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The Council on Strategic Risks argues that the Trump Administration's proposed FY2026 budget for the State Department and USAID would undermine US national security by eliminating programs that build climate resilience, food security, and disaster preparedness. The document highlights how these cuts create strategic openings for China, particularly in Asia and the Pacific, and increase the risk of global instability and migration. It specifically calls for clarity on the implementation of the Global Fragility Act and the balance between the administration's goal of seabed mineral extraction and the simultaneous cutting of scientific funding for ocean exploration.

The report analyzes how climate change acts as a driver of conflict in Nigeria, specifically through resource competition, livelihood loss, and displacement. It details the interaction between environmental stressors and security issues, such as farmer-herder clashes and recruitment into armed groups like Boko Haram. The document proposes a five-step sequence to mainstream conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding into the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), ranging from institutional framework development to the inclusion of peacebuilding markers in monitoring and evaluation.

The report identifies Iraq as one of the most climate-vulnerable countries globally, facing severe water scarcity, rising temperatures, and desertification. It proposes a strategic framework to prioritize GCF funding across key sectors, including energy, agriculture, water, and urban development. The document details a prioritized list of 19 projects, with high-priority initiatives focusing on climate-resilient livelihoods in southern Iraq and the transformation of the agricultural and water sectors. It emphasizes the need for international financial support, technology transfer, and the mobilization of private sector investment to bridge significant development gaps and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from the energy sector, which accounts for 85% of national emissions as of 2019.

The document outlines eight systemic challenges in climate-related mobility, including the risks of simplistic conflict narratives, the instrumentalization of migration as adaptation, and the impact of slow-onset events. It emphasizes the need for rights-based frameworks, inclusive governance, and the recognition of colonial legacies to address these inequities. To tackle these issues, SEI focuses on three priority areas: managing transboundary climate impacts, conducting grounded research to shift power dynamics (such as through the HABITABLE project), and strengthening global cooperation for sustainable livelihoods using tools like AidAtlas and Trase.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) examines the complex nexus of climate change, migration, and justice. It argues that climate change acts as a risk multiplier that interacts with socio-economic and political factors rather than being a sole driver of migration. The document identifies eight key challenges—including the oversimplification of the climate-conflict-migration link, the risks of instrumentalizing migration as adaptation, and the impacts of slow-onset events—and proposes interdisciplinary, rights-based solutions. SEI highlights its strengths in analyzing transboundary climate impacts, conducting grounded comparative research to shift power dynamics, and fostering global cooperation for sustainable livelihoods through tools like AidAtlas and Trase.

The document advocates for Silvopastoral Systems (SPS)—the integration of trees, forage, and livestock—to restore degraded African rangelands and mitigate resource-driven conflicts. It highlights successful models like Herding for Health and Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), while urging philanthropic investment to overcome barriers such as insecure land tenure, knowledge gaps, and government subsidies for chemical-intensive farming.

The document identifies a critical disconnect between macro-level transboundary water treaties and the lived realities of local water users, particularly in conflict-prone and climate-stressed regions. It argues that while 'water wars' are rare, the failure to integrate grassroots concerns into national strategies can exacerbate local tensions and undermine regional stability. The brief highlights how armed conflict destroys infrastructure and how climate-induced scarcity can reduce altruism and increase in-group bias. It recommends bridging these gaps through inclusive governance, technological innovation, and evidence-based policymaking to foster resilience and peacebuilding.

The report examines Cyprus's role as a migration hub, highlighting a shift toward restrictive asylum policies, increased border security, and a lack of comprehensive integration strategies. It details the impact of regional conflicts and climate change on migration flows, the rise of xenophobic violence, and the tension between national deterrence efforts and EU-led resilience and integration frameworks.

The SRVALI project aims to address acute water scarcity and energy deficits in Southern Iraq. It proposes converting 68 km of open irrigation canals to closed piped systems, installing 1 MWp of solar photovoltaic systems on canals to power water pumps, and training 10,000 farmers in climate-resilient agriculture. The project also focuses on empowering women through a 'Climate Wise Women' cadre and developing national strategies for water allocation and rural solar electrification.

The Saint-Louis Declaration, issued by the African Activists for Climate Justice (AACJ) Senegal consortium, calls for the integration of climate justice into Senegal's environmental policies. It highlights the extreme vulnerability of the Saint-Louis region and demands simplified access to green funds, the operationalization of the loss and damage fund at COP29, and increased support for climate-resilient agriculture and renewable energy in rural areas.

