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The waste sector, including solid waste and wastewater, accounts for approximately 20% of global anthropogenic methane emissions, or about 5.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalents per year. To address this, the Clean Air Task Force introduces a 'Waste Sector Methane Mitigation Policy Matrix' designed to help policymakers navigate environmental policy taxonomies and build integrated solid waste management systems. The guide synthesizes existing literature and frameworks from the IPCC, UNEP, and OECD to offer flexible, actionable insights aimed at limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The document outlines the drivers of water scarcity at the US-Mexico border, including climate change and overexploitation, and suggests reporting angles focused on urban-industrial competition, transboundary water treaties, and the disproportionate impact on marginalized communities.

The document outlines the drivers of water scarcity at the US-Mexico border, including climate change and mismanagement, and suggests specific areas for local reporting such as urban-agricultural competition and disparities in water access.

The research applies a driver-response model to two watersheds in the Arizona-Sonora borderlands to analyze social-ecological interactions. In the Río Magdalena, smallholder agriculture employs low-impact adaptive strategies. In Ambos Nogales, urban growth and infrastructure-based solutions, such as inter-basin water transfers, dominate, while wastewater flows and climate change present ongoing challenges. The study argues that cross-border collaboration is essential for adaptation in these mutually conditioned systems.

The paper examines water management in Nogales, Sonora, where interbasin transfers are used to combat scarcity driven by population growth and climate change. It highlights a system where wastewater is exported north to the US and south to the Alisos basin, the city's primary drinking-water source, leading to indirect potable reuse via aquifer recharge. The study concludes that these strategies increase water scarcity in Nogales and cause negative health, livelihood, and environmental effects in the source basin.

Uruguay is transitioning toward integrated urban water management, with high potable water access but ongoing challenges in sanitation, stormwater drainage, and flood risk management. While constitutional reforms recognize water and sanitation as human rights, implementation remains partial, and the country faces significant needs in wastewater treatment and sustainable urban drainage planning.

The document details the state of waste-related methane emissions in Ecuador, highlighting that the waste sector contributed 3% of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, with 92% of those emissions being methane. It identifies significant gaps in the institutional framework, such as the absence of specific methane targets and a lack of mandates for landfill gas capture. The analysis emphasizes that organic waste makes up 70% of the waste stream, yet treatment is limited to composting, with no anaerobic digestors in use. Proposed solutions focus on improving data quality, establishing standardized waste tariffs, and developing a national integrated solid waste management plan that incorporates circular economy principles.

The report links the systems of imperialism, neoliberalism, and colonialism to both the global climate collapse and the destruction of life and land in Palestine. It provides detailed data on the collapse of water, energy, and agricultural infrastructure in Gaza, while identifying specific global arms, energy, and financial companies that support the Israeli state.

The document examines the expansion of non-conventional hydrocarbon production in the Vaca Muerta region of Argentina, highlighting significant risks to water sources and public health. Using the OBSERVAR spatial data platform, the authors identify thousands of wells in high-risk proximity to communities and water bodies, while noting a critical lack of transparent data on wastewater management. The brief argues that current provincial regulations in Neuquén and Río Negro are insufficient or inconsistently enforced and recommends a watershed-based governance approach, the creation of buffer zones, and mandatory reviews of older conventional wells before new fracking permits are issued.

The South Coast Water Reclamation Project (SCWRP) in Barbados aims to transform the existing South Coast Sewage Treatment Plant (SCSTP) into a modern Water Resource Recovery Facility (SCWRRF). The project focuses on producing high-quality reclaimed water to reduce dependence on potable groundwater, which is under threat from droughts and seawater intrusion. Key infrastructure includes a 25 km irrigation pipeline for 160 hectares of farmland and a system of injection wells for aquifer recharge in the Christ Church aquifer. The project also includes the restoration of the 33-hectare Graeme Hall Swamp and the installation of a 7 MW solar PV plant with battery storage to provide energy redundancy and reduce GHG emissions. Financially, the project employs an innovative 'Debt-for-Climate Conversion' (DfCC) mechanism, using savings from restructured sovereign debt to fund the investment. The total financing is USD 110 million, with USD 70 million requested from the Green Climate Fund (USD 40 million grant and USD 30 million loan) and USD 40 million in co-financing from the Inter-American Development Bank.

