Search Climate Insights Directory

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) has issued a draft Declaration of Asunción on Water Security, Biodiversity, and Climate Resilience in the Americas. The document invites IAI Parties, Associates, and advisory committees to review and formally endorse the declaration during the 33rd Conference of the Parties (CoP-33) in Asunción, Paraguay, from 29-30 May 2025. The declaration is intended to advance scientific collaboration and policy action regarding the intersection of water, biodiversity, and climate resilience, aligning with Theme 2 of the IAI’s Scientific Agenda.

The document provides a framework for certifying climate resilience investments through three primary components: making a substantial contribution to resilience, managing maladaptation risks, and ensuring no significant harm to climate mitigation. It defines specific requirements for 'adapted' and 'enabling' investments, including the need for investment-level assessments based on science-based projections and the use of multiple climate scenarios such as SSP5-8.5. These interim criteria are intended to be replaced progressively by validated, sector-specific criteria and proxies developed by technical working groups.

The IAI and its partners commit to enhancing regional resilience in the Americas by integrating transdisciplinary science into early warning systems for droughts and floods, promoting scientific diplomacy, and ensuring open data exchange to support agriculture, energy, and ecosystem management.

The 33rd Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) approved the core budget for 2025–2026 and adopted the Asunción Declaration on Water Security, Biodiversity, and Climate Resilience in the Americas. The meeting focused on strengthening the link between science and policy through regional mechanisms and the invitation of new Associates, including the World Meteorological Organization, the American Geophysical Union, and the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research. Additionally, the Conference approved an Open Access to Data and Publications Policy and revised procedures for granting permanent observer status.

The 33rd Meeting of the IAI Conference of the Parties approved the 2025-2026 operating budget, the Asunción Declaration on Water Security, Biodiversity, and Climate Resilience in the Americas, and a new policy on open access to data and publications. The meeting also extended invitations for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the American Geophysical Union (AGU), and the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC) to become Associates of the Institute.

The document argues that while African governments have set ambitious adaptation targets, governance and financial constraints hinder the effectiveness of these efforts. It advocates for locally led adaptation (LLA) as a participatory strategy to ensure resilience is context-specific and inclusive. Key barriers identified include a disconnect between national policies and local needs, limited direct access to climate finance for local actors, and weak monitoring systems. The brief recommends integrating Indigenous knowledge, devolving decision-making, and expanding decentralized finance to empower local communities.

The document argues for a "just land transition" in California to address groundwater depletion, which may require repurposing up to 1 million acres of irrigated agriculture. It outlines a framework based on community-centered principles and provides a roadmap of interventions for the state legislature, regulatory agencies, local governments, and philanthropy to ensure benefits reach frontline communities and agricultural workers.

The PELP 2023-2027 report outlines three development scenarios for Chile: Slow Recovery, Carbon Neutrality, and Accelerated Transition. It projects a significant shift toward renewable energy, primarily wind and solar photovoltaic, and identifies critical transmission expansion needs. A key innovation is the introduction of Electric Generation Development Poles (PDGE) in the provinces of Antofagasta and Tocopilla to optimize renewable energy deployment. The report also analyzes the role of green hydrogen, energy storage, and the phased retirement of coal-fired power plants to meet 2050 carbon neutrality goals.

The PELP 2023-2027 establishes three development scenarios—Slow Recovery, Carbon Neutrality, and Accelerated Transition—to project Chile's energy needs and supply through 2060. The plan emphasizes the expansion of wind and solar photovoltaic generation, the integration of energy storage, and the phased retirement of coal-fired power plants. A key innovation is the introduction of Electric Generation Development Poles (PDGE) in the provinces of Antofagasta and Tocopilla to optimize transmission and promote renewable energy. The report also analyzes the role of green hydrogen in decarbonizing industry and transport, and assesses the resilience of the National Electric System (NES) against climate-induced hydrological and wind variability.

The report highlights a debt crisis in low-income countries, noting that by 2025 African nations will spend USD 89 billion on debt servicing. It argues that current liquidity-focused relief is insufficient and introduces the Debt for Resilience (D4R) initiative to provide official debt reduction, prevent leakages to private creditors, and prioritize growth-focused policies over austerity to support climate resilience.

