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298 results
BUILDING COASTAL RESILIENCE IN BANGLADESH, THE PHILIPPINES, AND COLOMBIA: COUNTRY EXPERIENCES WITH MAINSTREAMING CLIMATE ADAPTATION
The paper analyzes how Bangladesh, Malabon City (Philippines), and Cartagena (Colombia) have integrated climate adaptation into coastal development to bridge the 'implementation gap' between planning and action. It identifies key success factors including political will, legislative mandates, access to credible climate data, and the allocation of domestic funding. While Bangladesh has seen significant reductions in cyclone casualties and Colombia has leveraged private sector leadership, challenges such as political instability, fragmented information, and insufficient funding persist across the studied regions.
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Document type: Research paper
Mombasa: Stepping Stones to a Climate-Resilient Future?
The document examines the vulnerability of Mombasa to climate change, specifically flooding and sea-level rise, and argues for the integration of nature-based solutions into urban planning. It highlights the role of mangroves, constructed wetlands, and urban green zones in enhancing ecological and social resilience. The brief notes that current major planning documents, such as the Gate City Master Plan, lack systematic climate resilience strategies, and advocates for a 'joined-up' approach using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to coordinate stakeholder action and build social capital.
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Document type: Policy brief
Federal Support and Local Action
The document is a transcript of a briefing featuring experts from the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. It examines the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, as well as recent earthquakes in Puerto Rico, highlighting the vulnerability of the electric grid and coastal infrastructure. The speakers argue that while Congress has approved significant funding for recovery and resilience, bureaucratic delays in federal agencies like HUD and FEMA have stalled the disbursement of these resources. The briefing emphasizes the effectiveness of nature-based solutions, such as coral reef restoration, for wave attenuation and coastal protection, while noting that traditional cost-benefit analysis tools often favor short-term returns over long-term resilient infrastructure.
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Document type: Briefing
Resilient Housing and Communities
The document features a discussion on the critical need for resilient housing and community-based energy solutions in island territories following disasters like Hurricane Maria. Panelists emphasize that resilience is achieved through 'community strength' and self-sufficiency rather than dependency on centralized government systems. Key strategies include the deployment of distributed solar energy to create 'energy oases' for critical infrastructure and the use of the 'Keep Safe' guide to implement multi-risk mitigation in housing design. The discussion highlights the intersection of climate risk, housing insecurity, and the necessity of local workforce development to maintain resilient infrastructure.
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Document type: Briefing
Sustainable, Democratic Energy and Public Health
The document features presentations by Ruth Santiago and Dr. Greg Guannel on enhancing coastal resilience in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Santiago argues against rebuilding the existing fossil-fuel-based power grid in Puerto Rico, proposing instead a transition to 'energy democracy' via rooftop solar and community-led energy systems. Dr. Guannel describes the update of the U.S. Virgin Islands' Hazard Mitigation Plan, emphasizing that resilience requires a holistic approach that combines physical infrastructure with social networks and natural systems, such as mangroves and aquifers, to protect the tourism-based economy and public health.
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Document type: Briefing
Localizing Sea Level Rise Projections for Decision-Makers
Washington Sea Grant developed a localized sea level rise assessment for Washington State to bridge the 'action gap' between the perceived importance of climate impacts and the availability of planning tools. The project introduced a probabilistic framework for communicating uncertainty and integrated vertical land movement data to create site-specific relative sea-level projections. These data were delivered via an interactive map and a Tableau-based tool. Implementation efforts included pilot projects in Tacoma and Island County, where the data informed the redesign of Owen Beach, the visioning of a linear park, and the creation of a community-based coastal resilience planning guide for shoreline homeowners.
