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This working paper outlines the Climate and Development Knowledge Network's (CDKN) approach to 'capability development' as a means to bridge the gap between climate ambitions and implementation. It distinguishes capability (the ability and willingness to act) from capacity (resources and scale) and identifies four key capability types: technical, relational, strategic, and institutional. The document details a seven-step iterative process for building these capabilities and provides case studies from Rwanda and Madhya Pradesh, India, to illustrate the application of this approach in real-world contexts.

This policy brief discusses the necessity of multi-level governance and community-based approaches to climate adaptation in the Caribbean, emphasizing that top-down strategies are insufficient for building effective local resilience.

This policy brief describes the CARibbean Weather Impacts Group (CARIWIG) project, which provides downscaled climate data and simulation tools to help Caribbean governments integrate climate change considerations into planning and investment to build resilience.

This policy brief outlines the critical role of national governments in the Caribbean for coordinating climate change adaptation, emphasizing that while community-level action is necessary, it is insufficient without national governance frameworks to provide strategic oversight, finance, and cross-sectoral policy integration.

This policy brief argues for urgent climate resilience investment in the Caribbean, specifically within the agriculture and tourism sectors, to protect economic growth and poverty alleviation efforts from increasing climate threats.

This working paper examines the adaptive capacity of Whitehouse, Jamaica, to climate change as part of the Global Islands’ Vulnerability Research Adaptation Policy Development (GIVRAPD) project. It utilizes the Local Adaptive Capacity (LAC) framework to assess socio-cultural, economic, institutional, and ecological factors shaping local vulnerability.

This working paper examines the potential for micro-insurance as a climate adaptation strategy for small coastal communities in the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean, specifically comparing Mauritius, Seychelles, Saint Lucia, and Jamaica.

This policy brief examines the vulnerabilities of the Caribbean's agriculture and tourism sectors to climate change, drawing on CDKN-funded research. It argues that urgent investment in climate resilience is necessary to prevent the reversal of economic growth and poverty alleviation, proposing specific adaptation measures and the use of decision-support tools to prioritise 'no regret' investments.

This sourcebook introduction outlines the climate vulnerabilities of the Caribbean water sector, emphasizing the need for cross-sector cooperation and flexible, 'no-regret' strategies to address projected trends of rising sea levels, warmer temperatures, and increased storm intensity.

This working paper introduces the GIVRAPD project, a two-year study on climate change adaptation in St. Lucia, Jamaica, Mauritius, and Seychelles. It specifically details the Microinsurance Component's approach to analyzing demand and testing products to reduce vulnerability in these Small Island Developing States.

This amicus curiae brief, submitted by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Vermont Law School Center for Applied Human Rights, provides legal analysis to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights regarding a request for an advisory opinion from the Republic of Colombia. The brief argues that State Parties to the American Convention on Human Rights have extraterritorial obligations to ensure their acts and omissions do not cause environmental harm that infringes on human rights outside their borders, and that the Convention should be interpreted through a normative dialogue with international environmental law.

This policy brief analyzes climate finance flows to the 10 Member States of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) from 2010 to 2015. It finds that while US$ 101 million was committed, actual disbursement rates were very low, and funding was heavily skewed toward short-term, project-based disaster response rather than long-term resilience.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) and Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC) issued a statement of solidarity with the social organization Acción Ecológica following a request by the Ecuadorian government to dissolve the organization.

This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the impacts of large-scale private agricultural investments on local livelihoods, water resources, land tenure, and gender equality. It argues that while such investments can create employment and market opportunities, ill-designed contracts often lead to environmental degradation, water scarcity, and the marginalization of rural communities, particularly women. The document advocates for an integrated approach to planning, utilizing a 'social tenure model' and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure sustainability and inclusivity.

This case study describes the National Energy Transition Strategy (NETS) for Saint Lucia, highlighting how a diversified portfolio of renewable energy and efficiency measures can reduce costs and emissions compared to diesel-reliant systems.

A fact sheet outlining five strategic lessons for local governments to establish successful, long-lasting partnerships for climate compatible development, derived from a CDKN-ICLEI learning programme involving partners in South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

This study uses ecological niche modelling to assess the cultivation potential of the neotropical palm Acrocomia aculeata in Latin America. While current conditions show high potential in Central America, the Caribbean, northern Colombia, Venezuela, southern Brazil, and eastern Paraguay, many suitable areas conflict with conservation or existing agriculture. Furthermore, IPCC A2A emission scenarios suggest that most suitable growing areas could decline or disappear by 2080.

The Executive Director Search Committee of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) issued a progress report recommending the suspension of the current director search to establish a clear, transparent, and open procedure for future nominations. The committee highlighted ambiguities in the IAI Agreement regarding term limits and eligibility, specifically concerning the current director, Holm Tiessen, and proposed a standardized process including open advertisements and defined qualifications to be endorsed by the Conference of the Parties (CoP).

Nigel Sizer, outgoing director of the World Resources Institute's (WRI) Forests program, reflects on the development of monitoring and restoration initiatives and the increasing role of the private sector in forest conservation prior to his transition to president of the Rainforest Alliance.

This science report from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details the outcomes of the Small Grants for Cooperative Research in the Americas (SGP-CRA) and the Third Cooperative Research Networks program (CRN3) between June 2015 and May 2016. It highlights the transition toward interdisciplinary research and the application of scientific findings to legislative and policy decisions across the Americas.