Search Climate Insights Directory

The document outlines a comprehensive Gender Action Plan for a climate resilience project in Uganda. It specifies gender-responsive actions across three main outputs: the restoration and management of wetland hydrology, the improvement of agricultural practices and livelihoods, and the strengthening of access to climate and early warning information. The plan emphasizes the equal participation of men and women in leadership, the integration of sex-disaggregated data in monitoring, and the tailoring of technical training and infrastructure to meet the differentiated needs of both genders.

The GCF Indigenous Peoples Policy provides a framework for the protection of indigenous rights in climate finance activities. It mandates 'meaningful consultation' and, in specific high-impact cases, 'Free, Prior and Informed Consent' (FPIC). The policy applies to all GCF-funded activities, regardless of whether a national government legally recognizes the indigenous status of the affected groups. It outlines roles for Accredited Entities to manage risks and requires the establishment of culturally appropriate grievance mechanisms. The GCF also commits to capacity building for indigenous peoples and the creation of an Indigenous Peoples Advisory Group to oversee implementation.

The document summarizes a consultation held on May 17-18, 2022, involving 50 experts to address gaps in resilience measurement. It establishes principles and 3-to-5-year priorities for four key areas: ensuring evidence is demand-driven and co-produced with communities; integrating psychosocial well-being while accounting for cultural bias; improving the mapping and analysis of complex systems; and leveraging resilience frameworks to better measure climate adaptation and future-oriented capacities.

The document outlines the challenges and opportunities in financing climate resilience, particularly in conflict-affected and fragile regions. It highlights the mismatch between private sector short-term return expectations and the long-term nature of resilience projects, suggesting de-risking tools like mega guarantees and parametric insurance. The report emphasizes the need for governments to address data scarcity in the Global South and the importance of supporting locally led, indigenous initiatives. Examples of successful interventions include resilience bonds in the Philippines and bundled insurance and seeds in Mozambique.

The document details a transdisciplinary project in Micaya, Bolivia, designed to combat the effects of climate change—specifically frosts, droughts, and soil degradation—through a 'dialogue of knowledges' between local ancestral wisdom and scientific technology. The initiative implemented community greenhouses, organic fertilizers, and zeolites to increase vegetable production by approximately 30% and diversify local diets. Health assessments revealed severe nutritional deficiencies, with over 80% of the population lacking vitamin B12 and nearly one-third showing genotoxic damage linked to pesticide exposure. The project argues that climate resilience is most effective when built from the territory through intercultural dialogue and the active participation of women and local authorities.

The report identifies critical gaps in the management of climate and biodiversity information in the Andean region, noting that data is often too technical, fragmented, or inaccessible for policymakers. It emphasizes the need to integrate traditional local knowledge with scientific data and proposes the implementation of National Environmental Information Systems to bridge the gap between long-term scientific research and immediate political needs. Using Colombia's SIAC as an example, the authors suggest that framing biodiversity conservation through the lens of ecosystem services and social stability is more effective for securing political support and sustainable development.

The report argues that climate change adaptation in the Tropical Andes requires a shift from fragmented, traditional science to a holistic, interdisciplinary approach that integrates natural and social sciences with traditional knowledge. It identifies key barriers, such as the disconnect between scientists and policymakers, fragmented information, and a lack of institutional support for interdisciplinary work. The document highlights national examples from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, emphasizing the need for government-led funding strategies that prioritize transdisciplinary research to ensure the sustainability of natural resources and human well-being.

The document outlines the impacts of anthropogenic climate change on water security across the Americas, highlighting increased variability in the water cycle, glacier loss in the Andes, and water scarcity in North America. It emphasizes that current adaptation practices are becoming insufficient and advocates for equitable, inclusive, and transformational policies that integrate indigenous knowledge and intersectoral coordination to reduce future risks.

The IAI is implementing a policy to mainstream gender, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in research funding and working environments. Key activities include providing scholarships for early-career professionals from Latin America and the Caribbean, integrating EDI into science diplomacy training, and supporting projects like 'Women as Guardians of Biodiversity and Climate Resilience in Andean Peatlands'. The IAI's framework has also served as the basis for the Belmont Forum's own DEIA policy development.

The document outlines the formation of the Indigenous Peoples Advisory Committee (IPAC) to integrate indigenous knowledge and perspectives into the IAI's scientific agenda and policies on global environmental change in the Americas. It details the committee's mission to advise the Conference of the Parties and Executive Directorate, the specific professional and community-based requirements for candidates, and the governance framework, including a five-member composition with staggered mandates. The text emphasizes the integration of 'Indigenous Science'—defined as a systematic body of knowledge complementing Western science—and aligns the committee's goals with the IAI's Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) policy to ensure representation of women and youth.