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Document type: Briefing
Bridging the Gap Between Science and Decision-Making
The briefing outlines the role of boundary organizations, such as the Climate Impacts Group and the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, in bridging the gap between climate science and policy. It highlights two primary case studies: the development of a Sea Level Rise Planning Toolkit for Washington State and the co-production of climate vulnerability assessment resources for Northwest and Great Basin tribes. Dr. Snover emphasizes a three-pronged approach—educating, enabling, and embedding—to ensure scientific data is actionable for resource managers and planners. The document concludes by arguing for increased federal support to meet the growing demand for decision-relevant climate science and the importance of regional centers in tailoring science to local needs.
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Document type: Briefing
Coastal Resilience in Alaska
The document details the impacts of climate change on Alaskan coastal communities, highlighting the synergy between thawing permafrost and decreasing sea ice that accelerates shoreline erosion. It emphasizes the high financial cost of community relocation and the critical need for integrating indigenous knowledge with western science. The briefing also discusses the role of regional partnerships, such as the Aleutian Bering Sea Initiative, in managing marine mammals and improving domain awareness, while identifying significant barriers to resilience, including inadequate elevation data, limited telecommunications, and a lack of central coordinating authority for adaptation.
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Document type: Briefing
Adaptation Planning
The proposal outlines a 24-month project to prepare Guinea for the development of a National Adaptation Plan (NAP). It identifies critical barriers, including outdated climate data from 2001, fragmented coordination, and a lack of private sector involvement. The project aims to establish a Research-Policy Working Group, update climate projections using IPCC AR5 models, and operationalize the National Climate Committee (CNC). It also seeks to reform the Environmental Safeguard Fund (FSE) and engage the bauxite mining sector through the Bauxite Environment Network (REB). The total requested amount is USD 1,629,717, with implementation led by the UNDP.
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Document type: Report
Coastal Resilience in the Southeast
The document is a transcript of a virtual briefing featuring experts from NOAA, the North Carolina Coastal Federation, Wetlands Watch, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The discussion focuses on the implementation of natural infrastructure, such as living shorelines and coral reef restoration, to combat sea level rise and storm surge in the Southeast. Key topics include the use of NOAA's Digital Coast tools, the effectiveness of oyster-based shorelines in North Carolina, the impact of nuisance flooding and sea level rise in Virginia, and the threat of stony coral tissue loss disease in Florida. The panelists also discuss regulatory barriers, the need for improved cost-benefit analysis for nature-based solutions, and the importance of coordinated funding and permitting processes to enhance regional resilience.
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Document type: Briefing
Financing Climate Mitigation and Resilience: Lessons from Hawaii
The document details Hawaii's approach to climate resilience through the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority (HGIA), highlighting its use of non-traditional underwriting to democratize clean energy for low-income residents and renters. It discusses specific projects, such as the Kahauiki Village microgrid and the Kahuku Point coastal restoration, as models for combining mitigation and adaptation. The briefing also argues for the National Climate Bank Act to scale these models federally, noting that while mitigation is easier to finance due to cash flows, adaptation requires more innovative financial structures to address unpriced positive externalities.
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Document type: Briefing
CASE STUDY: LEARNING FROM FAILURE TO ACCELERATE SUCCESS IN RESILIENCE-BUILDING INITIATIVES
The report examines the GRP's approach to fostering an environment where failure is viewed as a learning opportunity rather than a cause for penalty. Through case studies of seven projects, it highlights the importance of trust, flexible targets, and adaptive management in refining resilience solutions. Key recommendations include designing projects for 'probe-sense-respond' cycles and establishing clear failure thresholds to avoid wasting investment on ineffective pilots.
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Document type: Case study
Resilient Ecosystems and Disaster Risk Reduction: Opportunities for Coastal Cities in Africa
The document argues that healthy ecosystems, such as mangroves and wetlands, act as critical buffers that reduce the physical exposure of African coastal cities to natural hazards. It promotes the adoption of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) and Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR) as cost-effective, nature-based solutions. While international frameworks like the Sendai Framework and the Paris Agreement provide support, the author notes that regional policies in Africa linking biodiversity conservation to disaster risk reduction are virtually non-existent. The brief identifies significant barriers to implementation, including weak governance, fragmented sectoral approaches, and a lack of funding for capacity development, recommending a holistic, multi-sectoral integration of nature-based solutions into national development strategies.
