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The document outlines a CDKN-supported initiative in Quito, Ecuador, to address climate vulnerabilities such as landslides and wildfires affecting low-income hillside communities. Through a vulnerability study and a five-year Action Plan, the project promoted ecosystem restoration, sustainable agriculture, and the integration of climate resilience into municipal development planning.

The document provides a visual guide for the environmental regularization of small rural properties (≤ 4 fiscal modules), detailing the requirements for Permanent Preservation Areas (APP), Legal Reserves, and Restricted Use Areas. It specifies the paths for properties with consolidated areas prior to July 22, 2008, and May 28, 2012, including the use of the Environmental Rural Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA).

The document outlines the regulatory pathways for small rural properties (≤ 4 fiscal modules) to achieve compliance with the Forest Code. It details the conditions under which Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) and Legal Forest Reserves are considered preserved or consolidated, and the subsequent requirements for restoration, such as the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA) and the Forest Recovery Plan (PRADA). For properties ≤ 4 fiscal modules, APP restoration is subject to flexible requirements, with the area not exceeding 10% of the property for those ≤ 2 fiscal modules and 20% for those between 2 and 4 fiscal modules.

The document provides an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) for a project aimed at conserving freshwater, marine, and coastal resources in the Mesoamerican Reef System (MAR). It defines the institutional roles of the Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD) and partner NGOs, establishes a project classification system (Categories A, B, and C) based on risk, and outlines procedures for Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs). The framework identifies priority river basins—including the Hondo, Motagua, Belice, Chamelecón, and Ulúa—and details the threats facing the reef, such as agricultural runoff, deforestation, and urban waste. It also sets strict safeguards for indigenous peoples, involuntary resettlement, and the use of hazardous pesticides, while proposing various 'ridge-to-reef' interventions like agroforestry and habitat restoration.

The mid-term review of the Sustainable Land Management Project in Churia, Nepal, rates the project as 'Moderately Satisfactory'. While output-level performance in livestock husbandry, bio-engineering, and community forestry is good, the report identifies significant failures in the implementation of Sloping Land Agriculture Technology (SALT) and the establishment of Open Grazing Free Zones (OGFZ). Key challenges include a top-down project design, weak inter-sectoral coordination at the operational level, and disruptions caused by the 2015 Nepal earthquake and political unrest (Madhesh Band). The review recommends a no-cost extension, a revision of the 2016 work plan to prioritize successful interventions, and a shift toward Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) to replace the outdated SALT approach.

The document details the work of the RESISTE network in Chiapas, Mexico, which promotes agroecology, seed saving, and soil conservation to counter a national policy favoring export-oriented agribusiness and land privatization. Through horizontal community capacity building, the initiative supports eight family groups in transitioning away from chemical inputs toward sustainable food systems and the defense of territorial rights.

Tajikistan is highly vulnerable to climate change, particularly in its water, agriculture, and energy sectors, due to high sensitivity to climate risks and low adaptive capacity. While the government has initiated policy frameworks and is developing a national adaptation strategy, progress is hindered by institutional capacity limitations. Adaptation efforts are currently driven largely by the Pilot Program on Climate Resilience (PPCR), with a strong focus on infrastructure and technical capacity, though rural communities and the health sector remain underserved.

The briefing advocates for Community Forest Management (CFM) as a superior model for protecting biodiversity and mitigating climate change compared to industrial forestry and absolute protection regimes. It highlights that CFM can reduce deforestation rates and enhance carbon storage while securing the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The document warns against 'false solutions' like REDD+ and the 'financialization of nature,' which it claims risk land grabbing and the erosion of traditional governance. It recommends that governments recognize collective land tenure and that international frameworks, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, prioritize CFM over traditional Protected Areas to meet conservation goals.

The document advocates for community forest management (CFM) as a superior alternative to industrial logging and strict protection regimes. It asserts that CFM effectively reduces deforestation, protects biodiversity, and supports climate mitigation and adaptation by empowering indigenous peoples and local communities. The text identifies key success factors such as land tenure security and warns against 'false solutions' like REDD+ and the financialization of nature, which it claims risk land grabbing and the erosion of community control.

The document advocates for Community Forest Management (CFM) as a critical tool for biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation. It presents evidence that CFM often outperforms strict protection regimes in reducing deforestation, particularly when supported by secure land tenure and local autonomy. The briefing highlights the role of CFM in carbon sequestration and climate adaptation, while warning against 'false solutions' like REDD+ and the financialisation of nature, which it claims threaten community rights and traditional governance.

