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The California Water Supply and Demand Model (CWSD) assesses how climate change affects water availability and usage in California, focusing on the energy, urban, and agricultural sectors. The model evaluates scenarios with no adaptation, slow adaptation, and fast adaptation across different climate projections (B1 and A2). Key findings indicate that without adaptation, agricultural water demand will rise due to higher temperatures, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley. While slow adaptation may only marginally reduce use, fast adaptation—driven by higher water prices and technological efficiency—could significantly decrease demand. The report also extends its agricultural analysis to other Western U.S. states, noting a general increase in water demand by 2100.

The report details a workshop in Douala, Cameroon, focused on the implementation of REDD+ in Africa. Key discussions centered on the need for cost-effective safeguard information systems, the scalability of Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) from subnational to national levels, and the role of agriculture as a driver of deforestation rather than a direct part of REDD+. Participants emphasized the necessity of transparent, equitable financing that prioritizes local experts and the integration of gender and indigenous perspectives to ensure multiple co-benefits beyond carbon sequestration.

The report details a workshop in Hanoi focused on the implementation of REDD+ (Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation). Key discussions centered on the need for flexible, country-based safeguard information systems, the integration of local and indigenous knowledge into Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) processes, and the strategic handling of agriculture as a driver of deforestation rather than a direct part of REDD+ at this stage. It emphasizes the importance of transparency, equitable benefit-sharing, and capacity building to bridge the gap between international policy and national action.

The document details how Orissa became the first Indian state to produce a Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP), utilizing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to develop a five-year blueprint in six months. It highlights the importance of political leadership, inter-departmental coordination, and the integration of climate actions into state budgetary processes, while noting that planning can proceed despite significant information gaps in climate projections.

The document argues that agriculture is a critical but historically marginalized sector in climate negotiations, offering significant short-term greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potential, particularly in developing nations. It reviews the status of UNFCCC negotiations, the Copenhagen Accord, and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases. The report highlights Canada's leadership in GHG accounting and soil carbon sequestration, suggesting that Canada can improve its international reputation by providing capacity building and technology transfer to regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia. It recommends establishing a dedicated agriculture and climate change fund and supporting an SBSTA programme of work to integrate agricultural mitigation into post-2012 climate agreements.

The report finds that significant greenhouse gas mitigation is possible in developing countries at low or negative costs, primarily through energy efficiency and forestry. While macroeconomic analyses for countries like Mexico and South Africa suggest that low-carbon transitions can be net-positive for GDP, the report warns that technical cost curves often omit significant implementation and transaction costs. It emphasizes that low-income countries (LICs) have different drivers, focusing on co-benefits like health and energy security rather than absolute emission cuts. The document also highlights a critical knowledge gap regarding 'climate resilient growth'—how to structure economies to reduce long-term vulnerability—and calls for better integration of adaptation and mitigation strategies to avoid trade-offs.

The project assesses the effects of land use and cover changes on the La Plata Basin's hydroclimate, specifically focusing on the intensity and length of floods and droughts, as well as soil moisture, infiltration, and runoff. Using 1980-2005 datasets and a Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) modeling system, the research tests various land cover scenarios and introduces Ecosystem Functional Types (EFTs) to replace time-fixed land cover types in regional models.

The project examines the relationship between land use and cover change (LUCC), climate, and soil microorganisms, specifically arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Initial findings indicate that AMF species abundance shifts seasonally and that diversity and symbiotic ability decline significantly during warm and dry seasons, potentially disrupting the relationship with host plants. In the páramos region, this research has been applied to create bio-fertilizers that enhance potato growth.

The project investigates long-term hydrological changes in the American cordillera, utilizing tree-ring records and streamflow data to analyze drought patterns and climate regime shifts. Initial findings highlight a severe 14th-century drought in the high Andes with significant social consequences, a declining streamflow trend in Chile linked to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and an increasing drought risk in the southern Andes between 1920 and 2002 that threatens agriculture and hydroelectric power.

The document analyzes the outcomes of COP15 for REDD-plus, highlighting the Copenhagen Accord's role as a political mandate for further action. It details the three-phase implementation approach proposed by the AWG-LCA and examines critical challenges including the definition of 'forest', the integration of REDD into Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA), and the development of Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems based on IPCC guidelines. The report also discusses the necessity of social and environmental safeguards for indigenous peoples and local communities, the role of the Green Climate Fund, and the potential for both grant-based and market-based financing mechanisms.

