Search Climate Insights Directory

This policy brief provides ten practical recommendations for urban policymakers in dryland Africa to develop inclusive urban climate policies. It emphasizes the need for alternative knowledge production and decision-making models to improve governance, social inclusivity, and innovation in rapidly growing African cities, particularly within informal settlements where residents face high climate risks and lack secure tenure.

This research paper utilizes the FEEDME (Food Estimation and Export for Diet and Malnutrition Evaluation) modelling framework to analyze the projected impacts of climate variability, population growth, and land use change on global food security up to the year 2050.

This fact sheet by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) describes a pilot program and framework designed to integrate water resource management into forest restoration plans following the 2019 'megafire' in the Chiquitano Forest of Bolivia.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) provides an ex-ante assessment of the environmental risks associated with the construction of the EF-170 Ferrogrão railway in Brazil. Using a market access approach, the researchers project that without mitigation measures, the railway will induce significant deforestation in Mato Grosso, leading to substantial carbon emissions and associated economic costs.

This policy brief examines the environmental and socio-economic 'spillovers' of the Argentina-EU soy supply chain, arguing that the externalization of consumption impacts to producer countries complicates the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights how European consumption drives significant environmental degradation and social shifts in Argentina, calling for internationally coordinated governance and shared responsibility to mitigate these negative effects.

This technical annex assesses progress toward Goal 1 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), which aims to halve natural forest loss globally by 2020 and end it by 2030. The report finds that the world is not on track to meet these targets, as average annual global gross tree cover loss and carbon emissions from tropical forests increased between 2014 and 2018 compared to historical baselines, despite a decline in loss observed in 2018.

This technical annex assesses progress toward the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) Goal 2, which aims to eliminate deforestation from agricultural commodity production (palm oil, soy, paper, and beef) by 2020. The report finds that current efforts by governments and companies are insufficient to meet this target, noting a stagnation in new corporate commitments and significant gaps in reporting, transparency, and the inclusion of indirect suppliers.

This Final Scoping Report details the environmental assessment for the southern site of the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Limpopo, South Africa. The proposed development aims to establish a heavy industrial hub focused on energy and metallurgy, including plants for steel, ferrochrome, and thermal power generation. The report identifies significant environmental risks, particularly regarding water scarcity in a semi-arid region, potential biodiversity loss within the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, and the need for extensive bulk infrastructure. It outlines the regulatory framework, preliminary impact assessments, and a Plan of Study for the subsequent Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) phase.

The IAI Directorate presented a draft outreach brochure to the Conference of the Parties in June 2018. The brochure outlines the IAI's role as a regional intergovernmental organization supporting 19 Parties in the Americas. Since 2006, the IAI has invested 33 million USD in scientific projects and 5.3 million USD in scholarships for Latin American scientists, training 2,000 professionals. The IAI focuses on global change—including climate change, biodiversity loss, and land use change—and supports research on ecosystem services, fisheries, forest conservation, and the impacts of environmental crises on human health and urban/rural communities.

The 2018 New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) Progress Assessment Goals Summary reports that the world is not on track to meet Goal 1, which aims to halve the rate of natural forest loss globally by 2020 and end it by 2030. While net forest loss has declined when accounting for regrowth, gross tree cover loss has increased, and tropical deforestation emissions have risen, peaking in 2016.

The article introduces CRAFTY-Sweden, an agent-based model used to simulate the Swedish forestry sector from 2010 to 2100. Findings indicate that landowner behavior and socio-economic factors are more influential than climatic change in driving land-use change. The model predicts increased timber harvesting and a decoupling of supply and demand for forest ecosystem services.

This report assesses the drivers and ecological impacts of human migration within the Misotshi–Kabogo ecosystem in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It highlights the tension between increasing population pressures—driven by conflict and economic opportunity—and the need to protect a highly biodiverse, currently unprotected region. The authors recommend the formal establishment of Ngamikka National Park with a zoned resource-use system to balance conservation with local livelihood needs.

This executive summary analyzes the drivers of the deforestation slowdown in the Brazilian Amazon between 2004 and 2009, specifically comparing the impact of agricultural prices against conservation policies. The authors find that while agricultural prices influence forest clearing, targeted policy interventions introduced in 2004 and 2008 were instrumental in curbing deforestation, avoiding an estimated 73,000 km2 of forest loss.

This research paper evaluates the relative contributions of agricultural output prices and conservation policies to the reduction of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon between 2002 and 2009. Using a panel of 380 municipalities, the authors find that while agricultural prices drive deforestation, conservation policies implemented in 2004 and 2008 significantly curbed forest clearings without negatively impacting local GDP or population trends.

This fact sheet by the World Resources Institute describes the launch of the GHG Protocol's first international guidelines for the agriculture and livestock sector, providing data on global emissions sources, trends, and mitigation opportunities.

The Centre for Environmental Rights submitted additional comments to the Department of Environmental Affairs regarding the declaration of greenhouse gases as priority pollutants, specifically requesting clearer distinctions in the classification of land use and land use change.

This discussion brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the complexities of governing sustainability in tropical agricultural-forest frontiers, using the Brazilian Amazon as a primary case study. It argues that the high diversity of actors—ranging from subsistence smallholders to large-scale commercial farms—requires tailored, actor-specific policy approaches rather than 'one-size-fits-all' models to effectively reduce deforestation and alleviate poverty.

This discussion brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute describes the application of a water-energy-food nexus framework in Ningxia, China. It examines the interdependencies and potential conflicts between the province's development targets and its natural resource constraints, specifically regarding water scarcity, land-use changes, and a heavy reliance on coal for energy production.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute argues against reforming or repealing the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), asserting that the policy has successfully reduced petroleum dependence and stimulated the rural economy. While acknowledging challenges such as land use change and the 'blend wall,' the author contends that these issues should be addressed through the Farm Bill and EPA flexibility rather than statutory changes, which could jeopardize billions in private investment in next-generation biofuels.

Minutes from the 31st Meeting of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Executive Council, held on 14 June 2011 in Asunción, Paraguay. The meeting focused on financial reports, the potential relocation of the IAI Directorate due to administrative challenges in Brazil, and the development of the CRN 3 science program.