Search Climate Insights Directory
737 results
Building economic resilience to water scarcity in Cape Town: supporting industry through severe droughts
GreenCape implemented a four-part strategy to support water-intense industries in Cape Town during the 2015-18 drought, focusing on partnerships, prioritisation of high-employment sectors, short-term viable solutions, and long-term capacity building. Between June 2017 and August 2018, nearly 400 businesses received direct assistance, leading to an average consumption reduction of 41% and the safeguarding of 52,000 jobs among surveyed companies. The initiative utilised tools such as the 'Water Resilience Journey' methodology and a business case calculator to communicate financial risks and returns. Key lessons included the need for disaggregated data to avoid overlooking vulnerable sectors like the laundry industry and the value of leveraging businesses as 'corporate citizens' through initiatives like the Smart Water Meter Challenge.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Case study
Innovations for Water Resilience Competition: Using systemic shocks to drive economic innovation, collaboration and climate adaptation in Cape Town, South Africa
The document details a project by GreenCape and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, supported by the City of Cape Town, to harness entrepreneurial innovation in response to the 2015-2018 drought. The central mechanism was a 'shark tank-style' competition designed to identify and support water-tech SMMEs, providing a platform for networking and business development to build long-term economic and climate resilience.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Case study
Building Cape Town’s resilience qualities through design thinking
The document describes a partnership between the University of Cape Town’s d-school, GreenCape, and the City of Cape Town to introduce design thinking to youth. It focuses on a workshop for 180 Grade 6 learners from Wesfleur Primary School in Atlantis, using the challenge of saving water during a drought to teach human-centred problem solving. The study concludes that while young children can engage with the process, the approach is most effective for students in Grades 10-12.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Case study
Sustainable Agriculture: Market Intelligence Report 2019
The report highlights the role of water scarcity and climate change as primary drivers for the adoption of agricultural technology (agtech) in South Africa. It identifies significant growth opportunities in precision agriculture, undercover farming, renewable energy, and conservation agriculture, particularly within the Western Cape's high-value export crop sector. The document also outlines the regulatory landscape, including water restrictions, carbon tax, and land reform policies, while providing a directory of green finance resources.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Water: Market Intelligence Report 2019
The report identifies significant investment opportunities in South Africa's urban water sector across four markets: commercial and industrial, residential, new property developments, and municipalities. It highlights a projected 17% gap between water supply and demand by 2030, with severe shortages expected in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape. In the Berg River management area, this deficit could cost the region over R146 billion and 650,000 jobs per year by 2040. Key opportunities include water-efficient technologies, wastewater reuse, desalination, and non-revenue water reduction. The report also details the regulatory environment, including the National Water Act and municipal by-laws, and emphasizes the Western Cape's role as a greentech hub.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
FIJI KEY OBSERVED & ANTICIPATED CLIMATE CHANGE HAZARDS PRIORITY NAP COMPONENTS
Fiji's National Adaptation Plan (NAP) aims to integrate climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction into national and sub-national development planning. The process focuses on priority components such as food security, infrastructure, and health, while addressing hazards including sea level rise, stronger cyclones, and flooding. Key milestones include the accreditation of the Fiji Development Bank to the Green Climate Fund and the finalisation of National Relocation Guidelines.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Securing the resilience of vulnerable small farmers in the Mayan landscapes of Petén, Verapaces and the Dry Corridor of Guatemala
The project aims to support 175,000 people in rural Guatemala by transitioning them from a heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture to climate-resilient production systems. It proposes a three-component approach: implementing on-farm resilient practices and income diversification, establishing watershed-level water management plans and infrastructure, and removing policy barriers to strengthen agricultural extension services. With a total indicative cost of 62 million USD, the project targets indigenous populations and women who face significant barriers to credit and technical knowledge.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
COLOMBIA KEY OBSERVED & ANTICIPATED CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
The document describes Colombia's National Adaptation Plan (NAP) as a dynamic process rather than a static document, designed to integrate climate risk management into sectoral and regional planning. It identifies priority sectors for adaptation, including health, housing, industry, finance, agriculture, mines and energy, and transportation, while tracking milestones from 2011 to 2018, such as the approval of the Climate Change Law and the submission of the NAP document to the UNFCCC.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Gender and water security in Burkina Faso: lessons for adaptation
The report examines water security in Burkina Faso's Nouaho sub-basin, finding that climate-exacerbated hazards like water scarcity and flooding disproportionately affect women and girls due to gendered divisions of labour and social norms. While women primarily manage domestic water collection and often lead off-farm income activities, they are largely excluded from community-level decision-making and water association leadership. The document argues that WASH adaptation must move beyond technical infrastructure to address gender discrimination and empower marginalized groups to ensure long-term water security.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Policy brief
The role of climate change in the 2015-2017 drought in the Western Cape of South Africa
An international team of scientists used a multi-method attribution approach to determine that anthropogenic climate change increased the likelihood of the 2015-2017 Western Cape drought by a factor of 3.3. The drought, characterized by three consecutive years of below-average rainfall, led to a severe water crisis in Cape Town, nearly resulting in 'day zero'. The study finds that drought risk in this region scales linearly with warming, suggesting that further temperature increases will continue to raise the probability of such extreme events.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Research paper
THE IMPACT OF THE SADC EPA ON SOUTH AFRICA’S AGRICULTURE AND AGRO-PROCESSING SECTORS
