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The FY 2014 budget proposal emphasizes investments in clean energy and energy efficiency, proposing a 30 percent increase in clean energy technology funding across all agencies to approximately $7.9 billion. Key initiatives include a $2 billion Energy Security Trust to reduce oil dependence, a $200 million 'Race to the Top' program for grid modernization and energy efficiency, and significant funding increases for the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The budget also proposes $2 billion for a satellite system to improve climate modeling and calls for the elimination of $4 billion in fossil fuel subsidies.

The report evaluates Cambodia's efforts to mainstream climate resilience into development planning. It highlights strong political will, evidenced by the establishment of the National Climate Change Committee (NCCC) and the development of the Cambodia Climate Change Strategic Plan (CCCSP). However, it identifies significant gaps in information services, noting that hydrometeorological networks are fragmented and vulnerability assessments often produce contradictory results. Financially, climate-related expenditure is heavily dependent on external sources, with 86% of funding coming from outside the country between 2009 and 2011. While numerous projects have been implemented under the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA), the report notes a recent shift toward programme-based approaches and community-level interventions.

The report evaluates the Gambia's efforts to mainstream climate change resilience into its development planning. It highlights the existence of high-level political will, the integration of climate actions into the Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE) 2012–2015, and the role of the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA). However, it notes gaps in coordinated research and inadequate funding for adaptation, necessitating a resource mobilisation strategy reliant on international assistance.

The Obama Administration's FY 2014 budget proposal emphasizes investments in clean energy and energy efficiency, proposing a total of approximately $7.9 billion for clean energy technology programs across all agencies. Key highlights include a $2 billion Energy Security Trust to reduce oil dependence, a $200 million 'Race to the Top' program for grid modernization and energy efficiency, and significant funding increases for the Department of Energy's (DOE) renewable energy programs. The budget also proposes $2 billion for a satellite system to improve climate modeling and weather forecasts, while calling for the elimination of $4 billion in fossil fuel subsidies. Substantial allocations are directed toward vehicle technologies, building efficiency, and international climate resilience through the Department of State.

The Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) Project in Mongolia, supported by the World Bank, provides financial security to herders facing mass livestock losses from extreme weather. Unlike traditional insurance, IBLI uses aggregated criteria for payouts, making it viable for sparsely populated areas. In 2012, 16,000 policies were purchased. The program is part of a broader government risk management strategy that includes adjusting livestock numbers to match pastureland carrying capacity.

The document examines how Bolivia's indigenous populations use traditional knowledge for weather forecasting and resource management to adapt to climate change, while highlighting the risks of this knowledge disappearing. It assesses the Law of Mother Earth as a tool for protecting natural resources but notes its lack of enforcement mechanisms. The brief recommends fostering partnerships between scientists and indigenous knowledge holders to improve adaptive strategies and calls for increased indigenous participation in national and international climate policy.

The document details CDKN's support for Pakistan, focusing on three main areas: climate-resilient reconstruction in Punjab, the development of a national disaster risk insurance strategy, and technical capacity building for UNFCCC COP negotiations. It also highlights the launch of Pakistan's National Climate Change Policy in February 2013, which prioritizes adaptation in water, agriculture, and forestry, while addressing mitigation and disaster preparedness.

The document outlines a practitioner's approach to creating NAMAs that align with low-carbon, climate-resilient development (LCCRD) planning. It details a two-track methodology: the NAMA Quick Screen, which uses a five-step qualitative process to identify promising mitigation options and develop NAMA concepts for the UNFCCC registry; and the NAMA Deep Screen, a seven-step technical process that calculates GHG emission baselines, marginal abatement costs (MACs), and sustainable development co-benefits to produce detailed NAMA proposals. The guide emphasizes the necessity of local validation with government and private sector stakeholders to ensure actions are feasible and aligned with national priorities. It also provides a framework for linking identified mitigation options to specific implementation barriers and appropriate climate finance instruments, such as grants, concessional loans, and carbon market financing.

Cartagena de Indias has developed the first adaptation guidelines for a coastal city in South America to manage risks from sea level rise, extreme weather, and flooding. These guidelines integrate scientific knowledge with the city's socioeconomic context, including its reliance on tourism and transportation. The process is being monitored by the Colombian government to inform the National Adaptation Plan and other coastal urban areas. The city views adaptation as a means to improve citizen life and avoid the long-term costs of inaction, though the process requires sustained capacity building for local stakeholders.

The document details the creation of the 'Guidelines for Adaptation to Climate Change in Cartagena de Indias', the first of its kind for a South American coastal city. It highlights the city's vulnerabilities to sea level rise, flooding, and ecosystem degradation, while outlining a participatory process involving 64 stakeholder groups to mainstream adaptation into zoning and land-use policies. The brief emphasizes that while the guidelines provide a framework, the process requires sustained capacity building and political commitment to overcome the opportunity costs of adaptation and the skepticism of investors.

