Search Climate Insights Directory

The document argues that while African governments have set ambitious adaptation targets, governance and financial constraints hinder the effectiveness of these efforts. It advocates for locally led adaptation (LLA) as a participatory strategy to ensure resilience is context-specific and inclusive. Key barriers identified include a disconnect between national policies and local needs, limited direct access to climate finance for local actors, and weak monitoring systems. The brief recommends integrating Indigenous knowledge, devolving decision-making, and expanding decentralized finance to empower local communities.

The Mirova Sustainable Land Fund 2 (MSLF2) is a private sector-focused investment programme targeting Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, and the Philippines. With a total target size of EUR 350 million, the fund uses a blended finance structure—including a GCF-funded junior tranche—to de-risk investments for institutional investors. The programme consists of an investment facility providing long-term debt and equity to companies in the agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sector, and a Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) to improve company bankability and impact monitoring. The fund aims to sequester 17.2 MtCO2e and enhance the resilience of 63,000 direct beneficiaries through practices such as agroforestry and soil conservation.

Rhino Oil & Gas Exploration South Africa (Pty) Ltd has applied for two exploration rights, ER377 and ER378, to explore for natural gas, methane, helium, and hydrogen in the Free State Province. The project involves aeromagnetic surveys and the drilling of up to 20 wells, which may require significant water resources and infrastructure. Potential risks identified include water contamination, soil degradation, air pollution, and disruptions to agriculture and cultural heritage. The document emphasizes that the extraction of natural gas contributes to climate change through methane and carbon emissions. Public comments on the Draft EIA Reports are requested by 6 March 2025.

The report provides a gender assessment for the Mirova Sustainable Land Fund 2 (MSLF2), identifying how land degradation and deforestation disproportionately affect women due to systemic gaps in land rights and resource access. It outlines a programmatic approach to integrate gender lens investing, aligning with the 2X Challenge criteria and GCF Gender Policy. The fund sets specific targets, including that 35% of jobs created will go to women and 44% of total beneficiaries will be women. The document also provides detailed gender profiles for Ghana, Costa Rica, Peru, the Philippines, and Malaysia, highlighting country-specific labour force participation and legal frameworks.

The study found that soil respiration (Rs) decreases as ecosystem disturbance increases, with the least disturbed forest (D1) exhibiting annual Rs values 4.4-fold higher than the most disturbed savanna (D4). Rs is primarily driven by volumetric water content and soil temperature, while exchangeable nitrogen is uncorrelated. Under a predicted 2100 climate scenario of 40% less rainfall and a 4°C temperature increase, annual Rs is projected to decrease by an average of 28%, with more disturbed areas showing greater vulnerability.

The document advocates for a territorial approach to agroecology in Africa, integrating agricultural practice adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and the development of embedded food systems. It identifies key practices such as agroforestry, integrated landscape management (ILA), and territorial markets, while highlighting systemic hurdles including limited financial resources, loss of indigenous knowledge, and policy silos. The briefing recommends catalytic philanthropic funding for multi-actor governance, local market infrastructure, and participatory research to scale locally-driven solutions.

The document examines the role of extension and advisory services (EAS) in scaling agroecology across Africa to combat food insecurity, climate change, and land degradation. It identifies systemic barriers to this transition, including a severe shortage of extension workers—with ratios as high as 1:10,000 in some Nigerian states—and a funding bias toward industrial agricultural models. The brief recommends that donors shift toward long-term, community-driven, and gender-sensitive funding mechanisms that prioritize local and indigenous knowledge over top-down, one-size-fits-all industrial approaches.

The document advocates for Silvopastoral Systems (SPS)—the integration of trees, forage, and livestock—to restore degraded African rangelands and mitigate resource-driven conflicts. It highlights successful models like Herding for Health and Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), while urging philanthropic investment to overcome barriers such as insecure land tenure, knowledge gaps, and government subsidies for chemical-intensive farming.

The IRES project in Cuba is on track to achieve its expected results, though implementation of productive landscape modules is significantly behind schedule due to COVID-19, procurement delays, and fuel shortages. The project has successfully strengthened institutional capacities, improved governance, and contributed to national policy reforms. While it has a strong gender focus, the evaluation recommends moving toward a more gender-transformative approach to better capture and empower women's leadership and economic roles. The project is currently meeting its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, but requires improved monitoring and reporting capacities.