The project investigates governance modalities that incorporate local and traditional knowledge to improve biodiversity conservation. Using a 'decentralizing academia' approach, the team established Communities of Practice Collaborators (CCP) to foster co-learning between academics, farmers, and local knowledge keepers. The research identifies plurality, power asymmetries, and conflict as key facilitators or barriers to conservation and is producing a collaborative book featuring local voices from Colombia, Chile, and Uruguay.

The document lists the current members of the SAC and SPAC and details the criteria and expertise required for new SAC appointments. It also summarizes the committees' contributions during an intercessional period, including strategic guidance, policy revisions, and the establishment of specialized subcommittees.

The project addresses gaps in local and regional biodiversity strategies by developing 'Communities of Practice Collaboratories' (CPCs) to integrate diverse knowledge systems and decentralize academia. Through case studies in four countries and a systematic literature review, the research identifies plurality, power asymmetries, and conflict as key enablers or barriers to conservation, while promoting the inclusion of local voices through a forthcoming edited book.

The document outlines the requirements for a training program focused on tropical forests in the Americas. It specifies that transdisciplinary teams of three to six people—including social scientists, natural scientists, and non-academic stakeholders—must apply. Completion of the course and a subsequent evaluation allows teams to apply for seed funding for projects. The program defines tropical forests as ecosystems between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn and emphasizes the inclusion of diverse actors from the private sector, NGOs, public administration, and indigenous communities.

The report argues that transdisciplinary (TD) research—which integrates diverse scientific disciplines and non-academic societal actors to solve real-world problems—is often hindered by a lack of formal coordination. Based on a 2024 workshop, the authors propose a framework for improving TD coordination centered on three goals: shifting scientific culture toward societal impact, transforming funding mechanisms to be more inclusive and flexible, and building specialized capacities in facilitation and communication. The document emphasizes the need to elevate Southern perspectives to correct power imbalances between the Global North and South in scientific collaboration.

The report argues that transdisciplinary research—which integrates academic and non-academic knowledge to solve real-world problems—often fails due to a lack of dedicated coordination. It proposes a three-pillar framework to improve this: changing scientific culture to value social impact over academic metrics, transforming funding mechanisms to be more flexible and inclusive of non-academic partners, and developing specialized capacities in facilitation, communication, and conflict resolution. The document emphasizes the need for these changes to support the Global South and ensure equitable partnerships in addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

A comprehensive training resource featuring 17 case studies on science diplomacy in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on environmental governance, health, space cooperation, and sustainable resource management.

The document provides a comprehensive set of 17 case studies illustrating how science diplomacy—the intersection of foreign policy and scientific research—is used to manage transboundary resources, protect biodiversity, and regulate emerging technologies in the Americas. It defines science diplomacy through three lenses: science in diplomacy (technical input for policy), diplomacy for science (promoting national scientific communities), and science for diplomacy (using scientific cooperation to improve diplomatic ties). Key examples include the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR), the Amazonian Regional Platform of Indigenous Peoples (ARPIP), and the Guarani Aquifer Agreement. The text emphasizes the necessity of integrating indigenous knowledge, managing multi-stakeholder governance, and aligning national policies with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address climate change and environmental degradation.

The document serves as a training resource for the Science Diplomacy Center of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI). It defines science diplomacy through the AAAS typology (science in, for, and toward diplomacy) and explores its intersection with innovation diplomacy, particularly in the Global South. The core of the document consists of detailed case studies covering diverse topics: marine conservation (CMAR), indigenous knowledge in the Amazon (ARPIP), public health and climate in the Andes (PASCC), peace parks in the Cordillera del Cóndor, groundwater management of the Guaraní Aquifer, space cooperation (ALCE and SIRIS), hydroelectric impacts in the Madeira River basin, AI regulation, plastic pollution strategies, transdisciplinary research (Belmont Forum), industrial conflicts in Fray Bentos, coal power in Jamaica, EU-Mercosur trade agreements, lithium supply chain justice, pesticide regulation comparisons, and corporate sustainability governance in Juruti. Each case analyzes the role of scientific evidence in policy-making, the challenges of multilateral cooperation, and the importance of inclusive governance.

The document outlines the formation of the Indigenous Peoples Advisory Committee (IPAC) to integrate Indigenous knowledge and science into the IAI's scientific agenda on Global Environmental Change (GEC). It specifies that the committee will consist of five members from IAI member countries, emphasizing equitable representation of women and youth. The IPAC is designed to provide recommendations on the IAI's Strategic Plan and scientific agenda, working alongside the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and Science-Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC). The text also details the candidate requirements, nomination process, and the IAI's broader Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) policy.