The document identifies five primary drivers for adopting CCD: national awareness of climate adaptation needs, the pursuit of energy security and resource efficiency, the desire to capture new green economic opportunities, the goal of improving access to climate finance, and strong government leadership. Conversely, it outlines seven key challenges: high implementation and opportunity costs, opposition from vested interest groups, lack of reliable data on risks and trade-offs, political short-termism, limited state capacity, institutional constraints (such as inter-ministerial conflict), and technological uncertainties. The paper suggests solutions including the use of carbon markets, participatory dialogue processes, the integration of climate goals into long-term legislation, and the creation of inter-ministerial committees with direct accountability to the presidency.

CCORAL (Caribbean Climate Online Risk and Adaptation TooL) is an open-access online system developed by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) to help Caribbean government agencies, NGOs, and the private sector mainstream climate resilience into daily decision-making. The tool provides a screening exercise to prioritise climate-influenced activities, high-level guidance for both experts and non-experts, and a toolbox of over 70 climate risk management resources. It is specifically designed to fit into existing organisational processes such as national planning, budgeting, and legislation to avoid the high economic costs of climate inaction in the region.

The document details CDKN's support for the Government of Bangladesh in mainstreaming climate resilience through a three-block framework (enabling environment, policies/planning, and projects/programmes) and developing evidence-based policies on loss and damage and climate-induced migration. It highlights specific impacts in Sathkira District, where salinity intrusion caused total rice crop failure in 2009, and notes the existence of national funding mechanisms like the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund.

The document details CDKN's efforts in India to enhance climate resilience through technical assistance, research, and policy support. Key initiatives include addressing 'silent disasters' in Ladakh, promoting gender-responsive state action plans, and using community radio for adaptation knowledge. It also analyzes the challenges facing State Action Plans for Climate Change (SAPCCs), noting that the automatic appointment of Forest Departments as nodal agencies often hinders the multi-sectoral coordination required for effective implementation.

The document argues that for the Green Climate Fund to trigger a paradigm shift, it must move from project-by-project funding to programmatic approaches, ensure strong country ownership, and provide clear incentives for ambition. It defines a paradigm shift as a fundamental move away from practices incompatible with climate challenges, such as transitioning from centralized fossil fuel energy systems to decentralized renewable energies. The authors emphasize that country ownership is not contrary to ambition but is a prerequisite for sustainability, suggesting that funding conditions could be improved for countries demonstrating higher levels of ambition within their capabilities.

The workshop, held at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in Bhopal, focused on bridging the knowledge gap for low carbon, climate resilient (LC-CR) solutions in rural and small-town contexts. It combined expert lectures on climate change, energy and carbon intensities, and passive design strategies with practical applications, including a site visit to the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) and a group design exercise for a demo centre. Key discussions highlighted the dual responsibility of the construction sector to both adapt to and mitigate climate change, the lack of regulations for embodied energy compared to operational energy, and the need to integrate alternative technologies into official Public Works Department (PWD) schedules of rates to ensure wider adoption.

The Mining and Biodiversity Guideline establishes a framework for the South African mining industry to minimize ecological impacts through six core principles: applying the law, using best available biodiversity information, engaging stakeholders, employing best practice Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), applying the mitigation hierarchy, and ensuring effective implementation of Environmental Management Programmes (EMP). It categorizes biodiversity priority areas into four risk levels (A to D), ranging from legally prohibited mining zones to areas of moderate risk. The guide emphasizes a 'risk-based approach' to protect natural capital and maintain a 'social licence to operate', detailing specific requirements for each stage of the mining life cycle: reconnaissance, prospecting, production, and decommissioning/closure.

The Arctic Resilience Interim Report 2013 examines the interdependence of human societies and ecosystems in the Arctic, arguing that a resilience framework is essential for managing rapid, interacting changes. It highlights that while climate change is a key driver, social, political, and economic factors also profoundly impact the region's adaptive capacity. The report warns that abrupt environmental changes risk crossing thresholds with global consequences, such as sea ice loss and permafrost thaw. It further notes that past policy decisions have often eroded traditional indigenous safeguards of resilience, necessitating flexible, participatory governance to manage future uncertainties and conflicting priorities.

The Arctic Resilience Interim Report 2013 provides a framework for understanding the interdependence of Arctic social and ecological systems. It identifies biophysical thresholds—such as sea-ice loss and permafrost degradation—and social thresholds that threaten the well-being of indigenous and non-indigenous peoples. The report emphasizes that resilience is not merely the ability to maintain a state but includes the capacity for adaptation and transformation. It highlights the critical role of traditional knowledge and the need for adaptive governance to manage the cumulative impacts of climate change, industrial development, and geopolitical shifts.

The Union of Concerned Scientists reports that cities in the US Midwest have experienced an increase in heat waves and dangerously hot, humid days over the last six decades. Analysis of ten cities, including St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, and the Twin Cities, shows a rise in the frequency of heat waves and a corresponding loss of cool, comfortable summer days. These trends increase the risk of hyperthermia and dehydration, particularly for vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and those with pre-existing medical conditions. The document advocates for city-level preparedness and the reduction of fossil fuel emissions to mitigate these health risks.