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The report identifies Seychelles as highly vulnerable to sea-level rise and ocean warming, which threaten its fisheries, tourism, and water security. It finds that while the University of Seychelles is in its infancy and has limited research output, there is significant potential for it to lead a national CCD framework. Current climate research is primarily driven by NGOs and international agencies. The document recommends the establishment of a strategic national research framework and the integration of CCD into higher education curricula to address critical gaps in technical expertise and evidence-based policy making.

Hoboken, New Jersey, suffered over $100 million in damage during Hurricane Sandy due to a history of ignoring scientific evidence in urban planning and infrastructure development. In response, Mayor Dawn Zimmer released the August 2013 Hoboken Resiliency and Readiness Plan, which prioritizes science-based flood mitigation, such as installing 'wet weather' pumps and creating green infrastructure like rain gardens. The city faces significant risk as 53 percent of its 50,000 residents live less than five feet above the local high tide line, with nonwhite and African-American residents disproportionately affected. The document argues that while the city is now better prepared, sustained political leadership is required to resist risky waterfront development and address the long-term effects of sea level rise.

The analysis of 39 Belizean policy documents and laws reveals a significant gap in climate change integration, with only 15% of reviewed documents addressing climate impacts. While some frameworks support sustainable development, many are outdated or use vague language, failing to provide concrete steps for adaptation. The report recommends urgent revisions to key instruments, including the Sustainable Tourism Master Plan and the Coastal Zone Management Act, to integrate climate-smart measures and protect natural capital.

The National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report 2014-15 details the activities of South Africa's 'Green Scorpions' (EMIs). It reports a 19.8% increase in registered EMIs to 2,294 and highlights a rise in criminal dockets by 8.5%. The report identifies illegal hunting and unlawful commencement of listed activities as the most prevalent crimes. It also documents specific industrial inspections, biodiversity enforcement focusing on rhinoceros and cycads, and the implementation of capacity-building programs for law enforcement and judicial officers.

The report finds significant institutional gaps in Trinidad and Tobago's readiness for climate adaptation across food production, coastal zone management, and tourism. While basic climate data is available via the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service, there is a critical lack of sector-specific vulnerability assessments, formal prioritisation processes, and national platforms for information exchange. Coordination is strongest in coastal zone management through a Cabinet-appointed Steering Committee, but overall mainstreaming of adaptation into national planning remains limited, with current efforts led by the Environmental Management Authority to integrate climate priorities into development sectors.

The report examines the critical role of mangrove ecosystems in Mozambique, highlighting their value in carbon sequestration, coastal protection, and supporting fisheries. It identifies significant threats from urban growth, aquaculture, and the extractive boom in oil, gas, and mining. The author argues that Mozambique's current governance is fragmented across multiple ministries, leading to weak enforcement of environmental laws. The document advocates for the use of ecosystem valuation, Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs), and 'Blue Carbon' financing to incentivize conservation and reconcile economic growth with ecological sustainability.

The policy brief highlights that mangroves are among the world's most threatened vegetation types, with over 20% lost in the last 30 years. It emphasizes that in Africa, mangroves often overlap with fossil fuel deposits and infrastructure projects, leading to degradation. The author advocates for the use of ecosystem valuations, integrated coastal zone management, and the inclusion of local communities in decision-making to reconcile economic growth with biodiversity conservation. Proposed interventions include the adoption of 'no net loss' policies, the use of Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs), and the implementation of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) and Blue Carbon trading to provide financial incentives for conservation.

The report identifies Pakistan as highly vulnerable to climate change due to its geography, economic dependence on agriculture, and high poverty levels. It evaluates the 2013 National Climate Change Plan (NCCP) and the impact of the 18th Amendment, which devolved environmental responsibility to provinces. The document proposes ten priority action areas across policy, governance, technical capacity, and capacity building, while drawing lessons from adaptation planning in Kenya and the Dominican Republic.

The document applies an eight-step process to analyze climate risks in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, by comparing local community perceptions of floods, droughts, and sea-level rise with historical data from the Dar es Salaam International Airport station and future projections under the RCP8.5 scenario. While historical data only partially confirm local perceptions of specific flood and drought events, future projections strongly suggest increasing maximum temperatures and a likely decrease in the length of the long rainy season. The study concludes that these trends threaten agriculture and health, necessitating 'climate-smart' agricultural practices and improved coastal infrastructure.

