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This project brief describes research conducted by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) on improving floodplain governance in over-built river basins, specifically focusing on the Paraná River downstream of the Porto Primavera dam in Brazil. The study aims to balance hydroelectric power generation with the maintenance of aquatic ecosystems and the socio-economic activities that depend on them.

This report examines the tension between trade liberalization and environmental conservation in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). It highlights how rapid economic growth and infrastructure development have exacerbated illegal wildlife and timber trade and increased vulnerability to climate change, while regional governance remains hampered by non-binding agreements and limited administrative capacity.

This policy brief examines China's strategic pursuit of bauxite resources in the Mekong region, specifically Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, to support its growing aluminum industry. It analyzes the economic drivers, the role of Chinese state-owned enterprises, the regulatory challenges in host countries, and the significant environmental and social risks associated with bauxite mining and smelting.

This fact sheet describes a four-year project led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and executed by the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). The project aims to integrate climate change vulnerability and adaptation into sustainable development planning through pilot projects in Kenya, Mozambique, and Rwanda, focusing on agriculture, forestry, and energy production.

This 2007 research paper examines the environmental impacts of trade liberalization and foreign direct investment (FDI) in the hydropower, mining, and construction materials sectors of Lao PDR. It analyzes how economic growth and regional trade agreements, such as AFTA and ACFTA, drive resource extraction and infrastructure development, while highlighting the gaps in environmental governance and the need for stronger implementation of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).

This policy brief examines China's strategic pursuit of natural resources and its expanding investment footprint in the Mekong region, specifically in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It details China's shift toward securing raw materials through direct investment and state-backed financing, while highlighting the resulting environmental and social risks for host countries.

This policy brief examines China's expanding economic role in the Mekong region, specifically its investments in natural resources, energy, and infrastructure in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. It highlights China's strategic shift toward securing foreign resources to fuel its domestic industrial growth and the resulting environmental and social challenges in host countries.

This case study by Mike Muller examines the political economy of water resource development and management within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It argues that a disconnect exists between local/national priorities and regional agendas, largely because the latter have been driven by donor preferences for environmental conservation over infrastructure development. The author highlights that while some bilateral projects have succeeded, the broader region has suffered from 'economic water scarcity' due to a lack of long-term finance for infrastructure, a gap recently being filled by new financiers like China and Brazil.

This case study by the Stockholm Environment Institute, commissioned by the African Development Bank, examines the linkages between water management and poverty reduction in Ethiopia. It analyzes the country's water resources, agricultural dependencies, and the challenges of meeting Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for water supply and sanitation, while proposing strategies for small-scale irrigation and rainwater harvesting to improve food security and rural livelihoods.

This briefing describes a pilot study conducted by GFA Consulting Group and the Stockholm Environment Institute to assess the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus in Zambia. The appraisal examines the interdependencies between governance and bio-physical perspectives, highlighting how agricultural transformation and energy transitions compete for limited resources like water and biomass.

This fact sheet describes the development and application of an enhanced Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) model to assess the impacts of hydropower expansion on the Mompos Depression and the broader Magdalena River Basin in Colombia. The modelling indicates that while hydropower development may regularize seasonal and low flows, it is unlikely to protect downstream communities from extreme floods and may disrupt critical ecosystem services provided by wetland inundation.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute describes the application of an integrated water-energy-food-ecosystems (WEFE) nexus modeling approach (LEAP-WEAP-MACRO) to the Syr Darya River Basin. It argues that integrated modeling provides more realistic results than siloed approaches and demonstrates that international cooperation among Central Asian countries can increase water availability, boost agricultural production, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to business-as-usual scenarios.

This report describes the development and application of an integrated water-energy-food-ecosystems (WEFE) and macroeconomic model for the Syr Darya River Basin. The model combines three software platforms—Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP), Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) with Next Energy Modeling system for Optimization (NEMO), and a macroeconomic model (Macro)—to simulate the interdependencies between water availability, energy production, and economic growth across Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan from 2010 to 2050.

This research paper proposes a replicable and adaptable methodology for assessing climate vulnerability and risk for small hydropower plants (SHP) in Colombia, focusing on water resources as the central element of exposure to address challenges like droughts and irregular rainfall.

This research paper presents a new method, co-developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), to quantify physical climate risks for power generation portfolios. The method utilizes machine-learning techniques and climate science to estimate electricity generation losses across different climate scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5), specifically pilot-testing the approach on EBRD's thermal and hydropower assets.

This case study examines how Rwanda addressed a severe electricity crisis in 2004 by restoring the Rugezi-Bulera-Ruhondo watershed to maintain the operational capacity of its primary hydropower stations.