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The document analyzes the vulnerability of MSMEs in low- and middle-income countries to physical and transition climate risks, highlighting how these risks are amplified through value chains. It identifies significant barriers to adaptation, including limited access to climate data, finance, and technical skills. The authors argue for a participatory, inclusive approach where MSMEs are not only resilient but also act as providers of adaptation goods and services, supported by state policies, large businesses, and financial institutions.

The report examines the Hévécam rubber plantation in southern Cameroon, owned by Halcyon Agri. It details extensive deforestation, including 3,196 hectares of virgin forest cleared since 2008, and severe biodiversity loss. Socially, it documents the dispossession of ancestral lands from the indigenous Bagyeli people, water pollution causing health issues, and a lack of access to basic services like education and healthcare. While noting recent improvements in company-community dialogue and the adoption of a sustainable supply chain policy by Halcyon, the report argues that significant reparations and restoration are still required. It recommends establishing a legitimate Cameroon Sustainability Council, implementing neutral dispute resolution mechanisms, and ensuring the rights and citizenship of indigenous populations.

The report examines the actions of 14 African countries at the UN Human Rights Council in 2017. It finds that the African Group is no longer a unified voting bloc, with significant divergence in how members approach human rights. Botswana, Ghana, and Rwanda are identified as the strongest defenders of international human rights among the group, while Burundi, Egypt, and Nigeria are characterized as the most antagonistic. The analysis highlights a recurring tension between the principle of national sovereignty and the universality of human rights, particularly regarding 'item 4' resolutions that mandate investigations into specific countries without their consent.

The report argues that the world is falling short of the Paris Agreement's temperature goals and must prioritize international cooperation on forests. It introduces 'International Mitigation Partnerships' as a framework under Article 6 to channel finance and technical support toward natural climate solutions, specifically REDD+. The authors provide a three-part typology of these partnerships: Simple Recognition of Results, Bilateral Credit Transfer, and Multi-lateral Partnerships. The document emphasizes that such partnerships can lower the cost of climate action, support the international aviation sector's CORSIA obligations, and provide co-benefits for biodiversity and sustainable development.

The document provides a comparative overview of National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes in multiple countries, detailing their specific strategic approaches, priority sectors, and implementation milestones. It emphasizes the integration of climate adaptation into national development planning, the importance of cross-sectoral coordination, and the mobilization of climate finance to build resilience against diverse hazards such as sea-level rise, droughts, and extreme weather events.

The briefing analyzes community land tenure in 14 countries, finding that while 57% of total national land in these countries is held by communities, levels of legal recognition and formal documentation vary significantly by nation. It highlights that 'not-recognized' land held under customary tenure is more vulnerable to seizure, and notes that while some countries like Tanzania and Kenya recognize all held community land, others like DRC and Cambodia have very low rates of legal recognition.

The report 'Uncalculated Risks' examines how development finance institutions (DFIs) often fail to account for human rights risks, leading to the stigmatization, criminalization, and physical attack of human rights defenders. Through 25 case studies across various countries and sectors, it argues that DFIs frequently rely on inadequate client reporting and overlook the enabling environment for public participation. The document provides a 'Leverage Toolbox' and a 'Reprisal Prevention and Response Process' to help DFIs move toward a human rights-based approach to development.

The study addresses the lack of hydrological monitoring in the tributaries of Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake, which contribute 25–30% of the annual flow and are critical for maintaining dry-season lake levels. It aims to simulate baseline flows and project future climate change impacts across 11 sub-basins to support water resource management in a country where 80% of the population depends on agriculture.

The Mekong floodplains, covering approximately 70,000 km2 and including Cambodia's Tonle Sap, are experiencing environmental deterioration driven by rapid economic growth and climate change. While hydropower dams are a significant concern for biodiversity and livelihoods, the document argues that focusing solely on dams overlooks other local threats affecting water resources, vegetation, and fish.

The report details how developing countries approach investment treaty negotiations, highlighting a trend toward renegotiating outdated agreements and the use of model treaties. It identifies the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and investment authorities as the primary leads in negotiations and provides a detailed mapping of ratification processes across various nations.