The Umkhomazi catchment is a critical strategic water source area in KwaZulu-Natal, supporting 1.5 to 2 million people and high biodiversity. Despite producing 1,078 million m3 of water annually, only 15% is used due to seasonal flow patterns. The area faces threats from invasive alien plants, overgrazing, and abandoned farming. To address these, the Umkhomazi Catchment Working Group (UCWG) coordinates restoration efforts, including invasive species management, erosion control, and regenerative agriculture. Additionally, the Umkhomazi Water Project plans to construct two large dams, including the Smithfield Dam, to enhance water security for Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

The document provides a comprehensive overview of Ghana's land law regime, detailing the six major registrable interests in land and various minor rights. It explains the fiduciary duties of those managing collectively owned lands, the mechanisms for benefit sharing and compensation during compulsory acquisition, and the statutory emphasis on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to reduce the burden on the judicial system. It also outlines the roles of the Lands Commission and Customary Land Secretariats in ensuring transparency and access to information.

The document argues that carbon markets can fill a critical funding gap for African smallholder farmers, who received only 0.8% of climate finance in 2023. It highlights that soil carbon interventions provide dual benefits of climate mitigation and adaptation by improving soil health, water retention, and crop yields. However, the briefing notes that African agriculture remains underrepresented in carbon markets, with only 12 identified projects across the continent. Barriers include high soil sampling costs, strict evidence requirements for baselines, and a lack of localised research. The author recommends that policymakers avoid 'one-size-fits-all' regulations and instead prioritise projects that deliver non-carbon co-benefits like food security and nutrition.

The document examines the complexities of the dialogue between science, policy, and society in addressing global environmental change (GEC). It highlights that effective policy responses require integrating political, scientific, and technical considerations, while scientific relevance depends on attributes such as credibility, practicality, and accessibility. Based on an IAI-SCOPE assessment, the brief argues for early engagement between scientists and policymakers, the involvement of social scientists, and the need for funding mechanisms that encourage interdisciplinary work and societal accountability.

The brief advocates for the use of ecosystem-based approaches to create synergies between the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the three Rio Conventions (CBD, UNCCD, and UNFCCC) at the country level. It recommends mainstreaming these approaches into national and community planning to support sustainable development and poverty alleviation, noting that multi-goal-oriented strategies can lower programme costs and improve effectiveness.

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 advocates for a 'socio-bioeconomy' approach, which prioritizes small-scale, diversified production over large-scale, low value-added agricultural or forestry products. Drawing on experiences from Thailand and Brazil, it proposes principles and recommendations to scale this model worldwide to support the goals of the three Rio Conventions and combat the polycrisis of climate change, land degradation, and biodiversity loss.

The SPV for Silvopasture Scaling aims to transition medium-sized Colombian cattle farms from conventional to sustainable practices by providing capital and technical assistance. It utilizes a profit-sharing model based on productivity gains and the sale of carbon credits to avoid the debt-aversion barriers typical of traditional loans. The instrument is structured into three facilities: SPS Implementation, Carbon Credit, and Technical Assistance. A pilot in El Cesar will test the model before potential scaling to other regions of Colombia and countries like Brazil and Mexico.

The research paper examines the role of vertical industrial policies in Africa, contrasting them with horizontal policies and global value chain (GVC) theories. It highlights how Nigeria and Morocco successfully developed their cement sectors through targeted government interventions, while noting that replicating these specific tools in other sectors, such as sugar and tomato paste in Nigeria, has failed due to different raw material coordination needs.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes land use and land cover (LULC) data from 2001, 2011, and 2021 to project outcomes for 2050 in four arid and semiarid counties in Kenya. The study evaluates three scenarios—achieving 10% forest cover, converting forests to croplands, and restoring degraded forests—to guide sustainable land management and meet Kenyan government climate commitments.

The RAI Tool is a Microsoft Excel-based reference tool developed by IISD and Cerise+SPTF to help agribusinesses align their operations with the CFS-RAI Principles and IFC Performance Standards. It focuses on seven dimensions of responsible conduct, ranging from strategy and accountability to financial transparency. The tool is intended as a management and conversation starter rather than a rating system, guiding users through a three-phase assessment process: preparation (including desk reviews), field visits and interviews, and the development of a prioritised action plan to address identified gaps.