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The document examines the historical evolution of poverty definitions and the growing recognition of the link between poverty and environmental degradation. It highlights how climate change, conflict, and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbate systemic inequalities and push millions into poverty. The author argues that current global systems cannot provide acceptable living standards for all without exceeding planetary boundaries unless the wealthiest 10% of the population reduce their excessive resource consumption. The briefing recommends that governments shift from GDP-focused economic indicators to national wellbeing indices that incorporate the environment and marginalized groups.

The document traces the transition from the 2000 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting the shift toward a more universal, integrated, and human-rights-based approach. While the MDGs successfully increased official development assistance and reduced extreme poverty, they were criticized for ignoring the multidimensional causes of poverty and environmental factors. The SDGs expanded this scope to 17 goals and 169 targets, integrating climate action via the Paris Agreement and financing through the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. The brief concludes that although COVID-19 has reversed progress on poverty and education, the SDGs offer the best roadmap for a resilient recovery, provided that governments utilize timely, disaggregated data to target the most vulnerable populations.

The document outlines a strategic framework for accelerating climate adaptation in Africa, emphasizing the integration of indigenous knowledge with scientific data and the need for decentralized finance. It advocates for investing in a climate-smart workforce, resilient water and energy systems, and nature-based solutions to protect biodiversity and human livelihoods.

The case study analyzes mine waste governance in Ghana and British Columbia, highlighting the importance of risk-based frameworks, financial assurances, and corporate accountability. It details Ghana's efforts to formalize artisanal mining and British Columbia's regulatory evolution following the 2014 Mount Polley tailings dam failure.

The report examines the bioeconomy potential of Croton megalocarpus Hutch in Kenya through a case study of Eco Fuels Kenya (EFK). EFK has developed a circular value chain that transforms croton nuts into biofuel, poultry feed, organic fertilizer, and biopesticides, providing alternative income for over 5,000 subsistence farmers. While the model demonstrates success in gender inclusion and resource value-addition, it faces challenges from a lack of national bioeconomy policy, inadequate government incentives, and climate-related yield fluctuations.

The GAMS project seeks a USD 9.975 million grant from the Green Climate Fund to restore 276,000 hectares of land in North, South, and West Kordofan, Sudan. The initiative focuses on scaling up gum Arabic production through the capacity building of 500 producer associations (GAPAs), linking them to private sector financing and formal markets to incentivize the sequestration of 9.23 million tonnes of CO2e over 20 years. Additionally, the project will rehabilitate 400 km of livestock corridors and 151,000 hectares of rangelands to improve pastoralist mobility and reduce conflict between farmers and herders.

The project proposes a USD 45 million intervention to restore 50,648 hectares of degraded land and support land-based enterprises in four Kenyan counties. It aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 7.1 million tCO2eq and benefit 57,250 direct beneficiaries through climate-smart agriculture, reforestation, and the creation of 25,000 green jobs. The initiative focuses on three main components: enhancing climate-smart land practices, transforming rural livelihoods via green enterprises, and improving policy and climate information systems.

The document argues that while India's current internal security challenges—such as terrorism in Kashmir and Maoist insurgencies—are primarily driven by non-climate factors, future climate change will likely act as a risk multiplier. By 2050, increased temperature volatility, erratic monsoon patterns, and sea-level rise are projected to heighten human vulnerability. The authors identify three primary security pathways: rural unrest driven by agricultural distress and crop failure; tensions within India's federal structure caused by inter-state migration and river water disputes; and urban violence magnified by heat-induced aggression and food price hikes. The report emphasizes that at a 1.5°C global temperature rise, large portions of India enter a high-risk zone, potentially translating environmental stress into state security threats.

The program aims to strengthen the resilience of 1.2 million people in Rwanda's Upper Nyabarongo and Muvumba catchments through integrated landscape management, sustainable forestry, and modernized early warning systems. It seeks USD 50 million from the Green Climate Fund to complement AfDB financing for the Muvumba Multipurpose Water Resources Development Program. Key interventions include restoring 45,000 hectares of land, implementing agroforestry, and deploying LIDAR-based flood risk modelling to mitigate the impacts of floods, landslides, and droughts.

The report outlines the safeguards framework for the Resilient Landscapes and Livelihoods Project in Ethiopia, categorising it as Category B. It details the disclosure of the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), Resettlement Policy Framework, and Social Assessment, and specifies the project's implementation across 210 Woredas in six Ethiopian regions.

