Search Climate Insights Directory
54 results
Chennai floods December 2015
The study investigated the December 1, 2015, rainfall event in Chennai, where some stations recorded up to 494 mm of rain in 24 hours, causing an estimated US $3 billion in economic costs. Using observational data and regional climate models, researchers found no detectable effect of human-induced climate change on the probability of this extreme one-day rainfall. The analysis suggests that the cooling effect of aerosols in the western Bay of Bengal likely counteracted greenhouse gas warming, while non-anthropogenic factors, such as El Niño and sea surface temperature anomalies, played a more significant role.
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Document type: Research paper
Analyzing Vulnerability of the Belize Coastal Tourism Sector
The report identifies high-risk hotspots in Belize's coastal tourism sector, particularly Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, and the Central and South Central regions, which face significant threats from sea-level rise, thermal stress on coral reefs, and hurricane intensity. It highlights that 86% of tourism facilities are highly vulnerable to sea-level rise, with potential GDP losses of over US $61 million from a 1m rise. While some regions like the Northern and Southern areas show medium vulnerability, the overall outlook suggests a high potential impact on the industry's future viability.
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Document type: Report
Paleotempestology of the Caribbean region: a multi-proxy, multi-site study of the spatial and temporal variability of Caribbean hurricane activity
The project uses proxy data from lagoon sediments, stalagmites, tree-rings, and corals to analyze past hurricane activity. Key findings indicate that higher hurricane activity correlates with warmer sea surface temperatures and specific climate patterns like the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Research in Nicaragua and Belize suggests an anti-phase relationship in landfall activity between Central America and the eastern Caribbean/U.S. East coast, influenced by the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and subtropical anticyclone. Additionally, the project identifies the Low-Level Jet (IALLJ) as a critical factor for sea surface temperatures and moisture advection. Demographic data highlights that approximately 19 million people in the conterminous U.S. live in vulnerable areas less than 1 km from the coastline.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Pacific sea surface temperatures, Andean snowpack and water supply to the semi-arid regions of Chile and Argentina
The Andean snowpack is the primary water source for households, agriculture, industry, hydropower, and ecosystems in semi-arid central Chile and central-western Argentina. Analysis of regional composite data shows that winter snowpack and river streamflow are closely related and influenced by large-scale Pacific surface temperature changes. High snowpack and streamflow coincide with warm El Niño events, while most extreme dry years occur during cold La Niña events. Additionally, shifts in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) in the mid-1940s and 1976-77 correspond to a 27% decrease and 28% increase in mean annual river discharges, respectively, suggesting the PDO causes low-frequency hydrologic variations. While lower PDO values in the late 1990s were not matched by streamflow records—possibly due to melting glaciers—the interplay between ENSO and PDO is highlighted as critical for improving water scarcity forecasts under a changing climate.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Reefs at Risk Revisited
The document details the GIS-based modeling approach used to assess threats to global coral reefs, categorizing them into local pressures (coastal development, watershed-based pollution, marine-based pollution, and overfishing) and global threats (thermal stress and ocean acidification). It explains the proxy indicators, distance-based rules, and data sources used to create an integrated threat index, while acknowledging limitations such as the use of population as a proxy for overfishing and the exclusion of coral disease and storm intensity due to uncertainty.
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Document type: Research paper
IAI Directorate Report
The IAI Directorate Report details a period of significant scientific productivity contrasted with a severe core funding crisis caused by member country non-payments. While the institute successfully advanced research on ecosystem boundaries, urban emissions, and Andean biodiversity, it faced operational disruptions, including temporary salary halts and the cancellation of travel for international climate negotiations. The report emphasizes the transition of the IAI from a funding agency to an active participant in science-policy dialogue and highlights the need for sustainable financial commitments from member states.
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Document type: Report
Paleotempestology of the Caribbean region: a multi-proxy, multi-site study of the spatial and temporal variability of Caribbean hurricane activity (CRN2050)
The project uses proxy data—including coral, stalagmites, tree-rings, and coastal lagoon sediments—to analyze past Caribbean hurricane activity and its relationship with sea surface temperatures and climate patterns. Initial findings indicate that higher hurricane activity before AD 1550 and after 1750 correlates with warmer sea surfaces, with peaks occurring during the Medieval period (AD 900-1100) and since 1980. The study also highlights the role of the Intra-Americas Low-Level Jet (IALLJ) in affecting storm strength and notes significant population vulnerability along the U.S. coast.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Un futuro más cálido, ¿huracanes más fuertes?