The report finds a significant disconnect between sanitation and climate policy, with only 2% of activities in analyzed NDCs addressing sanitation. While some countries like Jordan, Bolivia, and Uganda show detailed integration, many national sanitation policies are outdated and ignore climate risks. The authors argue that integrating these frameworks can unlock climate finance, reduce greenhouse gas emissions (which currently account for approximately 1.3% of global totals), and enhance community and ecosystem resilience.

The guide establishes a standardized framework for tracking climate mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity finance. It provides detailed lists of eligible activities for mitigation, a three-step validation process for adaptation, and specific criteria for biodiversity finance. The document emphasizes the use of ex-ante GHG emission reduction assessments and offers methodologies for quantifying finance through incremental or proportional approaches to ensure transparency and avoid double-counting.

The project analyzes the connection between inland watersheds and coastal ecosystems in several Caribbean island nations. It utilizes hydrological modeling of 84 catchments to assess how land-cover, soil, and human activities—such as urban wastewater discharge in Puerto Rico and deforestation in the Dominican Republic—affect water quality and coastal resources.

The Lagos State Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan (LCARP) identifies critical climate risks—sea-level rise, extreme rainfall, and extreme heat—and proposes a $9 billion portfolio of 33 projects to mitigate these threats. The plan emphasizes diversifying financing mechanisms beyond concessional debt to include blended finance, grants, and nature-based solutions, while recommending policy and governance reforms to attract private investment.

The GCF Water Project Design Guidelines Part 3 outlines a framework for creating climate-resilient sanitation (CRS) projects. It details how climate hazards like flooding, sea-level rise, and drought impact sanitation infrastructure and services, and provides a scientific basis for both adaptation and mitigation. The guide advocates for a paradigm shift toward transformative sanitation planning, emphasizing circular economy principles—such as the recovery of water, nutrients, and energy—to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance community resilience. It provides specific technical interventions for the entire sanitation service chain and outlines the requirements for successful GCF funding proposals, including alignment with investment criteria and national climate strategies.

The document identifies critical evidence gaps in the quantification and measurement of greenhouse gas emissions from both sewer-based and non-sewered sanitation systems, arguing for the integration of climate-smart solutions in infrastructure design to align sanitation goals with climate action.

South Africa faces a projected 17% gap between water supply and demand by 2030, driven by climate change, population growth, and poor governance. The country's water infrastructure is at significant risk of failure due to reactive maintenance and maladministration, with 41% of municipal water classified as non-revenue water. Governance failures have led to critical risks in wastewater treatment and public health crises, such as the 2023 cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal. The document recommends implementing water conservation measures, developing climate adaptation plans, enhancing governance legislation, and prioritizing infrastructure investment in rural areas.

WRI implemented over 30 nature-based projects in Mumbai, Kochi, and Jaipur, including urban farming and water-body restoration, to combat climate risks like urban flooding and extreme heat. These initiatives, which included a school-based gardening project in Mumbai scaling to 250 schools and an urban farm at Jaipur Central Jail, led to the establishment of India's first national-level forum on urban nature-based solutions to share best practices and scale these approaches across Indian cities.

The document argues that the draft NPDES permit for the City of Everett Water Pollution Control Facility fails to meet legal requirements under the Clean Water Act and state law. It specifically demands the establishment of effluent limits for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). The authors highlight a 'hot spot' of PBDEs in the lower Snohomish River that impairs the immune systems of juvenile Chinook salmon, and they call for stringent pretreatment requirements for industrial users, including Boeing, landfills, and industrial laundries. The statement also advocates for a halt on the land application of biosolids until they are sampled for these persistent toxics.

Colombia is the third largest emitter of waste methane in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the waste sector contributing 22% of national methane emissions. While the country has improved collection and disposal infrastructure, it lacks national policies specifically targeting methane reduction from solid waste. In 2018, the waste sector accounted for 7% of total greenhouse gas emissions, with 52% of those emissions originating from solid waste disposal. Organic waste makes up 70% of the waste stream, yet current tariff systems discourage organic waste diversion by rewarding landfill operators based on waste volume. Key recommendations include developing a national waste methane mitigation strategy, revising tariffs to reflect the costs of organics diversion, and improving data collection on waste flows.