Search Climate Insights Directory

This report, commissioned by the UNDP and implemented by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), assesses climate risks and risk management capacity in Peru, specifically focusing on the agricultural sector in the regions of Junín and Piura. It combines scientific data with community consultations to identify vulnerabilities and propose integrated strategies for disaster risk management and climate change adaptation.

This report, prepared by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the UNDP, evaluates climate risks and management capacities in Peru, with a specific focus on the agricultural sectors of the Junín and Piura regions. It analyzes the interaction between climate threats—such as El Niño, droughts, and frosts—and the vulnerability of rural populations, providing recommendations for integrated risk management and policy coordination.

This report, commissioned by the UNDP and implemented by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), assesses climate risks to crop production—specifically maize, beans, and coffee—in Uganda's Rakai and Kapchorwa districts. It identifies that while Uganda has seen economic growth, its heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture makes it highly vulnerable to increasing droughts, floods, and rising temperatures. The study combines local consultations, crop modelling, and literature reviews to recommend a holistic risk management approach involving conservation agriculture, improved irrigation, stress-resistant crop varieties, and strengthened national governance and coordination.

This policy brief, published by the Stockholm Environment Institute in 2013, synthesizes lessons from the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia (AKP) regarding the protection of livelihoods against climate change. Drawing on research from 13 Asian countries, it highlights the vulnerability of rural and coastal populations dependent on climate-sensitive sectors and evaluates the effectiveness of various adaptation strategies, including community forestry and the integration of local knowledge.

This December 2012 fact sheet from the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) outlines technical assistance and research projects in Nepal aimed at calculating the economic costs of climate change, enhancing climate diplomacy, and improving knowledge management and disaster risk reduction.

This case study describes the Agriculture, Vulnerability and Adaptation (AVA) Project in Colombia's Upper Cauca River Basin, which utilizes a four-dimensional model to assess agricultural vulnerability to climate change, aiming to overcome the limitations of one-dimensional models and improve local applicability.

This case study examines the application of the Climate Compatible Development (CCD) approach to agriculture and food security in Kenya. It analyzes the synergies between adaptation and mitigation within the National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS) and its Action Plan (NCCAP), identifying institutional barriers and financing gaps that hinder the integration of food security goals into climate action.

This policy brief describes the Agriculture, Vulnerability and Adaptation (AVA) project in Colombia's Upper Cauca River Basin. The project develops a multi-dimensional vulnerability assessment model—incorporating biophysical, political-institutional, economic-productive, and sociocultural factors—to better inform climate adaptation policies for the agricultural sector, moving beyond traditional one-dimensional biophysical models.

This briefing examines the debate over whether the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should waive the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) following a severe heat wave and drought in the United States that reduced corn yields and increased prices. While livestock and poultry producers argue a waiver would lower corn prices and food costs, the document suggests that such a move could increase gasoline prices, heighten dependence on imported oil, and discourage investment in advanced biofuels.

This case study examines the implementation of the National Climate Change Strategy (NCCS) in Honduras, focusing on its integration with agriculture and food security. It evaluates the institutional frameworks, such as the Climate Change Inter-institutional Committee (CCIC), and identifies significant barriers—including financial constraints and limited institutional empowerment—that hinder the transition toward Climate Compatible Development (CCD).

This report chapter discusses the need for improved knowledge regarding the impacts of ozone on agriculture in South Asia, driven by increased ozone precursor pollutants from rapid industrialization and economic growth in Asia.

This statement examines whether the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should waive the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in response to a 2012 drought in the United States that damaged corn and soybean crops. While livestock and dairy producers have petitioned for a waiver to lower corn feed prices, the document argues that such a move would have minimal impact on prices while severely harming the biofuels industry and its long-term goals.

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.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development argues for greater transparency in agricultural investment contracts to prevent corruption and protect human rights, highlighting a global trend toward contract disclosure led by countries like Liberia.

This 2012 report by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the implementation of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) within the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) during the 2007-2013 period. It examines the challenges of integrating agricultural productivity with environmental boundary conditions, such as nutrient reduction and biodiversity conservation. The report argues that the diversity of farming systems in the BSR should be an asset and recommends that post-2013 CAP reforms shift toward treating environmental services as a core value of farming rather than a precondition for payment, while introducing 'soft measures' to improve transboundary cooperation and stakeholder engagement.

This research paper uses the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) system to assess climate change impacts and adaptation strategies for the Sacramento River basin and the San Joaquin Valley's Delta export region, concluding that fundamental operational changes to water management are necessary to address increasing agricultural demand and decreasing supply reliability.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the challenges and opportunities of integrating agriculture into an international climate change agreement under the UNFCCC. It highlights the 'triple dividend'—the potential to simultaneously improve food security, enhance adaptive capacity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions—while detailing the diplomatic tensions between developed and developing nations regarding trade, financing, and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the trade-related obstacles preventing the inclusion of agriculture as a sectoral approach to mitigation within international climate change negotiations. It highlights the tension between developed nations' desire for a work program and developing nations' fears that agreed-upon 'good practice' standards could be used as unilateral trade barriers, while also addressing concerns regarding food security and market-based mechanisms.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) explores the 'triple dividend' in agriculture: the simultaneous achievement of increased food security, improved adaptive capacity to climate change, and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It argues that an international climate agreement under the UNFCCC should integrate these three goals to support a growing global population while mitigating environmental impact.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute addresses the conflict between increasing global food demand and the environmental degradation caused by current agricultural systems, proposing a set of strategies to increase production while reducing ecological footprints.