Search Climate Insights Directory

The four lower Snake River dams cause an average additional water loss of approximately 30,000 acre-feet per year due to evaporation compared to free-flowing conditions. This loss is valued at roughly $110 million as a water right and is equivalent to the water needed to grow 8,000 acres of apples or supply the household needs of 240,000 people. Future projections (2025–2055) suggest these losses will persist or slightly increase, ranging from 30,100 to 32,800 acre-feet per year across eight global climate models.

The report details how climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather in Oregon, leading to significant economic losses and infrastructure needs. Key risks include intense heatwaves, devastating wildfires, disrupted water supplies for agriculture, and coastal flooding. The document provides specific cost estimates for adaptations, such as school air conditioning and coastal protection, while outlining the broader systemic risks to public health, fisheries, and the state's $5.7 billion agricultural industry.

The paper analyzes India's agricultural subsidy regime, focusing on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and input subsidies for fertilizers, electricity, and irrigation. It highlights their role in ensuring food security and supporting small farmers while acknowledging criticisms regarding inefficiency, market distortion, and environmental degradation. The author argues that while rationalization is needed, abrupt removal of these subsidies—which represent 21% of agricultural income—could exacerbate rural poverty.

The document discusses the need for lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) and low-income countries (LICs) to optimize their limited public spending on food and agriculture. It highlights that many sub-Saharan African nations fail to meet the Maputo goal of allocating 10% of national budgets to these sectors and often employ trade policies that implicitly penalize farmers to protect poor consumers. To address this, the FAO's Policy Monitoring and Analysis of Food and Agriculture (SAPAA) program uses a Pareto-optimality tool to help governments reallocate budgets across measures such as irrigation, seed subsidies, and rural electrification. A study of six sub-Saharan African countries (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Uganda) suggests that optimizing budgets for 2025-2030 could create nearly one million non-farm rural jobs, lift 2.8 million people out of poverty, and enable 16 million more people to afford a healthy diet by 2030 without increasing total spending.

The South Coast Water Reclamation Project (SCWRP) in Barbados aims to transform the existing South Coast Sewage Treatment Plant (SCSTP) into a modern Water Resource Recovery Facility (SCWRRF). The project focuses on producing high-quality reclaimed water to reduce dependence on potable groundwater, which is under threat from droughts and seawater intrusion. Key infrastructure includes a 25 km irrigation pipeline for 160 hectares of farmland and a system of injection wells for aquifer recharge in the Christ Church aquifer. The project also includes the restoration of the 33-hectare Graeme Hall Swamp and the installation of a 7 MW solar PV plant with battery storage to provide energy redundancy and reduce GHG emissions. Financially, the project employs an innovative 'Debt-for-Climate Conversion' (DfCC) mechanism, using savings from restructured sovereign debt to fund the investment. The total financing is USD 110 million, with USD 70 million requested from the Green Climate Fund (USD 40 million grant and USD 30 million loan) and USD 40 million in co-financing from the Inter-American Development Bank.

The report assesses gender-based disparities in Ethiopia, specifically focusing on how climate change disproportionately affects women and female-headed households in the Amhara and Oromia regions. It highlights systemic inequalities in land ownership, education, and decision-making, and recommends gender-responsive strategies for water and irrigation projects to ensure equitable access and empowerment.

Costa Rica is addressing climate-driven water deficits in the Reventazón River basin by constructing farm-level water reservoirs. This initiative, part of the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2022–2026, aims to protect vegetable production and hydroelectric generation by improving irrigation efficiency and rainwater harvesting. The project emphasizes interinstitutional coordination and community participation, with plans to scale from a pilot to approximately 100 reservoirs over the next three years to secure livelihoods and national food security.

The document details a climate adaptation initiative in Costa Rica's Reventazón River basin, where changing precipitation patterns have created water deficits of up to 30%. To combat drought and ensure food security, the government and local partners are implementing the National Adaptation Plan (PNA) 2022–2026, specifically through the construction of water reservoirs on agricultural farms. These reservoirs allow farmers to maintain year-round production, optimize irrigation, and reduce agrochemical use. The project emphasizes inter-institutional coordination and community participation, with plans to scale the model to approximately 100 reservoirs over the next three years using public and international funding.

The document examines Zambia's water security challenges, noting that despite abundant freshwater resources, the country faces crises driven by climate change, population growth, and poor governance. It highlights the severe impact of contaminated water on public health, the vulnerability of rain-fed agriculture to droughts, and environmental degradation caused by mining pollution and deforestation. The brief argues that current legal frameworks, such as the Water Act 198, are insufficient, particularly regarding groundwater and shared watercourses. Key recommendations include establishing a National Water Resources Authority, investing in irrigation and infrastructure maintenance, and addressing gender inequalities in water access.

