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The report argues that South Africa has failed to translate its constitutional right to water into reality for millions of poor households. While physical access to piped water has increased since 1994, the state has substituted a comprehensive human-rights definition of access with a narrow focus on physical infrastructure. The report finds that the Free Basic Water (FBW) policy is inadequate because its 6kl monthly allocation is well below WHO minimums and is often restricted to a small number of registered indigent households. Furthermore, the report highlights a fundamental contradiction between municipal financial sustainability and affordable access, noting that high tariffs force poor households to sacrifice food expenditure to pay for water. It recommends revising the minimum water allowance to 75l per person per day, establishing a national indigent policy, and creating an independent water regulator to enforce concrete affordability standards.

The report examines the intersection of climate-driven food insecurity and geopolitical instability, arguing that the weaponization of food trade and the reversal of global economic integration exacerbate the risks posed by climate change. It recommends a combination of enhancing domestic climate-resilient agriculture, pursuing plurilateral cooperation among small groups of countries, transitioning to plant-based diets, and integrating demographic shifts into food security planning.

The report identifies several climate-smart water technologies for rice cultivation in the Mekong Region, such as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and Modern Irrigation Systems (MIS), which can significantly reduce water consumption. It analyzes the policy landscapes of Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, noting that while national strategies exist, adoption is hindered by financial barriers, technical gaps, and insecure land tenure. The document recommends strengthening policy frameworks, increasing access to credit, and fostering public-private partnerships to enhance agricultural resilience and food security.

The document examines how the climate crisis and overfishing mutually exacerbate marine ecosystem degradation and how these factors disrupt global fisheries trade. It highlights that tropical developing regions are projected to suffer the most severe reductions in fish catches, while the Global North is better positioned to capture new economic opportunities. The author argues for a transition toward low-emission technologies, the removal of harmful subsidies, and the adoption of value-added processing and digital traceability to support developing countries in maintaining food security and economic stability.

The briefing examines the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) proposed amendments to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), specifically a new limit on credits for crop-seed oil-based biofuels. While acknowledging the limit as a positive step, the authors argue that exemptions for alternative jet fuel and existing pathways, along with the use of the annual carbon intensity benchmark for surplus fuels, undermine the policy's effectiveness. The document recommends assigning fossil diesel carbon intensity to surplus fuels and implementing a comprehensive framework to monitor and limit global impacts on food markets and ecosystems.

The document asserts that LDCs require increased investment in agriculture to enhance productivity and food security. It identifies that current WTO rules, specifically the Agreement on Agriculture's Article 6.2 (Development Box), the Green Box, and the Amber Box, provide policy space for public investment. Furthermore, it suggests that new rules—such as commitments from developed and large developing countries to reduce trade-distorting Amber Box support for products like cotton and rice—could attract private investment and improve LDCs' access to international agri-food markets.

The report argues that ecological disruption is an underappreciated security threat and advocates for the integration of strategic foresight tools—such as horizon scanning, futures wheels, and scenario planning—into national security architecture. It identifies land/sea-use change and global atmospheric/oceanic warming as the primary drivers of ecological instability. Through four plausible mid-century scenarios, the document illustrates how these drivers can lead to systemic collapses, such as Amazon dieback or the failure of the Lake Victoria Basin, resulting in famine, pandemics, and geopolitical conflict. The author recommends that security stakeholders shift their risk calculus to include ecological decline and prioritize locally-led, indigenous stewardship in resource management.

The report assesses gender-based disparities in Ethiopia, specifically focusing on how climate change disproportionately affects women and female-headed households in the Amhara and Oromia regions. It highlights systemic inequalities in land ownership, education, and decision-making, and recommends gender-responsive strategies for water and irrigation projects to ensure equitable access and empowerment.

The report assesses gender dynamics and climate vulnerabilities in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Niger. It identifies a consistent gap between national gender policies and real-world implementation, noting that women are often framed as victims rather than active agents of adaptation. Key challenges include limited access to land, finance, and education, alongside high rates of gender-based violence. The document recommends institutionalizing local gender assessments, ensuring women's representation in project design, and using gender-disaggregated data to guide the LoCAL+ programme's investments in climate resilience.

New analysis from the World Resources Institute reveals that 25% of global crops are grown in areas with highly stressed or unreliable water supplies. This vulnerability is particularly acute for staple crops like rice, wheat, and corn, with 33% produced in such areas. The report highlights a critical dependency on a small number of countries for irrigated crops and the increasing instability of rainfed agriculture due to climate change. To mitigate these risks, the document recommends strategies including reducing food waste, shifting diets away from water-intensive meats, increasing irrigation efficiency, and investing in nature-based solutions.

