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The executive summary advocates for a shift from traditional 'grey' water infrastructure to natural infrastructure in the Canadian Prairies to combat climate vulnerabilities and infrastructure deterioration. It highlights the region's significant loss of wetlands and the need for policy and funding reforms to support nature-based solutions.

The report analyzes why private finance for climate adaptation in developing countries remains low, citing lack of clear revenue streams and high transaction costs for small-scale projects. It evaluates established and emerging financial instruments—such as blended finance, guarantees, and payment for ecosystem services—and argues that the most effective path forward is not the creation of new instruments, but the innovative combination and application of existing ones to match specific project needs.

The report finds that while natural infrastructure (NI) efforts in the Canadian Prairies are nascent and often fragmented as site-specific pilots, there is growing momentum to use conserved, restored, or engineered ecosystems to meet water infrastructure needs. Grey infrastructure remains the default choice due to a lack of standardized valuation tools, limited municipal capacity, and a policy environment that often prioritizes resource development over restoration. The document highlights the critical need for watershed-scale collaboration, the integration of Indigenous knowledge and rights, and the mobilization of diverse capital—including private finance and endowment funds—to bridge the infrastructure gap and address climate-induced risks like floods and droughts.

The document compares 63 first and updated NDC submissions to assess their alignment with the 2030 Agenda. While updated NDCs are longer and contain more activities, the authors find that the share of quantified targets remains low for most SDGs. There is a notable increase in activities addressing social dimensions—specifically gender equality, reduced inequalities, and inclusive participation—but a concerning decrease in activities linking climate change to food security, water, and land use. Economic activities have generally increased in number, though energy access and affordability have seen a decline in priority.

The document outlines a methodology to make water governance more inclusive by addressing power imbalances and recognizing diverse forms of knowledge. It introduces a 'PAR-Pathways' approach that allows stakeholders to identify their starting points, desired end-goals, and the specific activities needed to achieve equitable influence in water planning. Through four global case studies, the guide demonstrates how different pathways—including legal challenges, boycotts, and the granting of legal personhood to rivers—can lead to more just water management outcomes.

The Gauteng High Court dismissed a review application by Industrial Zone (Pty) Ltd, upholding the MEC's decision to require a stream to remain in its natural course rather than being diverted for a light industrial development. The court found the Department's decision to be rational and reasonable under the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA), while noting that the landowner maintains a duty to rehabilitate the stream.

The report examines the intersection of CIF investments and just transitions within Bolivia's water sector, highlighting how climate change and human activity are exacerbating a water crisis and the need for inclusive management practices.

Somalia is identified as the second most climate-vulnerable country globally, currently facing its worst drought in 40 years which has displaced 7.8 million people. To address this, the government established the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change in August 2022 and is developing a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) focusing on agriculture, water management, public health, and disaster preparedness. Implementation is hindered by financial constraints, institutional coordination gaps, and security risks posed by the conflict with Al-Shabaab, which prevents officials from accessing certain regions to implement adaptation measures.

The report assesses the economic viability of flood mitigation strategies in Colombia's La Mojana region, comparing grey infrastructure, nature-based infrastructure (NBI), and sustainable agriculture. It finds that all considered interventions are investment-worthy, with the potential to avoid over USD 1.26 billion in damages over 30 years.

The policy brief examines the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) in reducing the perceived risks that deter financial service providers (FSPs) from investing in sustainable agriculture in developing countries. By analyzing 12 VSS across economic, environmental, and social dimensions, the report finds that while VSS provide high coverage for legal compliance, labor rights, and soil and water conservation, they lack sufficient criteria for economic viability, anti-corruption, and climate adaptation. The document recommends that VSS incorporate more business-oriented criteria and that FSPs use VSS for ESG due diligence and the structuring of sustainability-linked financial products.

The Plan Régional d’Adaptation au Changement Climatique 2024-2028 for the Plateau Central region of Burkina Faso identifies key climate risks, assesses sectoral vulnerabilities, and proposes 44 priority actions across three strategic axes. With an estimated cost of 5,669,080,000 FCFA, the plan focuses on improving the resilience of agriculture, water resources, livestock, environment, and health, while targeting the most vulnerable populations, including women, the elderly, and persons with reduced mobility.

