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The IAI Directorate has advanced several strategic mandates between June 2025 and January 2026, including the expansion of its Associate network with the WMO and AGU, and the operationalization of the Indigenous Peoples Advisory Committee (IPAC). Key efforts focused on science diplomacy in preparation for UNFCCC COP30, the launch of transdisciplinary research programs on climate-health and ocean science, and the development of the IAI Science Diplomacy Center. The Directorate also expanded its educational reach through virtual courses on remote sensing and health adaptation, while pursuing new member state adhesion, specifically with El Salvador.

The document outlines a framework for the ethical application of Indigenous Knowledge in nature-based solutions and climate adaptation. It emphasizes the necessity of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), the recognition of Indigenous women's leadership, and the shift toward direct funding for Indigenous-led initiatives. The brief draws on global frameworks like the Rio Conventions and specific regional protocols to bridge the gap between policy principles and the practice of engaging Indigenous Knowledge Holders.

The document outlines a framework for the ethical mobilization of Indigenous knowledge in climate and nature projects, emphasizing rights-based approaches, the necessity of free, prior, and informed consent, and the importance of direct funding and leadership for Indigenous peoples, particularly women and youth.

The Amazonia Viva Program is a large-scale initiative requesting 200 million USD from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and 699.47 million USD in co-financing from the World Bank to protect the Amazon biome. The program targets a total of 3 million beneficiaries, including 993,609 direct beneficiaries, and aims to mitigate 8,468,951 tCO2eq over 20 years. It is structured into three components: National Programs and Actions, Regional Cooperation, and Program Management. Key interventions include securing land tenure, restoring degraded lands, promoting agroforestry, and strengthening transboundary governance and climate monitoring. The program specifically focuses on vulnerable groups, including Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendants, who manage nearly 50% of the Amazon's territories.

The paper evaluates eight water funds in the Andean region against EbA principles, finding that while they effectively promote ecosystem resilience and multi-sector governance, they lack intentional focus on climate science, social vulnerability, and gender equity. It recommends integrating gender, social, and climate vulnerability analyses and strengthening monitoring and evaluation to better align with broader adaptation policies.

Albania has transitioned from foundational planning to active implementation of its National Adaptation Plan, with completed measures rising from 15% in the first cycle to 50% by 2025. Significant progress was noted in local adaptation planning, where seven of eight municipalities integrated plans into budgets, and in the establishment of a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) system. However, the report identifies critical gaps in domestic financing, fragmented data collection, and uneven inclusivity, particularly in the health sector. While international funding from the EU, World Bank, and GCF provides essential support for agriculture, energy, and urban resilience, a substantial financing gap remains across most sectors, with total estimated needs reaching approximately USD 9.8 billion.

The document argues that well-designed nature-based solutions (NbS) and ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) can address the root causes of biodiversity loss and climate vulnerabilities while delivering co-benefits for human well-being and sustainable development. It emphasizes that scaling these solutions requires an enabling policy environment characterized by systematic integration into development and climate strategies, inclusive governance, and long-term financing.

A SAVi assessment indicates that investing USD 41.7 million in the restoration and conservation of mangroves and wetlands in Mozambique's Bons Sinais, Zambezi, and Limpopo estuaries could generate up to USD 537.5 million in net benefits. The project aims to restore 7,500 hectares of wetlands and 3,800 hectares of mangroves, while conserving 30,000 hectares of coastal ecosystems, providing a return of nearly USD 14 for every USD 1 invested. These interventions are designed to reduce flood and pollution damages by over USD 120 million and benefit approximately 211,000 people directly and over 1 million people indirectly.

The Páramo Wildfire Resilience Facility is a proposed financial vehicle designed to protect Colombia's high-elevation páramo ecosystems from catastrophic wildfires. It utilizes a two-pronged approach: a parametric insurance policy to provide rapid liquidity for emergency fire suppression and an adaptation and recovery trust fund for long-term risk mitigation and ecosystem restoration. The facility targets ecosystem service beneficiaries, such as water utilities and corporations, to fund these activities, aiming to safeguard the drinking water supply for millions of people in the Bogotá metropolitan area.

The report analyzes water insecurities in the Mekong region, driven by environmental pressures, socio-economic inequalities, and governance failures. It evaluates interventions such as community-based infrastructure, adaptive agricultural practices, and inclusive governance models, while recommending decentralized management and strengthened transboundary cooperation.

