Search Climate Insights Directory

The Pantanal is the world's largest wetland, spanning Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, and providing ecosystem services valued at $112 billion. It faces threats from land use changes, upstream pollution, and climate change, which is predicted to make the region hotter and drier. WWF is implementing a 'Trinational Initiative' to promote sustainable infrastructure, expand protected areas, and eradicate deforestation, which has already caused a loss of over 12% of the region's forest cover.

The research establishes a correlation between gender inequality and lower environmental wellbeing, noting that women's leadership in natural resource management improves governance and environmental outcomes. However, significant gaps persist, including a lack of gender-disaggregated environmental data and the underrepresentation of men and masculinity in conservation literature. The document highlights the critical role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), noting that while Indigenous-managed territories show better ecosystem health, Indigenous women are often excluded from decision-making. It recommends shifting power and funding from Global North organizations to local, women-led, and Indigenous organizations, and calls for the 2022 UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP15 to adopt a gender-responsive Global Biodiversity Framework.

The guide argues that traditional linear problem-solving is insufficient for the complex, interlinked nature of global environmental and social crises. It introduces a four-phase framework for systems change—laying a foundation, understanding the system, committing to a desired future, and bridging the gap—supported by eight principles of practice. These principles emphasize mindfulness, co-creation, iterative experimentation, and the identification of deep leverage points to shift system structures and behaviors toward a sustainable and equitable future.

The report assesses the economic value of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (BBRRS), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, focusing on tourism benefits. It finds that four of the seven MPAs within the BBRRS generate up to US$18.8 million annually from tourism recreation. The document argues that these economic benefits far exceed management costs, providing a strong case for protecting the reef against threats such as offshore oil exploration, unsustainable coastal development, and climate change. It calls on the Belizean government to enact a moratorium on oil exploration and implement stricter land-use regulations to remove the BBRRS from the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger.

The document outlines pathways for policymakers to halt and reverse biodiversity loss in the ocean, emphasizing the need to align national policies with the Global Biodiversity Framework, mandate corporate accountability, mobilize diverse finance, and ensure inclusive, people-centered governance.

WWF South Africa is mobilising Water Source Partnerships to address a water governance crisis in South Africa. Research indicates that 10% of the country's land provides 50% of its surface water, yet only 16% of strategic water source areas are formally protected. These partnerships aim to coordinate action between government, the private sector, and communities to stop land degradation, enable coordinated governance, and create sustainable economic opportunities in critical catchments.