Search Climate Insights Directory

The Western Cape water sector is transitioning toward innovative procurement and financing models due to tightening public budgets and increasing climate pressures. Significant capital expenditure is planned for 2025/26 to 2027/28, with approximately R16.5 billion from the City of Cape Town and R7.5 billion from other local municipalities. Key opportunities include public-private partnerships (PPPs) for large-scale infrastructure like desalination and water reuse, as well as a growing market for decentralized water-efficient sanitation solutions (WESS) in both public informal settlements and private property developments.

This policy brief argues that water and sanitation are strategic assets essential for Africa's peace, energy transition, and food security. It advocates for a Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus approach and Strategic Asset Management (SAM) to address a $1 trillion infrastructure investment gap by 2040 and mitigate the 'threat multiplier' effect of climate change. The brief recommends integrating water governance into the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and strengthening transboundary cooperation across the continent's 63 shared river and lake basins to prevent conflict and promote regional stability.

Palau is developing its first stand-alone national adaptation plan (NAP), expected in 2026, to address critical vulnerabilities including sea level rise, coastal erosion, and saltwater intrusion. The process, led by the Office of Climate Change (OCC) and supported by the Green Climate Fund, employs a "whole-of-society approach" across 10 priority sectors. Adaptation strategies combine high-tech monitoring—such as LiDAR and drones—with traditional ecological knowledge and community-led initiatives. Key actions include nature-based coastal protection via mangrove conservation and reforestation, the use of climate-resilient taro varieties in agriculture, and community-organized sea wall repairs in Melekeok State. The framework emphasizes that durable resilience must be rooted in local stewardship and the intergenerational transmission of environmental knowledge.

The Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) reports significant growth in 2025, expanding to over 90 partner organizations. Key activities included launching several innovation challenges—such as the RISE Urban Challenge and the TECH 4 Resilience Challenge—and establishing the Mobilising Business for Resilience (MBR) platform with the IFC to address the adaptation finance gap. The GRP also co-managed the Resilience Hub and launched the Climate Resilience Awards for Business with the WBCSD.

The Bosque Local Señor de la Cumbre (BLSC), established in 2020 in Madre de Dios, Peru, covers 3,179.41 hectares and is critical for the water supply of Puerto Maldonado. Managed by the Municipality of Inambari, the area faces severe threats from illegal mining, agricultural expansion, and selective logging. While a Payment for Ecosystem Services (MERESE) mechanism is in place to fund conservation and sustainable production, the site lacks a formal management plan and a functional Management Committee. Local stakeholders identify ecotourism and agroforestry as sustainable economic alternatives, but emphasize the need for stronger institutional capacity, legal security, and better access to financing to sustain conservation efforts.

The project seeks USD 39,982,375 in GCF grants to enhance the climate resilience of the Cook Islands' building stock, specifically targeting Category 3 tropical cyclone compliance. It employs a programmatic approach through an EDA Facility that provides tiered financing—ranging from 100% grants for the most vulnerable to partially reimbursable grants for businesses—to upgrade approximately 50% of non-compliant dwellings. The initiative includes capacity building for tradespeople and inspectors, the installation of community and household water tanks, and the upgrade of septic systems to protect coral reef ecosystems. Implementation is led by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MFEM), Climate Change Cook Islands (CCCI), and the Bank of the Cook Islands (BCI).

The Glaciers to Farms (G2F) Program is a 10-year, multi-sectoral adaptation initiative designed to address the impacts of glacial retreat and water insecurity in Central and West Asia. Requesting USD 250 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to leverage a total of USD 3.5 billion, the program integrates science-based risk planning, investment in climate-resilient infrastructure, capacity building for agricultural MSMEs, and a regional knowledge platform. It targets 13.6 million direct beneficiaries and 31.5 million indirect beneficiaries, focusing on the Naryn, Pyanj, Kura-Aras, and Swat river basins. Key interventions include multi-hazard early warning systems, nature-based solutions for watershed restoration, and the development of innovative finance mechanisms like sustainability-linked bonds.

A three-year restoration project in North Mecha, Ethiopia, has successfully revived local water sources and improved food security through community-led land management. By implementing revegetation and soil conservation practices across 400 hectares, the project increased groundwater levels, extended stream flow into the dry season, and boosted crop production for 321 households.

The document outlines the economic and environmental necessity for South Africa to raise its climate ambition in its second NDC. It emphasizes that transitioning from a coal-dependent economy to one powered by renewables is an economic imperative to avoid trade risks from Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAMs) and to unlock new industries like green hydrogen and electric vehicles. The briefing provides sector-specific recommendations for power, transport, and heavy industry, while stressing the need for deep public-private collaboration and the inclusion of SMEs to achieve a net-zero target by 2050.

The report assesses gender-specific vulnerabilities and capacities in Cambodia to ensure the LGCC-3 project effectively supports women and marginalized groups. It identifies deep-seated patriarchal norms, limited land rights, and financial exclusion as key drivers of women's disproportionate susceptibility to climate change. The document proposes a Gender Action Plan (GAP) that includes gender-specific investment criteria for performance-based climate-resilient grants (PBCRG), mandatory gender-responsive safeguards, and a survivor-centric grievance redress mechanism to prevent sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH).

