Search Climate Insights Directory

The assessment identifies a detailed but fragmented legal framework, noting strengths in geological data platforms and a diversified tax system, while highlighting critical gaps in environmental monitoring, the lack of a consolidated mining code, and the recent, largely informal emergence of artisanal mining.

The document highlights that Indian cities will generate 70% of future energy demand and face increasing climate hazards, necessitating the Smart City Mission's focus on core infrastructure and sustainable environments. It details the India-UK Smart Cities for growth partnership's support in urban planning and clean energy, while recommending multi-stakeholder dialogues, better use of evidence bases, and improved coordination between national and state actors to bridge implementation gaps.

The document details CDKN's support for Kenya's climate goals, highlighting the impact of the 2016 Climate Change Act and the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP). Key achievements include a 140 MW increase in geothermal energy in 2015, the development of the CaRROT tool for the flower sector, and the submission of four proposals to the Green Climate Fund. It also discusses the 'Raising Risk Awareness' initiative for extreme event attribution and efforts to integrate water, energy, and food (WEF) security planning at the county level.

The report finds that while 74% of analyzed green bonds provide some public reporting, there is significant inconsistency in quality and content. Reporting is generally more comprehensive for larger issuers and those in European markets, whereas U.S. municipalities and private placements show lower compliance. While impact reporting is increasing, it lacks standardized metrics, and over 70% of bonds fail to clearly disclose the proportion of funds used for refinancing versus new projects.

The report identifies that while the total volume of water in the Indus River Basin may not change significantly in the near term, climate change will likely alter the timing and variability of peak flows due to unpredictable monsoon patterns. It highlights a critical lack of hydrological knowledge regarding the Upper Indus Basin and warns that per capita water scarcity will increase due to rising demand, regardless of climate change. Key recommendations include modernizing streamflow monitoring, establishing a water data repository, and promoting sustainable irrigation for smallholder farmers.

The assessment finds that Mongolia has a medium level of implementation of the IGF Mining Policy Framework. Key strengths include a high level of transparency in tax and royalty flows through the EITI and a legal framework for artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). However, significant gaps exist in the management of high-risk mine wastes, the lack of a comprehensive system for mine closure and financial assurance, and limited government capacity to audit complex tax returns and address transfer pricing. The report recommends prioritizing capacity building in mine closure, financial benefit optimization, and socioeconomic benefit optimization to ensure the mining sector contributes to long-term sustainable development.

The document highlights Peru's vulnerability to climate events, citing the severe impacts of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the high economic risks of climate change. It advocates for the implementation of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) to build resilience in priority sectors including water, agriculture, fisheries, forests, and health.

Scott Vaughan argues that ending hunger and extreme poverty is essential for achieving the SDGs, requiring an additional USD 11 billion in annual public spending until 2030. He emphasizes the need for improved irrigation efficiency, climate-resilient agriculture, and the reform of trade and investment policies to protect global food security from climate risks and protectionism.

The document explores the emerging field of subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) predictions, which bridge the gap between short-range weather forecasts and long-range seasonal outlooks. It identifies a strong demand for these forecasts across sectors such as public health, disaster preparedness, water management, energy, and agriculture, while emphasizing the need to integrate social sciences to improve communication and decision-making.

The report evaluates Mongolia's mining sector governance across six themes: legal and policy environment, financial benefit optimization, socio-economic benefit optimization, environmental management, mine closure transition, and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). While Mongolia demonstrates strengths in transparency (EITI participation) and professional human resources, it faces significant challenges in mine closure planning, waste management, and the formalization of ASM. The assessment concludes that Mongolia's overall implementation level of the IGF framework is 'average', with critical gaps in financial guarantees for mine closure and the lack of a comprehensive system for monitoring environmental impacts on water and biodiversity.

The document outlines strategies for mainstreaming gender into technical modelling, identifying key barriers such as data gaps and lack of awareness, and offering practical frameworks for inclusive project design and data collection.