The ESMF provides a structured approach to managing risks for a conservation project in eastern Mongolia, focusing on land management, biodiversity, and community livelihoods. It outlines mitigation measures for environmental risks like soil erosion and social risks such as access restrictions to natural resources, while ensuring compliance with FAO and WWF safeguards.

The document argues that the absence of a dedicated EU-level legislative framework for soil protection has left soil governance fragmented and disconnected from land policies. It analyzes the failure of a 2006 proposal for a Soil Framework Directive and suggests several legal pathways to address this gap, including the adoption of a new Directive based on Article 191 or 192 TFEU, strengthening soil standards within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and integrating soil management into the 8th Environment Action Programme and the EU Biodiversity Strategy.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) investigates the drivers of disaster displacement, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, where the majority of such displacement occurs. SEI's work focuses on the vulnerabilities of poor populations, the impacts of both slow and rapid-onset risks, and the evaluation of displacement policies like planned relocations. Key projects include studying the effects of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, analyzing flood-induced mobility in Southeast Asia, and researching the specific challenges faced by people with disabilities during displacement. SEI also collaborates with international bodies such as the IOM and UNCCD to address the links between land degradation, desertification, and forced migration.

The document analyzes how human land use drives climate change and how climate change, in turn, degrades land. It highlights that while land currently acts as a net carbon sink, it could become a source of emissions. The brief emphasizes the role of agriculture and deforestation in land degradation and warns that current policy trajectories could significantly expand drylands and threaten global food security. It argues that sustainable land management, incorporating indigenous knowledge and gender-sensitive policies, is essential for limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C.

The document assesses the multifaceted threats climate change poses to global food security, highlighting that while some high-latitude regions may see productivity gains, the global South—especially sub-Saharan Africa—faces severe risks of yield losses and increased hunger. It argues for a systemic approach to adaptation, moving beyond autonomous adjustments to planned strategies. Key priorities include increasing public investment in agricultural research, adopting Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), expanding irrigation, and improving the resilience of food value chains. The authors emphasize that adaptation must be balanced with greenhouse gas mitigation and social equity, particularly regarding gender and youth in agriculture.

The document argues that agroecology—combining science, practice, and social movements—provides a framework for transforming food systems to be more climate-resilient. It details how applying ecological principles (such as biodiversity and soil health) at various scales (field, farm, landscape, and food system) can mitigate climate risks. The paper provides evidence from Africa, India, and Europe, highlighting specific practices like agroforestry and Zero Budget Natural Farming. It concludes that scaling these approaches requires addressing market failures, reforming perverse policies, and shifting from a top-down technology transfer model to a co-creation of knowledge approach.

The project aims to transform the drought-degraded Eastern Province of Rwanda into climate-resilient ecosystems and communities. It focuses on restoring 98,000 hectares of rural landscapes to improve soil health, water retention, and food security for over 100,000 households. The initiative is structured around three components: implementing resilient agro-ecological practices, developing climate-resilient markets and supply chains, and strengthening institutional coordination for land management. With a total indicative cost of USD 50 million, the project seeks USD 33 million in GCF grants to address barriers such as the lack of technical knowledge and the absence of climate finance for smallholders.

The report outlines outcomes from an event held during Africa Climate Week 2019 in Ghana, focusing on scaling up resilience in African agriculture. It emphasizes the need for nature-based solutions, the centrality of smallholder farmers, and the urgent requirement for climate finance to reach local levels, particularly in least developed countries. The document proposes specific actions for the UN Secretary-General's Climate Action Summit, including halting land degradation, implementing early warning-early action systems, and integrating climate risk analysis into National Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).

The document advocates for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) as an integrated approach to combat land degradation, desertification, and climate change, with a specific focus on the Mediterranean Basin. It identifies four primary barriers to SLM implementation—economic, educational, institutional, and monitoring—and suggests that mainstreaming SLM into broader policy frameworks can overcome these obstacles. In the Mediterranean Basin, where water availability is the most critical limiting factor, the brief proposes specific SLM actions such as reforestation, improving irrigation efficiency, and preserving traditional extensive systems to manage the water budget. The authors highlight the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD) 2016-2025 and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) as key institutional frameworks that can facilitate the scaling of local SLM successes to a regional level.

The document examines the reciprocal relationship between climate and land in Africa, highlighting how desertification and land degradation exacerbate food insecurity and poverty. It identifies specific risks for arid zones, the disproportionate impact on women and marginalized groups, and proposes integrated governance and sustainable land management practices to build resilience.