The document explains that rising global temperatures increase 'atmospheric thirst,' where the atmosphere absorbs more moisture from the land. In the western U.S., this heat-driven demand has replaced lack of precipitation as the leading cause of exceptional drought since 2000, contributing to a multi-decade megadrought in the Southwest and increasing wildfire risk in California and Nevada.

KRAFT is a collaborative research initiative (2025–2030) involving SEI, FOI, KTH, and Lund University, focused on managing cascade effects between critical supply systems such as food, drinking water, and energy. The project employs scenario planning, modeling, and network analysis to identify inter-sectoral dependencies and develop tools for prioritizing critical flows during crises to enhance societal resilience from the municipal to the international level.

The Páramo Wildfire Resilience Facility is a proposed financial vehicle designed to protect Colombia's high-elevation páramo ecosystems from catastrophic wildfires. It utilizes a two-pronged approach: a parametric insurance policy to provide rapid liquidity for emergency fire suppression and an adaptation and recovery trust fund for long-term risk mitigation and ecosystem restoration. The facility targets ecosystem service beneficiaries, such as water utilities and corporations, to fund these activities, aiming to safeguard the drinking water supply for millions of people in the Bogotá metropolitan area.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) received unmodified audit opinions for its consolidated financial statements and its major federal program for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Total assets decreased from $538.4 million in 2024 to $436.9 million in 2025, while total net assets fell from $489.4 million to $390.8 million. The Institute's programmatic spending for 2025 totaled $274.9 million, with the largest expenditures directed toward 'Food, Forests and Water, Ocean' and 'Climate, Economics, and Finance'. Federal expenditures for 2025 totaled $9.1 million, primarily funded by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The auditor identified no material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting or compliance for major federal programs.

The report examines how climate hazards—including sea-level rise, extreme heat, and flooding—threaten Indonesia's military infrastructure, food security, and territorial sovereignty. It highlights the strategic risks of continued coal dependence, such as public health crises and corruption, while positioning the renewable energy transition as a critical national security priority to enhance economic competitiveness and geopolitical stability.

The Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly Climate Adaptation Plan (CCMA-CAP) provides a comprehensive roadmap for building resilience against climate hazards such as tidal flooding, coastal erosion, and extreme heat. Based on a vulnerability assessment, the plan prioritizes interventions across eight sectors, including water, health, agriculture, and tourism. It introduces a multi-criteria decision-making approach to rank adaptation options and proposes a diverse funding strategy involving government, international, and private sources, supported by a detailed monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) framework.

The 33rd meeting of the IAI Conference of the Parties (CoP-33) in Asunción, Paraguay, focused on strengthening regional scientific cooperation to address global environmental change. Key outcomes include the adoption of the Asunción Declaration on Water Security, Biodiversity, and Climate Resilience, the establishment of the Indigenous People Advisory Committee (IPAC), and the launch of new transdisciplinary and science diplomacy curricula. The meeting also addressed funding uncertainties for Belmont Forum Collaborative Research Actions (CRAs) and approved the appointment of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the American Geophysical Union (AGU), and the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC) as Associates. A special session on Paraguay highlighted the increasing intensity of droughts and wildfires, emphasizing the need for improved early warning systems and the integration of science into diplomatic negotiations for water management.

The document provides a comprehensive gender analysis of Mauritania, focusing on the socio-legal barriers women face and how climate change disproportionately affects them. It highlights significant disparities in land ownership, where women hold less than 8% of registered title deeds, and describes 'time poverty' resulting from the increased burden of water and fuel collection due to drought. The report also details systemic gender-based violence, including FGM and domestic abuse, and the marginalization of Haratine women. These findings are intended to shape a Gender Action Plan to ensure inclusive benefits from ecosystem resilience projects in four regional hubs in northern Mauritania.

The report identifies significant gender disparities in the Maldives that affect climate resilience, noting that women face higher economic vulnerability due to lower labour force participation (48.4%) and a disproportionate burden of unpaid care work. While the Maldives has a Gender Equality Act (2016), key environmental and disaster laws remain 'gender blind'. The assessment highlights gaps in EWS reach, particularly for the elderly, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and the 25% migrant population who face language barriers. It recommends integrating Protection, Gender and Inclusion (PGI) into disaster management, expanding EWS messaging into multiple languages, and leveraging Women's Development Committees (WDCs) for local implementation.

The report assesses gender dynamics in water access and climate resilience across four Pacific Island Countries (PICs). It finds that women and girls bear the primary burden of water collection and management but are systematically excluded from decision-making and governance. Climate change exacerbates these inequalities through droughts and saltwater intrusion. The assessment recommends increasing women's leadership in water committees, investing in gender-sensitive infrastructure, and improving the collection of sex-disaggregated data to inform policy.