The City of Cape Town is issuing a Green Bond of up to R1 billion, accredited by the Climate Bonds Initiative’s Standard, to fund a variety of climate action projects. These projects include the procurement of electric buses, building energy efficiency, water management, sewerage effluent treatment, and coastal protection. The City intends to raise the bond in July 2017, requiring updates to its Domestic Medium Term Note (DMTN) programme to comply with JSE Debt Listing Requirements and the Municipal Finance Management Act.

The Simiyu Climate Resilience Project is a proposed adaptation initiative in Tanzania's Simiyu Region. It seeks 102.7 million EUR in grant funding from the GCF, with a total investment of 143.4 million EUR, to address water scarcity and food insecurity caused by climate change. The project focuses on constructing a bulk water supply system from Lake Victoria, improving sanitation, and implementing climate-smart agriculture for approximately 495,000 beneficiaries.

The report analyzes development trajectories for 14 Southern African countries, forecasting that while GDP is expected to grow, extreme poverty will persist due to rapid population growth and governance challenges. It uses scenario modeling to demonstrate that integrated policy interventions in governance, health, education, and infrastructure can significantly improve regional outcomes, with governance capacity identified as the primary catalyst for economic growth.

The document details the experience of Edward Ndolo, a farmer in Kitui, Kenya, who adopted road water harvesting in 1990 to divert road runoff to his 3-acre farm. Despite high labor costs—such as 20,000 Kenyan Shillings for a 50-meter channel—and the physical effort required, the technique has allowed him to maintain green crops and sell surplus beans, maize, and fruits to neighbors. Ndolo observes that climate change has shifted rainfall patterns, noting that in 2016, the long rainy season began late on November 1st. He advocates for sensitization and the use of simple water-optimizing techniques to build resilience against arid conditions.

The paper assesses the vulnerability of hydropower in the Zambezi River Basin to climate change, noting that a drying climate could reduce output by 10–20%. While long-term regional cost increases are small, hydro-dependent nations like Mozambique and Zambia may face near-term cost increases of 20–30%. The potential displacement of hydropower by coal could increase regional greenhouse gas emissions, impacting commitments under the Paris Agreement and necessitating stronger cooperative governance and integrated electricity planning.

The document analyzes the devastating floods in Chennai on 1 December 2015, which killed over 470 people. While no measurable effect of human-caused emissions was detected for this specific event, the report highlights that unplanned urban growth, encroachment on water bodies, and poor infrastructure management significantly increased the city's vulnerability. Key impacts included the destruction of 4.92 lakh houses and the closure of Chennai Airport for five days. The flooding was exacerbated by the necessary release of water from the Chembarambakkam reservoir to prevent a breach, though the timing of this release was questioned by residents.

The report finds that Nepal's hydropower sector is currently highly vulnerable to climate variability, particularly smaller run-of-river plants. While future annual energy generation is projected to be relatively robust, climate change is expected to increase hazards such as sediment loads, floods, and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). The study recommends a shift toward a more balanced power mix with increased storage capacity and the adoption of 'low-regret' adaptation options, including improved hydro-meteorological monitoring and early warning systems.

The document lists various entities awarded for pioneering green bond activities in 2016. Key achievements include the first green sovereign bond from Poland, the largest overall issuer (Shanghai Pudong Development Bank), and the first green bonds from several countries including Colombia, Costa Rica, Morocco, and the Philippines. It also recognizes the People's Bank of China for regulation and CICERO for its 'Shades of green' assessment model.

The CRN3 Researchers Meeting focused on improving the translation of scientific research into actionable policy outputs. Key discussions centered on the challenges of interdisciplinary science, the establishment of an IAI open data platform supported by the Government of Uruguay, and the creation of a special peer-reviewed journal issue to compile CRN3 position papers. The meeting also explored collaborations between IAI and global bodies like the IPCC and IPBES to better align scientific projects with national environmental frameworks.