to integrate disaster risk reduction (DRR) into development planning to build resilience. SEI highlights various projects, including palm oil governance in Southeast Asia, Arctic resilience, and sanitation in East Africa, to illustrate the need for 'hybrid accountability' and 'institutional bricolage' in governance.

The document argues that current development paths for carbon capture and storage (CCS) are insufficient to meet commercial availability goals by the end of the decade or contribute significantly to CO2 emission reductions. It identifies four specific areas requiring a tenfold increase to achieve viability: the size of plants, the number of large-scale demonstration plants under construction, annual funding over the next 40 years, and the price of carbon dioxide emissions. The author concludes that CCS development depends on policy-makers simultaneously favoring coal-based power and implementing stringent climate policy.

The report analyzes the policy landscapes of Bhutan and Nepal to identify opportunities and obstacles for mainstreaming climate change adaptation. It highlights the success of community forestry in both nations as a tool for protecting livelihoods and ecosystems, while noting significant failures in Nepal's integrated water resource management due to bureaucratic and political instability. The synthesis emphasizes that both countries struggle with sectoral fragmentation, funding gaps, and a lack of technical climate data, recommending a shift toward more integrated, consistent, and community-empowered governance frameworks.

This synthesis paper, prepared for the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), examines the intersection of agriculture, food security, and climate-compatible development (CCD) through case studies in Kenya, Bangladesh, and Honduras. It identifies systemic barriers to integrating climate adaptation and mitigation within agricultural sectors and provides global recommendations for policymakers and the international community to support small-scale farmers in developing countries.

The report identifies systemic institutional, financial, and technical barriers to climate-compatible agriculture in Kenya, Bangladesh, and Honduras, emphasizing the need for an integrated approach to adaptation and mitigation.

The document outlines the interaction between climate change, human vulnerability, and disaster risk in Latin America and the Caribbean. It emphasizes that while climate change is altering the frequency and intensity of extreme events, human factors—such as unplanned urbanization and poverty—are primary drivers of increasing disaster impacts. The report advocates for an integrated approach that combines disaster risk management (DRM) with climate change adaptation (CCA) and sustainable development, moving from incremental to transformational changes in governance and infrastructure.

The report highlights that disaster risk in Asia is increasing due to higher exposure and vulnerability, even independent of climate change. It details observed and projected increases in temperature and precipitation extremes across various Asian sub-regions and argues for the integration of disaster risk management (DRM) with climate change adaptation (CCA) and sustainable development to build long-term resilience.

The document translates the global findings of the IPCC SREX report into a regional context for Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasizing that disaster risk is increasing due to rising vulnerability and exposure. It details observed and projected climate extremes—such as increased heatwaves and variable precipitation—and argues for the integration of disaster risk management (DRM) with climate change adaptation (CCA) and sustainable development. The report highlights the importance of both incremental and transformational changes, including the use of risk transfer mechanisms like insurance and the necessity of global greenhouse gas mitigation to avoid the most severe impacts.

The report highlights that disaster risk in Latin America and the Caribbean is increasing due to heightened exposure and vulnerability, even independent of climate change. It details observed and projected trends in temperature and precipitation extremes across the region and argues for the integration of disaster risk management (DRM) with climate change adaptation (CCA) to build long-term resilience.

The paper examines the shift away from agriculture in rural sub-Saharan Africa, driven by Structural Adjustment Programmes, and recommends policies to support occupational diversification and human capital development.

The report examines seven transboundary river basins—Congo, Okavango, Red, La Plata, Danube, Mekong, and Jordan—to evaluate how ecosystem services (ES) are integrated into Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). It finds that while IWRM planning is common, actual implementation is weak and often focuses on traditional services like hydropower and navigation, neglecting critical ES such as carbon sequestration and flood regulation. The authors argue that moving toward an ES-based 'benefit-sharing' model, supported by economic instruments like Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES), can overcome political, institutional, and financial barriers to sustainable transboundary water management.

The report identifies rigid technological pathways and outdated institutional frameworks as primary obstacles to meeting climate mitigation goals in South America and Southern Africa. It argues that regional energy integration is superior to national reliance as it allows access to low-opportunity-cost resources from neighboring countries. The text emphasizes that transitioning to renewable technologies like solar and wind requires comprehensive system changes and strong government policy to overcome existing economic and regulatory lock-ins.

The Lake Winnipeg Basin Summit, held in November and December 2010, brought together approximately 150 stakeholders to address water quality and nutrient loading in the Lake Winnipeg Basin. Using a 'back-casting' approach, participants developed a vision for a sustainable development strategy that integrates environmental, economic, and social objectives. The report concludes that Manitoba, as the downstream jurisdiction and principal beneficiary, should lead the implementation of this comprehensive and adaptive management project.

The report argues that AWM interventions often fail to capture holistic impacts beyond direct project boundaries, frequently overlooking negative externalities and socio-economic shifts. To address this, the authors propose a synthesised M&E framework based on five livelihood capitals: financial, human, natural, physical, and social. The document emphasizes the necessity of baseline assessments, participatory M&E, and the inclusion of both project-level and impact-level indicators to facilitate adaptive management. It applies this framework to review the M&E practices of International Development Enterprises (IDE) and IDE-India, and demonstrates its use in a baseline assessment in the Mkindo watershed of Tanzania.

The review finds that AWM interventions generally produce positive impacts across five capitals—financial, natural, social, physical, and human—with projects employing multiple interventions yielding more positive results. However, it highlights a critical lack of systematic monitoring and evaluation, particularly regarding negative externalities and long-term sustainability.