The Cambodian NAP process, coordinated by the Department of Climate Change of the National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD), employs a cross-sectoral approach to reduce climate vulnerability and integrate adaptation into national policies. The process has evolved through several milestones since 2006, including the creation of the National Climate Change Committee and the 2014-2023 Climate Change Strategic Plan. Current efforts focus on the National Adaptation Plan Financing Framework and Implementation Plan (NAPFFIP) to increase access to adaptation finance. Priority sectors for adaptation include agriculture, water, forestry, fisheries, infrastructure, human health, and coastal zones, with specific focus on impacts such as floods, droughts, sea level rise, intense storms, and tropical diseases.

The report details a series of Swedish-led dialogue forums in five countries aimed at integrating climate policies (NDCs) with sustainable development goals (SDGs). Common findings across the forums include a critical need for capacity building at local levels, the challenge of translating national policies into regional implementation, and the necessity of securing both international and domestic financing. While stakeholders generally recognized the synergies between NDCs and SDGs, concerns persisted regarding trade-offs between rapid industrialization and environmental sustainability. Country-specific insights highlight Vietnam's focus on integrated water management, Tanzania's debate on the economic costs of environmental degradation, Zambia's emphasis on research and solar potential, Cambodia's focus on inter-ministerial policy coherence, and Uganda's concerns over institutional silos and external financing dependencies.

The document examines the link between community land tenure and global sustainability goals, highlighting that while indigenous and rural communities manage over 50% of the world's land, only 10% is legally recognized. It presents evidence that secure tenure reduces deforestation and carbon emissions more cheaply than technological carbon capture. The author calls for legal reforms, simplified formalization procedures, and a more equitable playing field between communities and corporations to protect these critical carbon sinks and support rural livelihoods.

The document argues that women's economic empowerment (WEE) strategies in South and Southeast Asian agriculture often fail to achieve gender equality because they ignore systemic patriarchal norms and power imbalances. It identifies four primary barriers: the perception of women as secondary labour, the gap between legal access and actual control over resources, the confinement of women to low-value stages of the agricultural value chain, and gender-blind policy implementation. The author contends that economic growth and market inclusion do not automatically lead to gender equality. To address this, the briefing recommends positioning social equality as central to projects, facilitating power negotiations, supporting collective action for women, and ensuring gender-responsive policy implementation across ministerial bodies.

The document examines gender imbalances in the energy sector of the Lower Mekong Region, noting that women are under-represented in technical roles and often excluded from energy decision-making. It highlights how gender norms, limited access to education, and siloed policy environments hinder women's participation in the transition to renewable energy. The briefing recommends promoting equal workforce opportunities, exploring community energy models, and developing gender-responsive national policies to ensure a just transition.

The document examines the gendered dimensions of water insecurity in the Lower Mekong Region, noting that women bear heavier caring burdens and are largely excluded from water governance, which remains a masculine technical domain. It highlights a disconnect between national gender policies and water policies, and argues that current gender mainstreaming is often tokenistic. The brief recommends involving women leaders in decision-making, integrating gender into water governance curricula, and creating partnerships between water and gender-mandated institutions.

The document identifies how social norms, political processes, and economic shifts marginalize women in the fisheries sector of South and Southeast Asia. It highlights the invisibility of women's labor, their exclusion from decision-making, and the negative impacts of industrialized fishing on small-scale producers. The briefing proposes five regional pathways for transformation, including increasing gender awareness, providing analysis training, improving women's agency, combating violence, and breaking policy siloes.

The guide provides a comprehensive overview of green financing in the ASEAN region, detailing available debt and equity instruments, credit enhancement tools, and a step-by-step process for issuing green bonds, sukuk, and loans. It highlights the role of governments, banks, and development finance institutions in scaling up private capital to meet an estimated USD3tn green investment need by 2030.

The report examines the global sugarcane market, noting that while demand is growing in Asia and Africa, it is stagnating in developed countries due to health concerns. It highlights the rise of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs), which grew at a compound annual growth rate of about 52% from 2008 to 2016, though sales have not kept pace with production. The document identifies significant sustainability risks, including land grabbing, forced labor, and greenhouse gas emissions from field burning, and suggests that expanding VSSs in low human development countries like Sudan and Uganda could catalyze development benefits.

The study finds that internal armed conflict generally leads to a net negative change in women's labour rights during and immediately after conflict. While some qualitative literature suggests conflicts can create opportunities for women's employment, this large-n analysis indicates that negative mechanisms—such as post-conflict insecurity, violence, and a return to traditional gender roles—outweigh potential gains.