The document examines the risks and opportunities associated with Ghana's transition to an oil-producing nation. While Ghana has a strong record of democratic transitions and a vocal civil society, it faces challenges including a lack of absorptive capacity for sudden revenue increases, delays in passing oil revenue management legislation, and a history of local communities receiving few benefits from the mining and timber sectors. The author argues that oil alone will not drive structural economic change and recommends the establishment of stabilisation and heritage funds, the use of associated gas to fuel industrial policy and agriculture, and increased transparency in contract negotiations to prevent elite capture and social unrest.

Brazil possesses a relatively low-carbon energy matrix, but its overall greenhouse gas emissions are dominated by agriculture and deforestation. While deforestation rates have declined, rapid economic growth, increasing energy demand, and the discovery of pre-salt offshore oil fields threaten to increase energy-related emissions. Domestically, climate policy is shifting from a foreign relations issue to a central political topic, with sub-national initiatives—particularly in São Paulo—pushing for more ambitious absolute targets. Internationally, Brazil positions itself as a broker between BASIC countries and Annex I nations, emphasizing its leadership in biofuels and REDD while maintaining a commitment to the sovereign right to development.

The document examines the debate over whether current planning processes can accommodate the long lead times and uncertainties of climate change. Arguments for new approaches highlight the unprecedented nature of climate risks and the potential for irreversible impacts. Conversely, some argue that existing frameworks for other long-term environmental challenges or natural disasters are applicable, suggesting that failures in climate adaptation may stem from a lack of institutional capacity rather than flawed decision-making processes.

The document argues that the ability of developing countries to integrate climate risks into their decision-making processes is a key determinant of their success in mitigating future impacts. It emphasizes that development agencies must move beyond supporting individual adaptation interventions to strengthening the institutional frameworks and policies that allow national governments to make robust, flexible, and durable decisions in the face of climate uncertainty and long-term variability.

The author proposes a new green revolution focused on sustainable land management and water harvesting to meet development goals and climate risks. He argues that investing in small-scale rainfed agriculture and conservation agriculture can double or triple crop yields while sequestering carbon. The document identifies systemic barriers, such as the policy fixation on large-scale irrigation and the administrative split between 'wet' water ministries and 'dry' agriculture ministries, and calls for integrated national strategies in Africa to scale these solutions.

The report finds that existing climate variability already costs Kenya up to 2% of GDP annually, with future climate change potentially adding a loss of 2.6% of GDP per year by 2030. Adaptation needs are estimated at $500 million per year for 2012, rising to $1-2 billion per year by 2030. The study also identifies significant opportunities for low-carbon growth, noting that over 80% of selected energy-related emission reduction options can be realized at a net negative cost.

The report argues that reducing methane (CH4) emissions is critical for slowing global warming in the next two decades, particularly in the Arctic, due to methane's high warming potential and short atmospheric lifespan. It identifies agriculture, waste management, and energy production as the primary anthropogenic sources and evaluates the cost-effectiveness of various mitigation strategies. While sectors like natural gas and coal mining offer high low-cost reduction potentials, the report highlights significant barriers including inadequate regulation, financial risks, and limitations within the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism. To address these, the document proposes the creation of a Global Methane Fund.

The research paper examines how climate change threatens Mozambique's economic development, specifically within agriculture, tourism, and public health. It highlights the country's high vulnerability due to its geography and poverty, noting that frequent natural disasters undermine progress toward Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While the government has established a National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA), implementation is hindered by resource constraints. The paper also identifies potential opportunities through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and hydropower exports to South Africa.

The research establishes a GIS-based index of adaptive capacity for the Canadian Prairies, using six determinants: economic resources, technology, information/skills/management, infrastructure, institutions/networks, and equity. The analysis finds that adaptive capacity is generally higher near large urban centres and lower along the northern boundaries of the agricultural region. While the six determinants align with producer perspectives, the study concludes that aggregated census data only accurately represent a fraction of the specific factors producers identify as critical for adaptation, emphasizing the need for site-specific research to inform policy.

The report projects that Minnesota will face significantly hotter summers, increased flooding, and agricultural threats if current emissions trends continue. Under a high-emissions scenario, the state could see a 12°F increase in average summer temperatures by the end of the century, with Minneapolis-St. Paul experiencing nearly 70 days over 90°F per summer. These changes are expected to increase heat-related mortality, worsen air quality through higher ozone and particulate levels, and disrupt farming via heat stress and pest expansion. The document advocates for a transition to renewable energy, increased energy efficiency, and a federal cap-and-trade program to mitigate these risks.