The 2025 UN Climate Change Conference, including COP30, CMA7, CMP20, SBI63, and SBSTA63, will take place from November 10 to 21, 2025, in Belém, Brasil. The event is presided over by André Corrêa do Lago and features a thematic program covering adaptation, health, climate justice, nature, agriculture, energy, and transport. The venue is divided into a UNFCCC-managed 'Blue Zone' for negotiations and a host-country-managed 'Green Zone' for public engagement, with a dedicated youth-led space in the Blue Zone. Logistics include a 24-hour system of 15 bus lines for transportation and accommodation managed via bnetwork.

The Natur'ELLES project in Senegal addresses fisheries challenges like overfishing and habitat loss by empowering women through data access, education, and leadership training. The project utilizes tools such as the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) analysis tool and a Google Earth Engine Mangrove Mapping app to monitor mangrove health and support nature-based infrastructure. Specific initiatives include 'mangrove platforms' for stakeholder dialogue, literacy classes for women, and a feminist leadership program to increase women's participation in natural resource decision-making, particularly in the Sine Saloum and Casamance deltas.

The document details how GHE leverages tourism and corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding to install decentralized solar micro-grids in remote Himalayan villages in Ladakh. These projects provide clean energy to homes, schools, and health centers, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and improving living standards. Key outcomes include the electrification of 94 villages in Ladakh, the training of over 200 women as entrepreneurs and solar technicians, and the mitigation of over 230,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. The model emphasizes community ownership, where households eventually take over operations and maintenance, and integrates livelihood support through homestays and traditional handicrafts.

The policy brief argues that meeting Paris Agreement goals requires a fivefold increase in urban climate finance to USD 4.3 trillion per year by 2030. It identifies critical barriers to subnational integration, including political misalignment, capacity gaps, and creditworthiness constraints. To address these, the authors present a five-stage 'Urban-inclusive Country Platform Framework' moving from initial engagement to implementation. The brief applies this framework to case studies in Egypt, Brazil, and India, highlighting opportunities to shift from fragmented project-based funding to strategic, programmatic approaches that empower cities as active partners in climate action.

The report provides a comprehensive climate risk profile for Belize, detailing observed and projected climatic changes, their impacts on biodiversity and livelihoods, and vulnerability rankings for specific marine and terrestrial communities. It recommends a suite of nature-based solutions (NbS) and gender-responsive strategies to enhance climate resilience in protected areas.

This guide explains how model contracts—both generic and nationally tailored—can help governments ensure responsible investment in agriculture. It details how these templates can integrate international standards, prevent problematic omissions, flag risky clauses like stabilization provisions, and promote transparency and legal harmonization.

Togo's LT-LEDS 2025-2060 aims for carbon neutrality by 2060 through a 'conforming' scenario, focusing on the AFAT (Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use) and Energy sectors. The strategy requires an estimated investment of 11,920.59 billion FCFA (19.87 billion USD), with 67% allocated to mitigation and 28% to adaptation. Key goals include increasing forest cover to 30% by 2050 and achieving 75% renewable energy in the energy mix by 2060. The document also details a comprehensive adaptation plan for sectors including health, water resources, and coastal zones, while integrating gender equity and social inclusion into climate action.

The author contends that prioritizing military spending over green and social investments risks exacerbating Europe's vulnerabilities to climate change and social fragmentation. The text calls for a revision of EU fiscal rules to allow borrowing for high-multiplier public investments and suggests new revenue streams, such as taxes on centimillionaires, to fund these needs.

WRI Colombia conducted workshops and developed educational toolkits to help local government officials and teachers integrate the E2050 net-zero strategy into subnational development plans and school curricula, reaching over 100 public servants and 4,800 students.

The programme aims to protect approximately 1.52 million direct beneficiaries and 4.15 million indirect beneficiaries in the Amazon Basin from climate-induced water insecurity. It focuses on three components: strengthening hydro-meteorological knowledge and early warning systems, catalyzing investments in climate-resilient water, sanitation, and waste (WSW) infrastructure, and enhancing regional governance and transboundary cooperation. The initiative employs a mix of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), nature-based solutions (NbS), and advanced monitoring technologies to mitigate the impacts of extreme droughts and floods.