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The report evaluates three development scenarios for Tunisia—'Going for Growth', 'Leapfrogging', and 'Sustainability & Equality'—against a baseline 'Current Path' for 2040. All three scenarios are projected to increase GDP and reduce extreme poverty, with 'Going for Growth' offering the highest GDP boost (30%) and 'Sustainability & Equality' providing the most significant reductions in extreme poverty, inequality, and carbon emissions. However, the report highlights critical trade-offs: 'Going for Growth' and 'Leapfrogging' are expected to increase carbon emissions and leave the country vulnerable to international food price shocks, while all scenarios must contend with increasing industrial, municipal, and agricultural water demand in a water-stressed environment.

The report examines Tunisia's agricultural sector, highlighting low crop yields, high food dependence, and significant crop waste. It argues that state intervention has prioritised food security over agricultural development, hindering productivity. Furthermore, it details the severe threats posed by climate change, including rising temperatures, sea-level rise, and reduced agricultural output, which threaten the country's economy, infrastructure, and public health.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, representing MEJCON-SA and MACUA, submitted a formal objection on May 9, 2023, against Tetra4 (Pty) LTD's application to amend its Water Use Licence (WUL) for the Cluster 2 expansion of gas and helium production near Virginia, Free State. The objection argues that the Integrated Water and Waste Management Plan (IWWMP) fails to adequately assess risks of groundwater contamination, radioactive waste, municipal water stress, and the compounding effects of climate change on a region critical for South African food security.

This document is a formal objection letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of the Mining and Environmental Justice Community Network of South Africa (MEJCON-SA) and Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA), regarding Tetra4's application to amend its Water Use Licence (WUL) for the Cluster 2 expansion of gas and helium production near Virginia, Free State. The document includes the original objections and the corresponding responses from Tetra4, focusing on risks to groundwater, radioactive contamination, waste management, and the impacts of climate change on water security.

The report details two Steering Committee meetings held in Uruguay and the United States to define the vision, mission, and goals of the IAI Center for Science Diplomacy (SDC). Key recommendations include strengthening the science-policy interface in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on climate action priorities such as food security and ocean management, and developing a knowledge center for science diplomacy. The SDC aims to leverage the IAI's existing STeP fellowship program and collaborate with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for fundraising and capacity building.

The policy brief advocates for the use of digital platforms and real-time data to support climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in India and G20 countries. It suggests that digitalizing crop management enhances decision-making for farmers and policymakers, contributing to global food and economic security. The authors recommend that the G20 convene a committee to develop a systemic agenda for CSA digitalization research and practices.

The document outlines the severe health threats posed by climate change, including increased mortality from heatwaves, air pollution, and infectious diseases, while highlighting the 'triple win' of improving public health, creating a sustainable economy, and protecting the environment through aggressive mitigation and adaptation.

The report examines the potential of agrivoltaics in India to resolve land-use competition between food security and renewable energy. While pilot projects show that agrivoltaics can maintain or increase yields for certain crops, the practice remains in a demonstration phase. The authors argue that scaling up requires the development of national standards, reforms in land-use and tax laws, and the testing of viable business models. Arid, semi-arid, and peri-urban regions are identified as high-potential areas. Key barriers include high capital costs for elevated structures, a lack of capacity building for farmers, and a rigid uniform ceiling tariff regime that fails to account for locational land rent variations.

The paper examines marine and coastal ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, focusing on how these interventions can provide sustainable livelihood opportunities. It identifies a successful incremental model used in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region, where periodic fishery closures (PFCs) serve as an entry point to broader conservation and restoration efforts. The study highlights the role of Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) and networks like MIHARI and Mwambao in scaling these benefits. While some projects rely on large external funding, the paper argues for community-centered designs that prioritize immediate food security to ensure long-term sustainability and uptake.

The document compares 63 first and updated NDC submissions to assess their alignment with the 2030 Agenda. While updated NDCs are longer and contain more activities, the authors find that the share of quantified targets remains low for most SDGs. There is a notable increase in activities addressing social dimensions—specifically gender equality, reduced inequalities, and inclusive participation—but a concerning decrease in activities linking climate change to food security, water, and land use. Economic activities have generally increased in number, though energy access and affordability have seen a decline in priority.