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Document type: Policy brief
Coastal Resilience in the Great Lakes Region
The document details efforts to enhance coastal resilience in the Great Lakes region through nature-based solutions, such as wetland restoration and climate-smart agriculture. It highlights the role of the Coastal Assembly in coordinating bi-national wetland restoration and the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission's (GLIFWC) use of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to assess species vulnerability. The briefing also emphasizes the importance of soil health in carbon sequestration and the need for federal policy modernization, including updates to the Stafford Act and expanded funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
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Document type: Briefing
GLOBAL FUTURES ASSESSING THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE TO SUPPORT POLICY-MAKING
The Global Futures project uses a new integrated environment-economy model to quantify the economic risks of biodiversity loss. Under a 'Business-as-Usual' scenario, the loss of six key ecosystem services is projected to reduce annual global GDP by 0.67% by 2050, totaling a cumulative loss of US$ 9.87 trillion. Conversely, a 'Global Conservation' scenario could result in a net annual gain of US$ 490 billion compared to the BAU scenario. The report highlights that low-income countries and coastal infrastructure in high-income nations are most vulnerable, and recommends a 'New Deal for Nature and People' including the protection of 30% of land and oceans.
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Document type: Executive summary
The IPCC’s Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate: What’s in it for South Asia?
The document introduces a guide produced by CDKN, ODI, SSN, and ICLEI that extracts South Asia-specific data from the IPCC's 2019 Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. It highlights that human-driven climate change is altering ocean chemistry and temperature, harming marine life and dependent populations, and causing sea level rise and cryosphere changes in high mountain Asia. The guide emphasizes that early mitigation and future-proofing coastal development are essential to reduce risks and costs.
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Document type: Guide
Strengthening NDA Capacity to develop programmes & Projects of scale in Liberia
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia is seeking USD 727,553 over 24 months to address critical capacity gaps in climate finance engagement. The proposal focuses on strengthening the National Designated Authority (NDA), establishing a national framework for climate information services, and developing three bankable project concept notes. This follows previous readiness and National Adaptation Plan (NAPs) support, which were undermined by political transitions and staff turnover.
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Document type: Report
Resilience along the West Coast
The document is a transcript of a congressional briefing on West Coast coastal resilience. Experts from the USGS, California coastal agencies, and the Puget Sound region discuss the physical drivers of sea level rise, the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, and various adaptation strategies. Key discussions include the 'coastal squeeze' effect on beaches, the use of nature-based 'soft shore' stabilization in Washington, and the implementation of regional planning and environmental justice policies in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Document type: Briefing
Marine and Coastal EbA for Enhanced Resilience in Southern Africa Country Review: Tanzania
The report assesses Tanzania's vulnerability to climate change, specifically sea-level rise and storm surges, and evaluates the role of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in mitigating these risks. It finds that while Tanzania possesses critical ecosystems like mangroves and coral reefs, these are threatened by population growth and industrial development. The document highlights a gap in policy architecture, noting that EbA is not explicitly included in the current Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). It identifies institutional fragmentation and a lack of spatial data as key challenges, while suggesting opportunities in blue carbon, sustainable ecotourism, and community-led co-management models.
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Document type: Report
Community-Centered Resilience: Lessons from Louisiana
The document details the LA Safe program, which combined state-led data from the Coastal Master Plan with grassroots engagement to develop land-use strategies and fund resilience projects in coastal Louisiana. It emphasizes the importance of building trust through leadership programs like 'Lead the Coast' and the necessity of integrating long-term adaptation planning into state agency operations to address the 'existential emergency' of land loss.
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Document type: Briefing