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The document examines the necessity and challenges of regulating microfinance, particularly as the sector shifts toward commercialization and deposit-taking. It argues against a 'one-size-fits-all' approach, suggesting that prudential and consumer protection rules must be adapted to the specific risks of microfinance, such as unsecured lending and high operational costs. Using Indonesia's experience, it highlights the importance of independent oversight and the transition from enabling deregulation to corrective legislation.

The report examines the financing gap for smallholder farmers in developing countries, who are critical for global food security but highly vulnerable to climate change. It argues that achieving a 'triple dividend'—increased food production, improved adaptive capacity, and reduced emissions—requires a coordinated mix of public, private, and climate-specific financing. The document analyzes the limitations of current mechanisms, such as the decline in official development assistance for agriculture and the high transaction costs of carbon markets, and recommends creating national funds and enabling policy environments to support climate-smart agricultural transitions.

The document argues that African agriculture must transition to 'climate-smart' models to combat projected yield losses of up to 50% by 2020. Using Kenya as a case study, it highlights several low-cost innovations: greenhouse agriculture combined with drip irrigation to reduce water use; rainwater harvesting from rock outcrops; the adoption of drought-resistant cassava varieties; the use of alternative indigenous fodders like acacia pods and tubers for livestock; and the implementation of Plastic Tubular Digester (PTD) biogas technology to reduce deforestation and energy costs. The briefing emphasizes that scaling these innovations requires moving beyond pilot projects through 'bankable projects' that attract microfinance, promoting participatory action research via National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), and leveraging farmers' groups for capacity building.

The paper argues that trade policies are often gender-blind and can reduce the policy space for states to implement pro-gender development strategies. It highlights the critical role of the informal economy, where approximately 70% of traders in sub-Saharan Africa are women, and suggests that regional trade agreements (RTAs) are better suited to women's needs than large global markets. The authors identify institutional and legal hurdles—rather than social traditions—as the primary obstacles to women's business growth. The document recommends the adoption of a 'gender perspective' in trade analysis and the creation of a gender-sensitivity yardstick for RTAs to ensure that trade liberalization does not exacerbate existing inequalities, particularly in the agricultural sector.

The document argues that while private sector finance has historically focused on mitigation, there is an emerging market for adaptation finance through instruments like 'Green Bonds' and debt. It highlights that private finance is often concentrated in large emerging economies, necessitating a complementary role for public finance to support the poorest nations. The brief recommends raising awareness among institutional investors and creating a visible pipeline of adaptation projects to attract private capital.

The report identifies significant financial, institutional, and skill-based barriers that prevent the scale-up of energy-efficient low-income housing in South Africa, despite the availability of simple passive thermal improvements and solar water heaters. It argues that the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is an unsustainable model for these projects due to low carbon prices and dispersed savings. Instead, the author proposes 'Direct Support' mechanisms—including framework support for government institutions, project support for developers, and micro-finance/insurance models for homeowners—to provide upfront capital and capacity building. The paper also recommends establishing national energy performance standards and vocational training to bridge the gap between policy and implementation.

The report identifies a critical gap between the investment needed for clean energy in developing countries and current funding levels, arguing that the private sector must be the primary driver. It details domestic barriers such as political instability, lack of clear energy policies, and financial system deficiencies, while proposing incentives like feed-in tariffs and microfinance. Additionally, it examines how International Investment Agreements (IIAs), including the Energy Charter Treaty and the ECOWAS Energy Protocol, can either facilitate or restrict a state's regulatory space to implement climate-related policies due to protections against indirect expropriation and requirements for fair and equitable treatment.

The IISD's Vulnerability & Adaptation Work Program focuses on integrating climate risk reduction into development decision-making through a holistic, ecosystem-based approach. The program is organized around seven themes, including the development of adaptive policies, the design of a post-2012 international adaptation regime, and the study of socio-economic impacts such as forced migration and violent conflict. The work is implemented through partnerships with international organizations and Canadian entities, utilizing tools like the Sustainable Livelihoods approach and exploring innovative financing mechanisms such as micro-finance and payments for ecosystem services.

The report examines the role of migrant remittances in development, noting that registered flows to developing countries were nearly 100 billion USD in 2004. It analyzes various transfer mechanisms, from formal bank transfers to informal value transfer systems (IVTS) like hawala, and discusses the complex impacts of these flows on poverty, inequality, and national economies. The document provides specific policy recommendations for Norway, suggesting the use of Pakistan as a test case for engagement and proposing measures to reduce transfer costs, promote financial literacy, and support transnational entrepreneurship.

The document is a training handbook designed to empower women in Ghana's Volta delta region to adapt to climate-related economic challenges. It focuses on four key modules: value addition to agricultural products, business management using a tree metaphor, financing through loans and savings, and leadership within women's associations. The guide emphasizes an informal, non-literacy-based teaching approach using drawings, storytelling, and physical objects to accommodate participants with low literacy levels. It is aligned with the Ghana National Climate Change Policy Master Plan (GNCCP) 2015-2020 and the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2012.