The IAI Science Diplomacy Center (SDC) Advisory Board met in March 2023 to refine the Center's strategic framework and identify flagship activities. The SDC aims to enhance the capacity of IAI member states to address global change through a science diplomacy knowledge hub, regional training for policymakers, and improved science-policy communication. Proposed priority actions include landscape analyses of scientific information flow in government and the development of training courses on negotiation and science diplomacy. The SDC intends to co-design its three-year working plan with member states, utilizing engagement at CoP 31 to ensure initiatives meet regional needs.

The Scientific Diplomacy Center (SDC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is establishing a framework to strengthen the science-policy interface across the Americas. The center aims to provide member states with scientific evidence to address global change challenges, including food security, water resources, and disaster risk management. Key proposed initiatives include developing a scientific diplomacy knowledge hub, creating training courses for policymakers and negotiators, and conducting outreach to analyze how scientific information is translated into policy. The SDC plans to co-design its three-year priority activities with IAI member states, with a specific engagement plan for COP 31 to ensure these initiatives meet regional needs.

The study finds that while human-induced climate change did not significantly alter the likelihood of the overall 24-month rainfall deficit, it drastically increased drought severity through higher temperatures and evapotranspiration. In a world 1.2°C cooler, the combination of low rainfall and high evapotranspiration observed would not have led to drought; however, in the current climate, it is classified as an 'exceptional drought'. The researchers estimate that such droughts have become approximately 100 times more likely due to climate change.

President Sauli Niinistö emphasizes that the world is facing a series of interlocking crises—including climate change, food insecurity, and the war in Ukraine—that cannot be solved by any single nation. He highlights the disproportionate impact of climate change on African countries and commits Finland to increasing international climate finance for developing nations. Niinistö also discusses Finland's decision to join NATO as a security measure in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine, while advocating for a just peace for Ukraine and the importance of African leadership in global governance.

The document outlines the need for sustainability science to integrate geopolitical realities, warning that the deconstruction of the multilateral trade system and the race for green technology could marginalize developing nations. It emphasizes that the EU must address cross-border climate risks, particularly within the food system, and ensure that the transition to a net-zero food system maintains food security and preparedness. Furthermore, it highlights the extreme vulnerability of the 46 least developed countries (LDCs), which suffer disproportionately from climate change despite minimal emissions, and urges careful design of trade mechanisms like Carbon Border Adjustment to avoid harming these nations.

The author argues that while governments can implement unilateral trade-related tools to promote sustainable agriculture, transboundary environmental challenges require multilateral coordination through the WTO. The paper identifies three 'windows of opportunity' for the WTO: addressing environmentally harmful agricultural subsidies, managing sustainability requirements and standards to reduce costs for developing countries, and utilizing the new work program on food insecurity to build resilience in least developed countries and net food-importing developing countries (NFIDCs).

The report examines food crisis challenges and resilience interventions in East Africa and Southeast Asia, identifying shared drivers such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The RECEM-Valles project is a 10-year climate adaptation initiative in Bolivia's Valles Macro-region, requesting USD 33.3 million from the GCF and USD 30 million in co-financing. It aims to benefit 81,551 direct households by transitioning from conventional agriculture to resilient agroecological systems. The project focuses on four components: implementing climate-resilient technologies (such as solar tents and anti-hail nets), modernizing on-farm irrigation to combat drought, restoring 17,510 hectares of micro-watersheds, and strengthening local governance and financial access through innovative insurance and credit products. The project is designed to align with Bolivia's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and the Joint Mitigation and Adaptation Mechanism (JMAM).

The document explains that while MOUs are often viewed as non-binding 'soft' agreements, they can unintentionally create binding legal obligations or 'legitimate expectations' enforceable under international investment treaties. It provides specific drafting strategies to avoid these risks, such as using explicit non-binding statements and avoiding overly broad commitments regarding land tenure, permits, and tax incentives. Additionally, it demonstrates how governments can use MOUs as a positive tool to establish a roadmap for pre-contractual due diligence, including the screening of investors' experience and financial capacity, and the requirement for feasibility studies and environmental and social impact assessments.

The document explains how host governments can use MOUs as non-binding preliminary frameworks for agricultural investments while avoiding unintended legal obligations. It details strategies to prevent the creation of 'legitimate expectations' under international investment treaties and suggests using MOUs to structure due diligence for investor and project selection.