Search Climate Insights Directory

The study validates a WRF model with 15 km grid spacing for weather forecasting and hydroclimate monitoring in the La Plata Basin. Testing against observations from August 2012 to July 2014 showed high prediction performance for a 7-day lead-time, with approximately 70% of rain and no-rain days correctly predicted in the basin and temperature correlations exceeding 0.80. The model successfully reproduced observed conditions during a drought in southern Brazil and a high-precipitation season in northeastern Argentina, demonstrating its utility for monitoring soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and runoff.

The study analyzes the hydrogeomorphological dynamics of the Bajo de Sarmiento basin from the Holocene to the present, combining geological data, satellite imagery, and social surveys. It finds that while climate variability and aridity have historically been the primary drivers of water body dynamics, human activities over the last 120 years have intensified these effects, resulting in a shift from an exorheic to an endorheic basin regime and the near-disappearance of one of the lakes by 2016.

A study of an NSF-PIRE research project involving team members in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico identified five primary barriers to international interdisciplinary research: integration, language, fieldwork logistics, personnel and relationships, and time commitment.

The text describes the use of collaborative research networks—comprising academics, experts, officials, and social agents—to mitigate extreme climate events like droughts. It specifically highlights two projects: one providing climate services for southern South America and another creating a regional drought monitoring, prediction, and early warning system in the southwest of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.

The research identifies litter seed banks and juvenile banks, rather than soil seed banks, as the primary reservoirs for woody species regeneration in the Chaco forest. While these reservoirs align with established vegetation in low-intensity areas, their capacity to support resilience declines as land-use intensity increases.

The study introduces two quantitative indices, RCI 1 (ECRD/ECTD) and RCI 2 (MRD/MTD), to assess post-fire resprouting capacity in the arid Chaco of Argentina. Testing 1,046 plants across 20 species, the researchers found that both indices correlate strongly with resprouting vigour and provide more detail than survival-only assessments. Results indicate that resprouting capacity decreases as the estimated composite diameter of trunks (ECTD) increases, and that growth form influences RCI 2 values, with tree/shrubs and trees generally showing higher RCI 1 values than shrubs.

The research examines four case studies in Argentina, Mexico, and the USA to demonstrate how disconnected or neoliberal water policies exacerbate vulnerabilities for less privileged groups in arid regions. It argues that water policies act as key non-climatic factors that can either increase or reduce climate vulnerability depending on their inclusivity and coordination with other resource policies.

The report critiques debt-for-nature swaps as 'greenwashing' tools that benefit private creditors and international NGOs while stripping Global South countries of territorial control. It details how these financial instruments often replace old debt with new, higher-interest loans and divert funds into financial markets before they reach conservation projects. The document highlights specific cases in countries like Ecuador, Belize, and Gabon to illustrate the loss of sovereignty and the persistence of extractive industries. It concludes by calling for the cancellation of illegitimate debts and the recognition of the Global North's historical ecological debt to the South.

The report critiques debt-for-nature swaps as 'green traps' that benefit creditors and international NGOs over debtor nations and local communities. It details how these mechanisms often replace old debts with new, more expensive loans, transfer territorial control to external actors, and encourage the commodification of nature. Through case studies in countries like Belize, Ecuador, and Gabon, the document illustrates the gap between promised conservation funds and actual spending, while highlighting the social costs, including the displacement of indigenous peoples. The author calls for the cancellation of illegitimate debts and the recognition of the North's ecological debt to the South.

The document critiques debt-for-nature swaps (DNS) as a 'green trap' that fails to provide real debt relief or effective conservation. It argues that these mechanisms, particularly recent market-based 'blue bonds', transfer territorial control to international NGOs and private actors, often imposing higher interest rates and restrictive conditionalities. The report highlights how sovereign debt forces Global South countries into extractivist models to generate foreign currency, and calls for the cancellation of illegitimate debts and the recognition of the North's ecological debt to the South.

The fact sheet 'Renewables done right' by Friends of the Earth International advocates for a systemic shift in the energy transition to avoid replicating the extractive harms of fossil fuels. It argues that renewable energy must be treated as a common good, emphasizing energy sufficiency, community ownership, and the protection of land rights. Through case studies in India, Argentina, Palestine, and Scotland, the document illustrates the risks of large-scale corporate projects—such as land grabbing and water scarcity—and proposes alternatives like circular systems, decentralized ownership, and the implementation of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).

The document is a training guide designed to move beyond a simple replacement of fossil fuels with renewables, advocating instead for a systemic change based on energy justice. It structures learning into three phases: 'Discover' (focusing on energy sufficiency and extractivism), 'Define' (conceptualizing just transitions), and 'Develop' (exploring circular systems and community-owned energy). The manual highlights the risks of 'green extractivism' and 'narrative injustice,' where climate goals are used to justify the expropriation of land and resources in the Global South. It provides case studies of community energy projects in Gambia, Denmark, Brazil, and the UK to illustrate scalable models of popular power and energy sovereignty.

The document details Argentina's engagement with the IAI, highlighting US$ 449,600 in funded projects related to human mobility, Earth cooling, and climate-health links. It lists Argentine participation in IAI scientific committees, scientific diplomacy training, and the STeP Fellows program, alongside specific collaborative projects involving institutions like CONICET and the University of Córdoba.

The document details the benefits of IAI membership for Chile, highlighting specific research grants, collaborative projects on climate-health-environment nexuses, and scientific diplomacy initiatives. It lists funded projects ranging from US$ 90,000 to US$ 299,600, as well as the participation of Chilean institutions and individuals in IAI committees and the STeP Fellows program.

The document details Colombia's participation in the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), highlighting its involvement in regional hydroclimatic and health-climate projects, the receipt of seed funding for research on climate and tropical forests, and the appointment of national representatives to scientific and indigenous advisory committees.

The document details the resources and opportunities provided by the IAI to Costa Rica, including seed funding for research on climate, health, and tropical forests, as well as capacity building in scientific diplomacy. It highlights specific projects such as the study of multidimensional vulnerability to dengue and diarrhea and fire management in the Trifinio Region, while listing available institutional resources like the IAI Virtual Campus and expert search tools.

The document details the scientific diplomacy and research resources provided by the IAI to Uruguay, including specific funding for climate, health, and environment projects, as well as the participation of Uruguayan researchers in the STeP Fellows program and various advisory committees.

The report examines the severe biodiversity loss in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting phenomena like 'empty forest syndrome' and the 'reverse terraforming' caused by gold mining in the Amazon. It emphasizes the critical link between biodiversity and human well-being, citing the water crises in the Northern Andes due to páramo degradation and the role of soil organic matter in climate mitigation. The document advocates for 'inclusive conservation' that integrates Indigenous and local knowledge, arguing that Indigenous lands are essential for climate mitigation. It also analyzes the impact of global trade and 'telecoupling'—where demand for energy transition minerals like lithium in the Global North drives environmental degradation in the Andes—and calls for a sustainable blue economy and the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The document details Brazil's engagement with the IAI, highlighting specific research consortia, funding for climate and health projects, and the roles of Brazilian scientists and government ministries in IAI advisory committees.

The document details the scientific and financial support provided by the IAI to Guatemala, including US$ 120,000 in project funding, participation in the STeP Fellows program, and involvement in research on tropical forests, climate-health capacity, and fire management in the Trifinio Region. It also lists institutional resources such as the IAI Virtual Campus and opportunities for national representatives to join advisory committees.