The report advocates for community forest management (CFM) as a superior strategy for environmental conservation and social justice. It provides evidence that forests managed by indigenous peoples and local communities often have lower deforestation rates and higher carbon storage than state-protected areas. The document identifies secure land tenure, local autonomy in decision-making, and strong social capital as critical success factors. It also warns against 'false solutions' like REDD+ and the financialization of nature, which it claims can lead to land grabbing and the erosion of traditional knowledge. The report concludes by recommending that governments prioritize collective land rights and traditional knowledge over market-based conservation mechanisms.

The document presents community forest management (CFM) as a superior alternative to industrial logging and strict protected areas for preserving biodiversity and mitigating climate change. It highlights that CFM can be more effective at reducing deforestation, as evidenced by data from Brazil and Costa Rica, and provides critical livelihood support to approximately 1.6 billion people. The text identifies key success factors for CFM, including secure land tenure, local decision-making autonomy, and strong social capital. Conversely, it warns against 'false solutions' such as REDD+ and the financialization of nature, which it claims risk land grabbing and the erosion of traditional governance. The document concludes by recommending the prioritization of decentralized, authentic CFM and the legal protection of indigenous and local community rights to ensure ecological and social justice.

The briefing advocates for Community Forest Management (CFM) as a superior model for forest conservation and climate action compared to industrial logging and state-led protected areas. It highlights CFM's role in carbon storage and biodiversity protection, while warning against market-based mechanisms like REDD+ that may lead to land grabbing. The document recommends that governments recognize communal land tenure and prioritize CFM to meet international biodiversity targets.

The document evaluates the impact of subsistence and smallholder activities on forest loss, noting that while they account for approximately 33% of deforestation and 27-34% of degradation in tropical and subtropical regions, the relationship between poverty and forest loss is non-linear. It identifies clean cookstove distribution and financial support for woodfuel interventions as key proxy indicators for progress. The report highlights a significant increase in Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the woodfuel sector and provides case studies from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Peru to illustrate localized interventions. It concludes that agricultural ODA and climate mitigation forestry ODA are largely uncoordinated, with the latter concentrating in middle-income countries rather than the least developed countries where food security is most pressing.

The policy brief examines the intersection of the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the COP 21 climate negotiations, and the Financing for Development agenda. It advocates for a 'bottom-up' approach to climate mitigation through INDCs that are integrated with domestic socio-economic priorities to create co-benefits in sectors like agriculture and energy. The author emphasizes that African nations should leverage clean energy and the energy-food-water nexus to leapfrog fossil-fuel-based development, while highlighting South Africa's green economy strategies as a model for job creation and GDP growth.

The study examines the vulnerability of Arabica coffee in Bududa, Uganda, to climate variability and projected climate change. It finds that yields have declined due to poor management and extreme weather, including droughts and landslides. The report argues that transitioning from 'Business as Usual' (BAU) to Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)—defined here as planting shade trees, mulching, and trench construction—significantly improves the internal rate of return (IRR) for farmers, even under future climate scenarios. While costly, the study concludes that a combined programme of CSA and institutional support is economically justified, with a projected IRR of around 36%.

The report details a 2014 assessment of dairy systems in Tanzania's Tanga region. It identifies a contrast between the intensive zero-grazing systems prevalent in the mountainous Lushoto district and the extensive grazing systems dominant in the lowland Handeni district. The study maps feed sources, infrastructure, and environmental risks, concluding that while dairy production is in early development and not yet a primary local environmental concern, future growth requires improved fodder preservation, better breeding, and enhanced extension services.

The document examines how integrating urban and peri-urban agriculture and forestry (UPAF) into city planning can address climate change risks, food insecurity, and urban poverty. In Western Province, Sri Lanka, the focus is on rehabilitating abandoned paddy lands to reduce flood risks and intensifying home gardening to lower GHG emissions and improve nutrition. In Rosario, Argentina, the city is using UPAF to mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce 'food miles' and associated CO2 emissions, and manage storm water run-off. The report argues that subnational (provincial) government involvement is essential for scaling these interventions and integrating them into broader land-use and climate action plans.

The restoration of China's Loess Plateau, supported by the Chinese government and the World Bank, utilized terracing and afforestation to combat severe soil erosion and sand storms. While the project significantly increased grain output, reduced sediment in the Yellow River by 99%, and boosted rural incomes, it faces sustainability risks. These include a high percentage of farmers who would recultivate slopes if subsidies end, low survival rates of non-native tree species, and concerns that large-scale afforestation may exacerbate water shortages in a warming climate.

Between 1986 and 2005, Costa Rica increased its forest area by 394,000 hectares, primarily through passive restoration on abandoned pastures. This success is attributed to a combination of crisis-driven motivation, ecological viability, and market shifts—specifically the decline of the cattle industry and the rise of eco-tourism. While the Pago de Servicios Ambientales (PSA) system is a well-known financial incentive, the document argues that structural economic changes and restrictive forestry laws were equally or more critical to the country's reforestation outcomes.