Costa Rica is addressing climate-driven water deficits in the Reventazón River basin by constructing farm-level water reservoirs. This initiative, part of the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2022–2026, aims to protect vegetable production and hydroelectric generation by improving irrigation efficiency and rainwater harvesting. The project emphasizes interinstitutional coordination and community participation, with plans to scale from a pilot to approximately 100 reservoirs over the next three years to secure livelihoods and national food security.

The report uses a GTAP-E model to find that a USD 100/t carbon levy would generally reduce GDP and household incomes across Africa, increase global food prices, and reduce the supply of maritime services. It highlights that African importers already face disproportionately high freight rates, which a carbon tax would exacerbate. The authors recommend that the IMO implement a redistribution mechanism based on climate vulnerability and historical emissions, providing direct grants for out-of-sector projects like green hydrogen and resilient agriculture.

The SAP002 project, implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP), focuses on improving climate resilience in the Naryn, Osh, and Batken regions of Kyrgyzstan. As of June 2024, 48% of planned activities have been completed, including the installation of eight Automatic Weather Stations and the training of nearly 9,000 farmers in climate-resilient practices. While the project has successfully increased food security and improved access to drinking water in some areas, it has faced delays due to high staff turnover in government agencies and technical team instability. The evaluation highlights a significant paradigm shift in community awareness of climate change, though a majority of beneficiaries remain unwilling to pay for localized climate services.

The report analyzes gender disparities in Senegal's agricultural sector, where women contribute approximately 80% of food production but face severe constraints in land ownership, financial access, and decision-making. It evaluates national and international legal frameworks, the impact of climate change and COVID-19 on rural women, and the role of La Banque Agricole (LBA) in providing gender-sensitive credit. The document proposes a strategic approach for the Green Climate Finance Facility, including dedicated funding, technical training for women, and the use of Sharia-compliant financing to overcome socio-cultural barriers to climate-smart agriculture.

The document examines the link between income poverty and food insecurity in South Africa, arguing that while the country produces enough food, millions lack the means to afford it. It advocates for a Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG) as a primary tool to ensure all citizens can meet basic nutritional needs, thereby reducing malnutrition, stunting, and the long-term economic costs associated with hunger. The text contrasts cash transfers with food vouchers, arguing that cash is more efficient and supportive of local economies. It also emphasizes that UBIG should be part of a broader policy response including a 'just food transition' to address climate change and systemic food system failures.

The report identifies soil acidity as a critical threat to food security and agricultural sustainability in East Africa, noting that over 60% of arable land in the region is degraded. It proposes a holistic approach centered on 'high-priority areas' (HPAs) where interventions can be scaled. The core strategy involves combining the application of agricultural lime with integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) practices, such as crop rotation and organic matter application. To achieve this, the report recommends scaling up soil testing via rapid kits, increasing farmer awareness through community-based extension agents, and developing a robust lime value chain by engaging private sector actors and optimizing last-mile distribution.

The document argues that while WTO rules provide significant policy space for LDCs to invest in agriculture through the 'Green Box' and 'Development Box', the primary barrier to increasing agricultural productivity is a lack of fiscal space rather than regulatory constraints. It suggests that new WTO rules should focus on reducing trade-distorting 'Amber Box' subsidies in developed and large developing countries to make LDC agriculture more competitive and attractive to private investors. Additionally, it recommends improving LDC market access by simplifying sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT) measures and expanding duty-free market access for key agricultural exports.

The document argues that while WTO rules provide significant policy space for LDCs to invest in agriculture through 'Green Box' and 'Development' categories, these countries are primarily constrained by fiscal limitations rather than trade rules. It suggests that food security in LDCs can be improved by reducing trade-distorting 'Amber Box' subsidies in developed nations for key products like cotton and rice, and by easing non-tariff barriers and import duties to stimulate LDC exports.

The briefing argues that the meat and dairy industry employs misleading narratives—such as claims regarding food security, growing demand, and emissions leakage—to distract from the need to reduce livestock numbers and methane emissions to meet Paris Agreement goals.

The briefing highlights three priority areas for the 79th UN General Assembly and Climate Week: the High-Level Meeting on Sea-Level Rise, climate finance negotiations, and the Summit of the Future. It emphasizes the security implications of sea-level rise for Pacific Island states, the critical funding gap for developing nations facing debt crises, and the potential for the 'Pact for the Future' to address the climate-security nexus in UN peace operations.