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 document explains that global sea level has risen approximately eight inches since the Industrial Revolution, driven primarily by thermal expansion and the melting of land ice due to global warming. It highlights that the U.S. East and Gulf coasts are experiencing some of the world's fastest rates of rise. Projections for 2100 range from 8 inches to 6.6 feet, with significant risks of permanent inundation, amplified storm surges, and shoreline erosion for over 100 million Americans living in coastal counties. The report argues that while adaptation is necessary, reducing heat-trapping emissions is the most effective way to limit the pace and magnitude of future sea level rise.

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 research investigates the feasibility of climate compatible development (CCD) by analyzing whether policies can deliver 'triple wins' without generating negative side effects. Using four coastal country case studies, the authors find that while 'no-regrets' triple wins exist—particularly through soft environmental engineering like mangrove restoration—many policies involve trade-offs. Hard-engineering solutions often result in 'regrets' such as habitat destruction or social inequity. The paper concludes that the governance context is critical and warns that a narrow focus on triple wins might divert funding from essential development projects that only offer double wins.

The report examines the vulnerability of Cape Town's 307 km coastline to climate change, highlighting the risks of rising sea levels and intensified storms. It argues against relying solely on 'hard' engineering fixes, instead advocating for a 'no regrets' approach that prioritizes nature conservation and social-institutional fixes. Central to this strategy is the implementation of a 'setback line'—a demarcated buffer zone where development is restricted to protect ecosystems and reduce financial and infrastructural risk. The document emphasizes the need for a multi-criteria risk assessment and inclusive governance to address historical socio-economic inequalities in coastal access.

The report examines flooding in Cape Town's informal settlements, specifically in the Philippi area, highlighting how social dynamics, political conflict, and poor infrastructure exacerbate vulnerability. It argues for a shift from top-down, technocratic 'government' to a 'collaborative governance' approach that integrates community leadership and various city departments. Additionally, it addresses the long-term threat of sea level rise and storm surges, advocating for 'set back lines' and buffer zones over hard engineering solutions.

The policy brief highlights the significant potential of Africa's coastal ecosystems, including mangroves, seagrasses, and tidal marshes, to act as carbon sinks. It argues that these 'Blue Carbon' sources are currently undervalued and under-accounted for in international frameworks like the UNFCCC. The author recommends that African nations advocate for the expansion of IPCC guidelines and the integration of coastal sinks into REDD+ and NAMA frameworks to attract conservation financing and meet national emission targets.

The paper argues that explicitly weighting criteria in participatory multi-criteria evaluations allows for a 'social sensitivity' analysis that validates the robustness of sustainability assessments without forcing a consensus among stakeholders. Using a case study of the Urdaibai Estuary in the Basque Country, the authors applied a process of individual weighting followed by hierarchical cluster analysis to group social actors by their priorities. The results showed that while most groups favored conservation and limited dredging, the shipyard labor union held opposing priorities. The authors conclude that this approach facilitates social learning and mutual understanding by mapping the diversity of priorities rather than oversimplifying them into a single average value.

The document identifies freshwater, climate change, and environmental governance as universal priorities across regions. It highlights that successful policies—such as the removal of fossil fuel subsidies and integrated water resources management—rely on robust governance structures, multi-stakeholder participation, and the addressing of underlying drivers of degradation. The text emphasizes the importance of transboundary cooperation and the potential for successful policies to leverage societal transformation toward sustainable development objectives.

The document describes the need for a transformational change in how CARICOM countries approach climate resilience, advocating for the integration of risk management into national planning and policy. It highlights the failures of previous guidelines and proposes a new process involving pilot projects in up to five countries, the 'three ones' principle for coordination, and the use of 'stress-tests' for budget approvals to ensure climate resilience is built into sustainable development.

The document examines Grenada's transition from fragmented, project-by-project climate actions to a comprehensive national strategy called the Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR). Funded by the Pilot Program for Climate Change Resilience (PPCR) and Climate Investment Funds (CIFs), the SPCR prioritizes climate resilience over emission reductions due to Grenada's high vulnerability and low global emissions. Key initiatives include the Disaster Vulnerability and Climate Risk Reduction Project and the Forest Rehabilitation Project, alongside technical assistance for water and coastal management. The brief highlights the importance of participatory design, regional synergies within the Caribbean, and the necessity of multilateral finance to address projected sea-level rise costs that could reach $801 million by 2050.