The document outlines a problem tree analysis for Ethiopia, identifying the lack of micro-finance and credit for pastoralist women as a central problem. This issue is driven by root causes such as gender-blind social norms, lack of institutional frameworks for gender integration in climate programs, and limited capacity of gender departments. The immediate consequences include financial dependence, food insecurity, and limited education. Long-term impacts include increased poverty, gender inequality, and low community and national resilience to climate shocks, leading to frequent migration as livestock are impacted by climate change.

The document outlines ten key recommendations from South Asian experts for the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, focusing on community monitoring, peer reviews, climate-compatible management, and the inclusion of marginalized groups.

The document details how BCP, through its subsidiary Attawfiq Micro-Finance, used a USD 25 million gender bond to provide micro-credits and non-financial services to women in Morocco. It highlights the barriers women face—such as lack of collateral, cultural norms, and limited financial literacy—and demonstrates how targeted micro-credit has enabled women in both rural and urban areas to expand businesses and escape poverty. While the initiative shows success in financial inclusion, the text notes that investor focus on yield over social impact and rigorous reporting requirements remain challenges for the growth of social bonds.

The report examines the financial lives of refugees in Uganda, focusing on the settlements of Nakivale, Bidibidi, Palorinya, and the capital, Kampala. It highlights a significant shift from regular employment to self-employment, with the share of refugees in regular jobs dropping from 25% in their home countries to 6% in Uganda. The average monthly income for refugees is 160,000 UGX, with Kampala having the highest median (205,000 UGX) and Palorinya the lowest (90,417 UGX). The study notes a strong adoption of new financial tools, specifically mobile money (increasing from 7% to 30%) and Accumulating Savings and Credit Associations (ASCAs). Women have shown significant economic progress, with their median monthly earnings nearly tripling from 46,000 UGX to 130,000 UGX. The report also identifies critical vulnerabilities, such as the high cost of charcoal and limited access to medical care, with 20% of refugees unable to afford necessary doctors or medicine.

The Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) project, launched in 2019 by FSD Africa, FSD Uganda, and Access to Finance Rwanda, aims to provide financial services to forcibly displaced people (FDPs). In Uganda, the project supported Equity Bank Uganda Limited, Vision Fund Uganda, and the Rural Finance Initiative, resulting in over 93,300 households registering on a digital platform and 65,484 households receiving digital payments. In Rwanda, Equity Bank Rwanda opened 57,000 accounts for refugees. The project has helped overcome barriers such as insufficient documentation and lack of financial history, with updated regulations now allowing over 600,000 refugees with attestation letters to access mobile-enabled services in Uganda.

The document argues that post-conflict recovery requires a shift from short-term humanitarian relief to a sustainable livelihoods approach that addresses the root causes of conflict, such as poverty, powerlessness, and the loss of assets. It examines the 'deadly triad' of food insecurity, HIV/AIDS, and conflict, and provides frameworks for analyzing household vulnerability and the political economy of war. Case studies from Angola, Sudan, Mozambique, and Uganda illustrate the importance of integrating emergency relief with long-term developmental support, particularly for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the urban poor.

The authors argue that International Financial Institutions (IFIs), such as the IMF and World Bank, exercise extraordinary leverage in post-conflict states to impose neoliberal reforms that often exacerbate gendered insecurity. By introducing the concept of 'gendered circuits of violence,' the paper demonstrates how macroeconomic policies—including austerity, debt-based financialization, and extractive resource economics—disproportionately burden women and marginalized groups. The text highlights that while IFIs have adopted the rhetoric of gender equality as 'smart economics,' these efforts are often superficial and fail to address the material realities of unpaid care work and structural violence. Case studies from Ukraine, East Timor, and the Western Balkans illustrate how IFI-mandated reforms can lead to increased household debt, the erosion of social welfare, and even the incitement of physical violence against women.

The report examines the potential for decentralised renewable energy (DRE) equipment to drive socio-economic development in Benin, Cameroon, and Madagascar, focusing on agricultural productive uses. It identifies significant opportunities in value chains such as cotton and cashew in Benin, cocoa and sorghum in Cameroon, and rice, fishing, and livestock in Madagascar. While solar pumps and refrigeration are the most common technologies, the report highlights barriers including high initial costs, lack of technical standards, and the absence of formal e-waste recycling systems. It recommends market development measures such as increased awareness, technical standardisation, and the integration of microfinance to accelerate adoption.

The paper examines 21 examples of locally led adaptation (LLA) across Africa, Asia-Pacific, and the Caribbean and Latin America to provide strategies for financing and implementing resilience efforts. It argues that LLA redresses power imbalances by prioritizing the agency of local organizations and Indigenous peoples, who are often best positioned to identify adaptation solutions. The document recommends that funders and governments increase the volume and flexibility of climate finance, integrate social equity into standard processes, and shift governance to center local priorities.