The report details a field visit to the Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute (CRSRI) and the Zhanghe Irrigation District in China. It highlights the use of a 'digital twin' system for water management, community-led irrigation through Farmers' Water Users' Associations, and research at the Hubei Provincial Irrigation Experiment Station. The visit aimed to strengthen cooperation between China, Thailand, and other Lancang-Mekong countries to implement climate-resilient agricultural practices.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) conducted a training workshop from April 26th to 28th, 2024, in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, to implement laser-controlled land leveling in two pilot districts: Phimai and Sung Noen. This precision agriculture technology uses a laser transmitter and receiver to create a flat or uniformly inclined field surface, which optimizes irrigation, reduces water runoff, and improves crop germination. While the technology enhances water efficiency and crop yields, the report notes that high initial equipment costs and the need for technical expertise may limit adoption for smaller farms without subsidies.

The report provides a comprehensive vulnerability assessment for the Kintampo Municipal Assembly, identifying agriculture as the most sensitive sector. It combines historical climate data (1980–2020) with future projections to 2100, highlighting increasing temperatures and variable rainfall. The study identifies specific community-level vulnerabilities, with Busuama being the most vulnerable and Kintampo the least, and recommends targeted adaptation strategies including conservation agriculture, irrigation, and gender-responsive initiatives.

The assessment identifies the Cape Coast Municipal Assembly (CCMA) as highly vulnerable to climate change, particularly through flooding and rising temperatures. Agriculture is ranked as the most vulnerable sector due to a total reliance on rainfed systems. The report highlights that coastal communities face severe risks from sea-level rise and erosion, exacerbated by illegal sand mining. Future projections indicate steadily rising temperatures and variable rainfall, necessitating adaptation strategies such as nature-based solutions, improved drainage, and the introduction of irrigation.

The Bekwai Climate Change Adaptation Plan (2024-2030) identifies agriculture as the most vulnerable sector in the Bekwai Municipality of Ghana due to heavy reliance on rain-fed farming. The plan outlines prioritized adaptation actions across eight sectors, including the construction of irrigation systems, afforestation, and the reengineering of the Oda River bridge. It establishes a governance framework led by the Municipal Planning Co-ordination Unit and proposes a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) system to track progress.

The document analyzes the Mijares river basin, noting that decreased summer rainfall is linked to land-use changes and is driving aridification. Through 'uncertainty dialogues' with stakeholders, the authors identify three critical barriers to sustainability: the unpredictability of rural abandonment, a lack of technical knowledge for profitable and sustainable forest management to prevent fires, and conflicting perspectives on water allocation between the upper and lower basin. The brief argues that addressing these uncertainties through coordinated dialogue is essential for implementing robust sustainability projects.

The document assesses Rwanda's monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) system for climate adaptation in agriculture, focusing on 10 specific NDC indicators. It identifies that while output-level tracking is well-established through the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) and Ministry of Environment (MoE) information systems, there are significant gaps in tracking medium-term outcomes, gender-disaggregated data, and the integration of different sectoral databases.

The document details the operationalization of a pilot adaptation MEL system in Rwanda's agriculture sector, focusing on how data is communicated to national and international bodies and the lessons derived from tracking NDC indicators. It identifies successes in quantitative tracking and qualitative case studies, while highlighting gaps in gender-disaggregated data and local-level awareness. The briefing provides a roadmap for expanding the MEL system to other priority sectors and recommends aligning data collection with international reporting cycles, such as the UNFCCC Biennial Transparency Reports.

The ADAPT Jamaica project targets six parishes in Central Jamaica to protect the livelihoods of approximately 503,372 persons. It addresses vulnerabilities to drought, hurricanes, and flooding through a combination of technical training via Farmer Field Schools, the installation of rainwater harvesting and irrigation systems, and the creation of a data-driven agricultural services portal. The project also focuses on reducing food loss (estimated at 30-40%) and improving financial inclusion for smallholders through a partnership with the Development Bank of Jamaica to create customized credit products and risk-management tools.

The Plan Director de la Cuenca Alta del Rio La Paz provides a comprehensive diagnostic and strategic roadmap for managing water resources in a 1,725 km² area. It identifies critical vulnerabilities, including severe water pollution in urban rivers, glacier retreat, and inadequate sanitation in rural areas. The plan proposes 11 strategic lines (LE) focusing on climate resilience, water governance, technological innovation in irrigation, and the construction of wastewater treatment plants (PTAR), with a total estimated investment of 1,555,183,480 BOB.

The report details a comprehensive water management plan for the Pampa Huari Basin, utilizing a Robust Decision Support (ADR) framework to address vulnerabilities in water quality, quantity, and sanitation. It identifies critical pressures from mining and climate change, proposing five strategic lines of action including ecosystem restoration, sustainable water supply, irrigation modernization, mining impact mitigation, and institutional strengthening, with a total estimated investment of 145,537,813 Bs.