The 'Nature at COP30 Advocacy Toolkit for Business' outlines five priority areas for corporate advocacy to bridge the gap between climate and nature agendas. It urges governments to end deforestation by 2030, align the three Rio Conventions, scale nature-positive finance via the 'Baku to Belém Roadmap', prioritize ecosystem-based adaptation within the Global Goal on Adaptation, and ensure inclusive governance for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IP&LC). The document provides specific evidence on the economic value of forests and the funding gaps for nature-based solutions to support these asks.

The report finds that while 100% of reviewed NAP documents acknowledge the importance of MEL, significant gaps remain in institutional capacity and financial resources. Only 18% of countries have dedicated MEL units and 29% mention dedicated financing. While output-level indicators are common (55%), impact-level indicators are used by only 31% of countries. The report also highlights a lack of structured implementation, with only 39% of documents including a roadmap or timeline for MEL rollout. Integration of gender-responsive indicators is emerging (45%), but disaggregation by age, disability, and geography remains low.

The document examines the evolution of Climate Field Schools (CFS) in Indonesia, from their origins in pest management to their current role in delivering climate information via the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG). Drawing on the EECCLiRe project, it advocates for integrating ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) strategies—specifically agroforestry and biodigesters—into the CFS curriculum. It highlights the role of farmer cooperatives in facilitating certification, market access, and financial resilience, and suggests that combining climate forecasts with market data can empower farmers as sustainable agro-businesses.

The Gender Action Plan (GAP) for the 'Climate-resilient landscapes for sustainable livelihoods in northern Ghana' project aims to address the differential impacts of climate change on women, youth, and people with disabilities. The plan targets 691,125 direct beneficiaries (359,385 women) and 2,861,674 indirect beneficiaries (1,459,474 women). Key interventions include gender-sensitive early warning systems, the establishment of women-led cooperatives and knowledge hubs, and improved access to financial services through tailored products and literacy training. The project will be managed by a Project Management Unit (PMU) with a dedicated ESS/Gender Specialist, with a total GAP budget of US$468,157.

The document provides a comprehensive gender analysis of Mauritania, focusing on the socio-legal barriers women face and how climate change disproportionately affects them. It highlights significant disparities in land ownership, where women hold less than 8% of registered title deeds, and describes 'time poverty' resulting from the increased burden of water and fuel collection due to drought. The report also details systemic gender-based violence, including FGM and domestic abuse, and the marginalization of Haratine women. These findings are intended to shape a Gender Action Plan to ensure inclusive benefits from ecosystem resilience projects in four regional hubs in northern Mauritania.

The report synthesizes key messages from the first global stocktake (GST) to support developing countries in enhancing their national adaptation plan (NAP) processes. It emphasizes the iterative adaptation cycle—comprising impact, vulnerability, and risk assessment (IVRA), planning, implementation, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL)—as the guiding framework. Key findings highlight the need for gender-responsive and inclusive planning, the mainstreaming of adaptation across governance levels, and the critical role of nature-based solutions. The document also addresses the widening adaptation finance gap and provides a practical roadmap for countries to implement GST outcomes based on their current NAP status, while outlining reporting mechanisms through NDCs, AdComs, and BTRs to prepare for the second global stocktake.

The report details the EECCLiRe project's efforts to build climate resilience among Indonesian coffee smallholders through ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA). Key interventions included the use of climate field schools (CFS) to integrate scientific climate data with traditional knowledge, the promotion of agroforestry to protect heat-sensitive Arabica coffee, and the installation of plastic biodigesters to provide clean energy and organic fertilizer. The document also examines the role of ecolabels and geographical indication (GI) labels in supporting EbA by providing financial incentives, while noting challenges such as power imbalances with intermediaries and the need for context-specific, gender-responsive programming.

The document reports that nature-based solutions (NbS) and ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) are increasingly integrated into national adaptation plans (NAPs), with all reviewed NAPs containing at least one such action.

The report examines the integration of finance within National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) across 59 developing countries. It finds that while most NAPs include dedicated finance sections and rely heavily on international public funding, there is a significant gap in detailed costing and the mobilization of private-sector finance. The authors recommend that countries move toward more investment-oriented NAP documents, implement climate-resilient fiscal planning, and adopt tailored financing strategies—particularly for Least Developed Countries (LDCs)—to bridge the adaptation finance gap.

The document analyzes the compatibility between the IUCN Global Standard for NbS and the CBD Voluntary Guidelines, concluding that both are effective for scaling up nature-based solutions. It emphasizes the need for clarity on transferring global frameworks to local contexts and suggests that upcoming reviews of these standards should align with UNEA Resolution 5/5 to avoid duplication of effort.