The proposal outlines a 48-month project to establish Lebanon's first climate change adaptation (CCA) strategy and National Adaptation Plan (NAP) roadmap, specifically targeting urban water resource resilience. It identifies critical barriers, including limited mainstreaming of CCA into budgeting, weak institutional capacity, and a lack of reliable municipal water data. The project will implement a two-pronged approach: strengthening national governance and institutional coordination, and producing an evidence base for adaptation solutions in two priority areas: the City of Tyre and the Nahr-el Kalb Watershed. Key activities include establishing a NAP steering mechanism, training technical and non-technical personnel, and developing a pipeline of bankable adaptation projects for the GCF.

The document examines the paradoxical future of the western United States, where warming temperatures are projected to cause both more severe droughts and a higher likelihood of catastrophic megafloods. It highlights that while the total number of atmospheric rivers may decrease, those that do occur will be more intense due to the atmosphere's increased capacity to hold water vapor. Furthermore, warming is shifting precipitation from snow to rain, leading to declining snowpack volumes in the Northern Hemisphere and the American Cordillera, which complicates water management and increases flood risks.

Atmospheric rivers are corridors of moisture that provide essential water resources to the western U.S. but also cause severe flooding and landslides. Climate change is increasing the intensity and moisture content of these storms, which is projected to raise annual flood damages in the western U.S. to between $2.3 and $3.2 billion by 2090. While a series of atmospheric rivers in early 2023 significantly reduced drought coverage in California, the trend toward warmer storms is reducing snowpack and increasing the risk of compounding climate hazards.

The Gender Action Plan for the RECEM-Valles project in Bolivia's Valles Macro-region focuses on closing gender gaps through mainstreaming and transformative actions. It targets a minimum of 30% female participation among beneficiaries and productive associations, with specific goals to empower women-led households in climate-resilient agriculture, water management, and financial access. The plan includes the recruitment of a Gender Specialist and a specialist in masculinities to promote co-responsibility in care work and dismantle patriarchy. Key targets include reducing the time women-led households spend on irrigation by 20% through improved water-harvesting systems and ensuring women's leadership in territorial consultative platforms and municipal decision-making processes.

The authors argue that the IFC's accountability mechanism is structurally flawed and that the Management Action Plan is irrelevant to affected communities because it focuses on internal procedural improvements rather than remediating concrete environmental and social damages. They highlight ongoing ecological crises, such as the Maipo River failing to reach the sea in January 2023, and criticize the IFC's 'irresponsible' exit from the project in 2018, which they claim was used to evade responsibility for damages and reprisals against complainants.

The report analyzes the global banana industry, highlighting the role of VSSs like Fairtrade and Organic in improving producer prices and resilience. It details the sector's high vulnerability to climate-driven pests and diseases, such as Tropical Race 4, and the economic pressures caused by retail price wars and market concentration. The document argues for a shared responsibility model across the value chain to ensure living wages and sustainable production.

Saint Lucia's National Adaptation Plan (NAP) is a 10-year participatory process led by the Department of Sustainable Development to build resilience across eight priority sectors. The process integrates various tools, including a Climate Financing Strategy and Private Sector Engagement Strategy, and has reached milestones such as the publication of the first NAP Progress Report in 2022 and Green Climate Fund project approval in 2023.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) 2022 Annual Results Report details the organization's progress across three impact areas: reducing climate risk, promoting sustainable resource use and resilient ecosystems, and improving health and well-being. Key achievements include contributing to the COP27 decision to establish a loss and damage fund, developing the Global Environmental Impacts of Consumption (GEIC) indicator adopted at COP15, and implementing water management master plans in Bolivia. The report highlights the use of digital tools like LEAP, WEAP, and Trase to inform policy in various regions, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Organizationally, SEI reports an increase in scientific publications, a diversification of funding sources, and the implementation of a global monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) procedure.

The report provides a comprehensive safeguards framework for a four-year, $11.1 million (including co-financing) project aimed at restoring forest ecosystems and reducing land degradation in the Lake Naivasha Basin (LNB). It outlines procedures to manage environmental and social risks, specifically addressing the rights of Indigenous Peoples (primarily the Maasai), gender inequality, and the potential for livelihood loss due to resource access restrictions. The framework mandates the use of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for activities affecting Indigenous Peoples and establishes a grievance redress mechanism to handle complaints, including those related to gender-based violence and sexual exploitation.