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The report analyzes the ASM value chain, from exploration to mine closure, highlighting a stark divide between rudimentary artisanal methods and more capitalized small-scale operations. It identifies critical gaps in technology for ore extraction, transportation, and beneficiation, while showcasing promising innovations in mercury-free gold processing, blockchain-based traceability, and digital mining cadastres. The document warns that while mechanization can boost yields and critical mineral supply, it risks displacing labor—particularly women—and increasing environmental degradation if not managed through inclusive policies and strategic zoning.

The ARCA project is a GEF-8 initiative focused on the Caatinga biome in Brazil, with a total GEF financing of $9,771,000. The project seeks to create approximately 100,000 hectares of new protected areas (PAs) and improve the management effectiveness of 4.58 million hectares across seven confirmed PAs. Key components include the implementation of National Action Plans for Endangered Species Conservation (PANs), combating illegal wildlife poaching and trafficking, and providing $732,155 for capacity building and sub-grants to Indigenous Peoples, Traditional Peoples, and Local Communities (IP/TP&LC). The project also aims to mitigate an estimated 48.8 million tons of CO2e over a 20-year period as a co-benefit of improved PA management.

The document examines human capital as a component of comprehensive wealth in Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Trinidad and Tobago. It finds that while Indonesia and Ethiopia saw significant growth between 1995 and 2020, this progress stalled recently. Trinidad and Tobago experienced a severe decline after 2008, erasing previous gains. The authors argue that diversifying human capital away from dominant sectors—such as agriculture in Ethiopia and services in Indonesia—and investing in health, education, and data capacity are essential for long-term prosperity.

The document examines the disconnect between Nigeria's top-down climate adaptation frameworks and the bottom-up initiatives already being implemented by local communities. It highlights that while national policies like the NDC and NAPF are comprehensive, they often exclude frontline stakeholders and lack clear implementation plans. Through case studies in Ogun and Anambra states and Lagos, the brief demonstrates how local actors use indigenous knowledge and nature-based solutions to combat deforestation, fisheries collapse, and gully erosion. It concludes that scaling up LLA can enhance national resilience if the government addresses critical gaps in finance, capacity building, and technology access.

The report examines the concept of 'Just Resilience' in Kenya, emphasizing the need for climate adaptation to prioritize equity and the voices of marginalized groups. It analyzes Kenya's existing legal and institutional frameworks, identifies vulnerabilities across different sectors and populations, and reviews several community-led adaptation projects. The document highlights significant barriers to achieving just resilience, including financial constraints, governance issues, and top-down decision-making, and provides recommendations for more inclusive, self-reliant, and transparent climate action.

The document outlines the identity, history, and biocultural rights of the OvaHerero of Kaokoland, spanning Namibia and Angola. It details their semi-nomadic pastoralist lifestyle, the spiritual significance of their ancestral lands and the Kunene River, and their traditional governance systems based on the principle of Ubuntu. The protocol identifies threats such as land encroachment, cultural erosion due to modernisation, and climate change, while proposing solutions including the recognition of customary land rights and the implementation of Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for developments on their territory.

The document argues that integrating the agendas of the UNFCCC, CBD, and UNCCD is essential for effective environmental governance, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean. It proposes creating formal dialogue spaces at COP30, aligning national planning instruments (NDCs, NBSAPs, and NAPs), and implementing multi-purpose financial mechanisms to address the interconnected crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

The WWF-Nedbank partnership Phase 3 (2019–2024), supported by a R25 million investment from Nedbank, implemented landscape-level conservation and sustainable agriculture projects across South Africa, with a primary focus on the Eastern Cape. Key achievements include the protection of 44 natural springs in the uMzimvubu Catchment, the securing of 15,850 hectares under Conservation Agreements for rangeland management, and the promotion of water-efficient irrigation in the dairy sector. The partnership also advanced agroecology to improve food security for smallholders and collaborated on sustainable finance frameworks, including the launch of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) in South Africa.

The document analyzes how climate change impacts public health in Senegal through heatwaves, floods, and droughts, while highlighting a community-led resilience project in Widou Thiéngoly.

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of Uzbekistan's environmental status from 2012 to 2022, highlighting critical challenges in water scarcity, land degradation, and air pollution driven by population and economic growth. It details the ongoing Aral Sea crisis and the country's vulnerability to climate change, while outlining national responses such as the Yashil Makon afforestation project and a transition toward green energy.

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of Uzbekistan's environmental status using the DPSIR framework. It highlights critical challenges including severe water scarcity, land degradation, and the ongoing Aral Sea crisis, while noting progress in expanding protected areas and transitioning toward renewable energy. The document emphasizes the high vulnerability of the region to climate change, which manifests in rising temperatures and glacier loss, and outlines national strategies for adaptation and sustainable resource management.