The document reports that tropical dry forests in the Americas are highly endangered, with only 40% of their original extent remaining and only 4.5% protected. Satellite data from 1982 to 2006 shows divergent productivity trends: forests in the Brazilian Caatinga and parts of Mexico are losing productivity, while those in the Llanos of Venezuela and Colombia, Northern Mexico, and the Chaco of Argentina and Bolivia are seeing increases. These shifts are linked to global warming's effect on rainfall and moisture. The text warns that productivity losses threaten carbon storage and water resources, while productivity gains may encourage further deforestation and agricultural intensification. It advocates for expanded protection beyond national parks, including economic incentives and sustainable land management.

North Africa faces critical ecological security threats from water scarcity and advancing desertification, which are expected to intensify by 2040 due to climate change and population growth. The region is experiencing declining rainfall, extreme heat waves, and sea-level rise, which threaten food security and socio-economic stability. Key vulnerabilities include the overexploitation of groundwater and a high dependence on food imports. The document recommends a transition to sustainable agriculture, including drip irrigation and drought-resistant crops, alongside wastewater recycling and community-based resilience initiatives.

The report evaluates a proposed land restoration project in Burkina Faso using nature-based infrastructure (NBI) to address severe land degradation and climate-driven displacement. The analysis finds that NBI outperforms grey infrastructure, offering a return of USD 14.8 in benefits for every USD 1 invested, while providing significant carbon storage and reducing conflict by stabilizing rural livelihoods.

The statement emphasizes the necessity of accurate environmental reporting to address the 'triple planetary crisis' of pollution, climate, and biodiversity loss. It notes that environmental journalism is among the most dangerous beats, second only to war reporting, particularly for citizen journalists from Indigenous communities.

The ARCA project is a GEF-8 initiative focused on the Caatinga biome in Brazil, with a total GEF financing of $9,771,000. The project seeks to create approximately 100,000 hectares of new protected areas (PAs) and improve the management effectiveness of 4.58 million hectares across seven confirmed PAs. Key components include the implementation of National Action Plans for Endangered Species Conservation (PANs), combating illegal wildlife poaching and trafficking, and providing $732,155 for capacity building and sub-grants to Indigenous Peoples, Traditional Peoples, and Local Communities (IP/TP&LC). The project also aims to mitigate an estimated 48.8 million tons of CO2e over a 20-year period as a co-benefit of improved PA management.

Natural Justice argues that the ICJ should recognize a State's obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions based on a 'fair share' principle and ensure a just transition from fossil fuels. The document emphasizes that Africa is the most vulnerable continent despite contributing less than 4% of global emissions, facing projected annual loss and damage costs between US$ 290 billion and $440 billion by 2030. It asserts that high-income, high-emitting States owe legal obligations to provide financial support via grants rather than loans and must provide reparations—including compensation and restitution—for internationally wrongful acts that cause climate harm.

The proposal identifies significant barriers preventing the Chadian private sector from contributing to climate action, including the NDA's poor understanding of private sector roles and a lack of national technical expertise in climate finance. To address these, the project proposes a series of capacity-building activities: training the NDA on GCF private sector facilities, establishing a private sector coordination mechanism, developing a roadmap for the accreditation of a private sector Direct Access Entity, and creating a knowledge management system. The project will be implemented by the Institut de la Francophonie pour le Développement Durable (IFDD) over 18 months, with a strong focus on gender mainstreaming, targeting at least 40% female participation in training and strategy development.

The report examines the intersection of climate change, food security, and geopolitics, highlighting how food systems are being weaponized by actors like Russia and how China's food security challenges influence its global strategy. It argues that food insecurity acts as a threat multiplier for political instability and conflict, particularly in Africa. The document advocates for a 'nexus approach' that integrates defense, diplomacy, and development to build local agricultural resilience, focusing on smallholder farmers and women to mitigate long-term climate risks and reduce global vulnerabilities.

The 2024 state of global environmental governance is characterized by a 'polycrisis' of geopolitical tension, climate disasters, and economic instability. While some progress was made in Indigenous Peoples' participation and the establishment of the Cali Fund for biodiversity, major negotiations on plastic pollution and chemicals failed to reach landmarks. Climate finance remains a central point of contention, with the new collective quantified goal (NCQG) of USD 300 billion per year by 2035 falling short of developing countries' expectations. The report highlights a growing trend of environmental litigation at global courts and the persistent challenge of 'siloed' governance, where the three Rio Conventions operate independently despite the interconnected nature of climate, biodiversity, and land degradation.

The document outlines the identity, history, and biocultural rights of the OvaHerero of Kaokoland, spanning Namibia and Angola. It details their semi-nomadic pastoralist lifestyle, the spiritual significance of their ancestral lands and the Kunene River, and their traditional governance systems based on the principle of Ubuntu. The protocol identifies threats such as land encroachment, cultural erosion due to modernisation, and climate change, while proposing solutions including the recognition of customary land rights and the implementation of Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for developments on their territory.