The document describes a study using proxy data and sediment records to reconstruct Atlantic hurricane activity from 500 AD to the present. It finds that hurricane activity peaked during the Medieval period (900-1100 AD), rivaling current levels, and correlates higher sea surface temperatures with increased hurricane frequency.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Warmer future, stronger hurricanes?
The document describes a study using proxy data—statistical climate models and sedimentary records—to reconstruct Atlantic hurricane activity from AD 500 to the present. It finds that while there is a current peak in activity, a similar peak occurred during the medieval period (AD 900-1100), which was associated with warm Atlantic sea surface temperatures. The research indicates that hurricane activity decreased after AD 1500, coinciding partly with the Little Ice Age, before increasing again after 1850 and especially after 1980.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Attribution of extreme weather events in Africa: A preliminary exploration of the science and policy implications
The paper examines the application of probabilistic event attribution (PEA) to extreme weather in Africa, highlighting that different methodological framings—such as comparing single years versus decades—lead to significantly different risk quantifications. It argues that defining the 'right' attribution question is a stakeholder-driven process rather than a purely scientific one, which is critical for the effective implementation of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage. The authors emphasize that relying solely on predictable slow-onset events in loss and damage frameworks would exclude many vulnerable African communities affected by unpredictable extremes.
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Document type: Research paper
Strengthening the resilience of fisheries and aquaculture-dependent communities of coastal and insular zones of Honduras (FISHERIES RESILIENCE – COASTAL MARINE ZONES)
The project aims to benefit 102,000 direct beneficiaries in Honduras' coastal and insular zones, focusing on indigenous and Afro-Honduran populations. It addresses vulnerabilities to sea level rise, increasing sea surface temperatures, and tropical storms. The proposal outlines three main components: improving livelihood resilience through new fishing technologies and climate-resilient aquaculture; creating a multi-level climate adaptation and disaster risk management mechanism; and strengthening natural barriers like mangroves while adapting housing infrastructure. With a total indicative cost of USD 17 million, the project seeks USD 12 million in GCF grants to shift the paradigm from centralized management to participatory, multi-actor integrated management.
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Document type: Report
Pesca artesanal y servicios ecosistémicos marinos: adaptación y transformación para asegurar el bienestar humano (#SeAdapta)
The #SeAdapta project investigates the vulnerability and adaptation of small-scale fisheries in South America. In Uruguay, the project emphasizes combining scientific data with local ecological knowledge for better fishery management. In Argentina, research on the yellow clam (Mesodesma mactroides) and wedge clam (Donax hanleyanus) indicates that climate oscillations like El Niño and changes in salinity and temperature negatively impact growth and abundance. In the Galápagos Islands, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of the seafood system to global shocks but also the critical role of small-scale fishing in maintaining food security, leading to recommendations for local consumption, improved business capacity, technology to fight illegal fishing, and a circular economy.
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Document type: Report
FINAL REPORT
The CRN program established multidisciplinary international research networks to study climate variability, ecosystem functioning, and human dimensions of global change in the Americas. Key achievements include the development of high-resolution climate reconstructions using tree rings, the identification of critical soil degradation thresholds in semiarid regions, and the creation of disaster risk databases for ENSO events. The program emphasized capacity building, supporting over 600 students and producing hundreds of peer-reviewed publications, while fostering South-South and North-South scientific collaborations.
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Document type: Report
REEFS AT RISK REVISITED
The report finds that the majority of the world's coral reefs are threatened by human activities and climate change, with projections that nearly all reefs will be threatened by 2050 if current trends continue. While 27% of reefs are in marine protected areas, only 6% are in effectively managed areas. The document emphasizes that reducing local pressures like overfishing and pollution is critical to increasing reef resilience against warming seas and ocean acidification.
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Document type: Executive summary