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of Uzbekistan's environmental state from 2012 to 2022, utilizing the Drivers-Pressures-State-Impacts-Responses (DPSIR) framework. It highlights critical challenges including severe water scarcity, land degradation, and the ongoing Aral Sea crisis, while noting improvements in protected area coverage and the adoption of green energy. The document emphasizes the link between environmental degradation and public health, particularly in the Aral Sea region, and details national strategies to mitigate climate change and improve waste management.

The MTR rates the project's relevance as Highly Satisfactory and its overall effectiveness and efficiency as Moderately Satisfactory. While the project has successfully engaged local communities and established strong biodiversity baselines, it has faced significant delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, government restructuring, and legislative bottlenecks regarding the disbursement of grants and revolving funds. Financial disbursement is low, with only 48% of expected costs for the first two years spent. However, the project is rated as 'Likely' for sustainability due to its integration with the broader Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) Program and strong country ownership.

The Greening Transportation Infrastructure Development Integrated Program (GRID IP) is a multi-country initiative designed to mitigate the environmental impacts of roads, rail, waterways, and ports. By intervening in the upstream phases of the infrastructure lifecycle—specifically through policy reform, integrated spatial planning, and the mobilization of green finance—the program seeks to prevent habitat fragmentation, forest loss, and GHG emissions. The program is structured around four components: improving enabling conditions, inclusive planning and design, developing finance and de-risking mechanisms, and global knowledge management. It targets specific sites, including ports in Malaysia and Suriname, and road networks in Nepal, the Philippines, and Ukraine, with an overall GEF program financing request of $23,794,476 and total co-financing of $408,915,662.

The assessment of nature-based infrastructure in the Peruvian Andes indicates that land restoration provides systemic benefits including job creation, increased carbon storage, and improved climate adaptation by reducing landslide risks and enhancing water availability. The study utilizes the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) method to move beyond conventional cost-benefit analysis, highlighting that the most significant impacts are found in livelihood protection and agricultural resilience. Additionally, the document notes that restoration can foster gender equality by involving women and create economic opportunities through agroforestry and non-timber forest products.

The report examines the disconnect between Nigeria's top-down climate adaptation frameworks and the actual practices of frontline communities. Through case studies in Ogun, Lagos, and Anambra states, it demonstrates that community-led initiatives—such as biogas production, aquaculture modifications, and traditional erosion control—are already occurring despite limited finance and technical support. The authors argue that integrating these bottom-up strategies into national policies like the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is essential for sustained climate resilience.

The document evaluates Nigeria's climate adaptation landscape, contrasting high-level national policy frameworks with iterative, indigenous practices at the local level. While Nigeria has established ambitious frameworks like the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), implementation is hindered by a 'top-down approach' that excludes local stakeholders, alongside gaps in finance, technology, and capacity. Case studies in Ogun, Lagos, and Anambra states demonstrate that local communities are already implementing Nature-based Solutions (NbSs) and traditional adaptation methods—such as biogas production from cassava waste and the use of bitter leaf juice in aquaculture—that align with national goals despite a lack of formal policy awareness. The authors argue that integrating these locally-led initiatives into national frameworks is essential to prevent climate impacts from increasing GDP losses from 5% to 30% by 2050.

The report provides a comprehensive safeguards framework for a four-year, $11.1 million (including co-financing) project aimed at restoring forest ecosystems and reducing land degradation in the Lake Naivasha Basin (LNB). It outlines procedures to manage environmental and social risks, specifically addressing the rights of Indigenous Peoples (primarily the Maasai), gender inequality, and the potential for livelihood loss due to resource access restrictions. The framework mandates the use of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for activities affecting Indigenous Peoples and establishes a grievance redress mechanism to handle complaints, including those related to gender-based violence and sexual exploitation.

The report argues that while Nigeria has comprehensive national adaptation frameworks, there is a significant gap between high-level policy and local implementation. It highlights that locally led adaptation (LLA) is already occurring through community-driven initiatives in biogas production, aquaculture, and erosion control, but these efforts are hindered by a lack of finance, technical capacity, and political will. The authors advocate for a shift from 'top-down' approaches to those that empower frontline communities to lead the design and monitoring of adaptation actions.

The document warns that the estimated USD 8 trillion investment needed in nature by 2050 to tackle the 'triple crisis' of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation introduces significant corruption risks. It highlights a 2020 study from Bangladesh where corruption led to the embezzlement of 35% of climate adaptation project funds and poor construction in nearly 80% of projects. To counter these risks, the document recommends a three-step approach: understanding how corruption impacts conservation, assessing specific programming situations, and adapting programming through nature-based solutions, increased transparency in carbon markets and climate finance, and the detection of illicit financial flows.