The EU–SADC EPA, effective October 2016, provides tariff preferences for South Africa and other SADC members, with higher benefits for processed goods. Despite this, South Africa has underutilised its quotas for several processed fruit products due to a lack of awareness, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues, and drought. The document highlights the potential for growth in the canned fruit and juice sectors, noting that while large companies dominate, there are opportunities for SMEs if barriers such as the lack of local testing laboratories and changing EU consumer preferences (e.g., reduced sugar) are addressed. It recommends establishing information portals, improving SPS capacity, and providing technical assistance for niche markets like nuts to better integrate small-scale producers into the EU value chain.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Policy brief
Connecting Extreme Weather to Climate Change
The document outlines the development of 'climate attribution' science, which allows researchers to quantify the role of human-caused climate change in extreme weather. It identifies that evidence is strongest for heat waves, coastal flooding, and extreme precipitation, while remaining less conclusive for tornadoes and thunderstorms. The text provides specific examples of US events, such as Hurricane Harvey and the February 2017 heat wave, where climate change significantly increased likelihood or intensity.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Scaling-up Multi-Hazard Early Warning System and the Use of Climate Information in Georgia
The report analyzes gender-based vulnerabilities to climate-induced hazards in Georgia, such as floods, landslides, and droughts. It identifies systemic inequalities in political representation, economic resources, and domestic roles that increase the risk for women, elderly, and persons with disabilities. The document proposes a Gender Action Plan to integrate sex- and age-disaggregated data, ensure at least 30% female representation in project activities, and tailor early warning systems to the specific needs of vulnerable groups.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean and Implications for Development
The document outlines projected climate impacts for Latin America and the Caribbean, including temperature increases of up to 4.5 °C, rising sea levels, and glacier loss. These changes are expected to disrupt water runoff, reduce agricultural and livestock yields, and threaten biodiversity, specifically coral reefs and the Amazon rainforest. The paper concludes that the region faces severe risks to human health, infrastructure, and livelihoods due to the potential for simultaneous and compounding impacts.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Research paper
Migration: a successful climate adaptation strategy
The document presents temporary migration as a 'home-grown climate change adaptation' strategy used by farmers and pastoralists to survive climate-induced agricultural failures. It highlights how restrictive border policies and conflicts hinder this survival mechanism, urging governments to create legal migration options and open borders to facilitate safe adaptation rather than attempting to prevent movement.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
A delicate balance
South Africa is overexploiting its renewable water resources, with more than 60% of its rivers currently overexploited. Forecasts indicate that demand will increase across agricultural, industrial, and municipal sectors through 2035, driven by population growth, urbanisation, and industrial expansion. The report highlights critical vulnerabilities, including deteriorating wastewater treatment facilities—where nearly 25% are in a 'critical state'—and high levels of non-revenue water (approximately 36% of municipal consumption). To avoid a national crisis, the authors recommend implementing tiered water pricing, expanding the use of treated wastewater, and increasing sustainable groundwater extraction. The report also notes that transitioning from coal-based energy to renewables would reduce industrial water demand. While large-scale infrastructure projects are planned, the report argues they are insufficient without aggressive demand reduction and efficiency measures.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
SAINT LUCIA KEY OBSERVED & ANTICIPATED CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS PRIORITY SECTORS FOR ADAPTATION
Saint Lucia has implemented a 10-year National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, led by the Department of Sustainable Development, to build resilience against climate change. The plan identifies eight priority sectors for adaptation—Tourism, Water, Agriculture, Fisheries, Education, Health, Infrastructure & spatial planning, and Natural resource management—and utilizes Sectoral Adaptation Strategies & Action Plans (SASAPs) to implement measures. The process includes several supporting tools, such as a Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Report and a Monitoring & Evaluation Plan. Observed and anticipated climate impacts for the country include tropical storms, high-intensity hurricanes, sea level rise, coral bleaching, and prolonged droughts.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
SAINT VINCENT & THE GRENADINES KEY OBSERVED & ANTICIPATED CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS PRIORITY SECTORS FOR ADAPTATION
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is implementing a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to mainstream climate adaptation into development planning and financing. The process, led by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning, Sustainable Development and Information Technology, identifies key climate hazards such as tropical storms, rising sea levels, and rainfall variability. Priority sectors for adaptation include agriculture, water, energy, tourism, and infrastructure. Between 2010 and 2014, extreme weather events caused losses exceeding 35 percent of the country's GDP.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Trends in weather extremes
The analysis finds that heat and cold extremes are warming globally in line with average temperatures, with cold extremes in Siberia and Canada warming particularly fast. Extreme daily precipitation is generally increasing at a rate of approximately 7% per degree Celsius, though regional variations exist. While trends in tropical cyclone frequency are difficult to determine, their impacts have increased due to higher precipitation and sea level rise. Drought trends remain complex and highly dependent on the specific definition used.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Research paper
ALBANIA
Albania established the Inter Ministerial Working Group on Climate Change (IMWGCC) in 2014 to coordinate climate mitigation and adaptation. The NAP process began in 2015 with a participatory stocktaking workshop, with the goal of adopting a national strategy on climate change, a NAP document, and a national mitigation plan in 2018. The country's approach focuses on mainstreaming adaptation into sector plans and the National Strategy for Development and Integration, targeting priority sectors such as agriculture, forestry, tourism, energy, settlements, and water.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet