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The document outlines a three-step process for NDC implementation: preparatory work, plan elaboration, and execution. It organizes these activities into five core modules: governance, mitigation, adaptation, finance, and measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV). The guide emphasizes integrating climate actions into national development planning, ensuring gender sensitivity, and aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It provides detailed activity lists for each module and includes case studies from countries such as Kenya, Colombia, and India to illustrate best practices in legislative frameworks, private sector mobilization, and integrated MRV systems.

The green bond market experienced substantial growth in 2016, with issuance on track to double from 2015 levels, driven largely by China and other emerging markets. While mitigation projects in clean energy and energy efficiency receive the majority of capital, adaptation financing is increasing, particularly through US municipalities. The private sector now accounts for 66% of issuance. To meet Paris Agreement targets, the report advocates for governments to develop green investment pipelines and implement five key actions: issuing demonstration bonds, applying green standards, enabling domestic verifiers, providing market infrastructure, and promoting international collaboration.

The document defines vertical integration in the NAP process as the creation of intentional linkages between national and sub-national adaptation efforts to ensure local realities inform national plans and that NAPs enable local action. It identifies three core enabling factors: institutional arrangements, information sharing, and capacity development. The guide details how to integrate sub-national perspectives into planning, coordinate the implementation of adaptation options, and link M&E systems to capture local lessons. It emphasizes the importance of gender sensitivity, the inclusion of indigenous peoples and vulnerable groups, and the leveraging of existing decentralization processes and local funding mechanisms.

The document outlines a flexible approach to vertical integration in National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), emphasizing the need to link national strategies with local realities. It identifies three core enabling factors—institutional arrangements, information exchange, and capacity development—that support the iterative cycle of planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). The guide provides specific questions and strategies to ensure sub-national diversity, gender sensitivity, and the inclusion of vulnerable groups are reflected in national policies, while ensuring national plans are actionable at the local level. It includes case studies from Colombia, Nepal, and Morocco to illustrate practical applications of these principles.

The document defines vertical integration in the context of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) as a continuous effort to ensure local realities are reflected in national plans and that national plans enable subnational adaptation. It outlines a flexible, iterative approach centered on three enabling factors: institutional arrangements, information sharing, and capacity building. The guide provides specific strategies for integrating subnational perspectives into planning, coordinating implementation and resource allocation, and establishing linked M&E systems to ensure a bidirectional flow of learning between national and local actors.

The document details a workshop focused on transitioning Peru's National Adaptation Plan (NAP) from formulation to implementation. It identifies five priority sectors—water, agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, forests, and health—and outlines the necessary institutional reforms, such as strengthening the National Water Authority (ANA) and integrating adaptation goals into sectoral planning instruments. The report emphasizes the need for a robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system, likely led by the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM), and maps out support from international cooperation agencies like GIZ, USAID, and the IDB.

The report analyzes armed conflict trends using Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) statistics, noting a recent upsurge in both the number of conflicts and battle casualties in 2014. While long-term trends since the 1950s show a decline in warfare deaths and a shift from interstate to internal conflicts, 2014 saw 40 conflicts and over 100,000 deaths. The authors attribute the recent rise to nationalism and religious extremism, while predicting that long-term democratization and development will eventually lead to the waning of war.

The document provides a structured review of literature concerning the gendered aspects of DDR. It highlights a systemic tendency to view women primarily as victims or 'camp followers' rather than active combatants, which leads to their exclusion from DDR benefits. It also examines how hegemonic masculinity drives violence and how the lack of gender-sensitive planning in post-conflict settings—such as in Aceh or Sierra Leone—marginalizes female ex-fighters. Conversely, it notes more inclusive patterns in Latin American peace processes, such as those in Colombia and El Salvador.

The document evaluates the impact of planned hydroelectric expansion in Colombia's Magdalena River basin on the Mompox Depression, one of the world's largest wetland systems. Using an enhanced Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model, the study finds that while new dams may not prevent extreme floods, they could significantly alter seasonal and low flows, threatening biodiversity and ecosystem services. It also warns that reducing connectivity through flood-control structures like dikes could increase peak flow magnitudes downstream, potentially raising flood risks for urban areas like Barranquilla.

The report analyzes the intersection of climate change, World Heritage sites, and tourism, arguing that climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier' that degrades the outstanding universal value (OUV) of these sites while simultaneously threatening the tourism economies that depend on them. Through 30 case studies across 29 countries, it demonstrates that impacts range from glacier melt and sea-level rise to increased wildfire regimes and ocean acidification. The document emphasizes that while sustainable tourism can support conservation, unplanned development often increases site vulnerability. It concludes with recommendations for intergovernmental organizations, governments, and site managers to integrate climate science into management plans, reduce tourism's carbon footprint, and empower local and indigenous communities in adaptation efforts.

The document outlines the challenges of rapid urbanization in the Global South, where a growing proportion of the poor live in cities with limited financial resources. It proposes a framework to categorize cities by economic productivity and population growth, focusing on 'struggling' and 'emerging' cities. The authors argue that prioritizing equitable access to core services—housing, water, sanitation, energy, and transportation—is a critical entry point for transformative urban change, citing the examples of Medellín and Surat as cities that achieved broad transformation through targeted reforms and strong political coalitions.

The document argues that the current trajectory of urbanization in the Global South—characterized by rapid population growth outpacing economic growth and the 'urbanization of poverty'—risks locking cities into unsustainable patterns. It proposes a new categorization of cities based on economic productivity and population growth, focusing on 'struggling' and 'emerging' cities. The authors contend that providing equitable access to core services (housing, water, sanitation, energy, and transport) is the essential entry point for broader transformative urban change. Using case studies from Medellín and Surat, the paper illustrates how solving a 'seminal problem' can trigger a virtuous cycle of improvement across governance, finance, and planning, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for all residents.

The 2016 Orinoco Basin Health Report evaluates the Colombian section of the Orinoco River basin, assigning an overall health score of 3.2 (moderately good) based on 11 indicators. The analysis reveals a clear west-to-east gradient: western sub-basins like Alto Meta (1.9) suffer from high degradation due to agro-industrial expansion and oil and gas extraction, while eastern sub-basins like Matavén (4.4) remain more intact. Key threats across the region include deforestation, illegal mining, and unsustainable land-use changes. The report emphasizes critical data gaps in water quality monitoring and biodiversity inventories and aligns its findings with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The 2016 Orinoco River Basin Report Card evaluates the health of various sub-basins in Colombia, assigning an overall grade of B- (63%). The assessment reveals a strong west-east gradient, with Andean headwaters in the west facing severe degradation from mining, oil and gas, and agro-industry, while eastern sub-basins like the Matavén (Grade A) remain more intact. Key concerns include poor human nutrition in the Inírida basin and significant data gaps in water quality monitoring and biodiversity surveys across several tributaries.

WWF and the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) are implementing a standardized process to create freshwater basin report cards. These tools synthesize complex data into accessible grades to empower stakeholders and improve management. The process involves six steps: stakeholder engagement, indicator selection, threshold definition, scoring, communication, and score improvement. A 2016 case study of Colombia’s Orinoco River Basin, which received a B-minus grade, demonstrates the model's application in addressing threats like land-use change and extractive industries.

The statement criticizes the impunity of transnational corporations, specifically Vale, BHP, and SAMARCO, following a catastrophic dam collapse on the Rio Doce watershed in Brazil. It highlights the failure of voluntary corporate social responsibility measures and calls on the UN to move beyond voluntary guidelines toward a legally binding treaty for corporate accountability.

The text examines the 'resource curse', where mineral wealth leads to corruption and conflict rather than prosperity. It highlights the role of 'conflict minerals' in funding insurgencies in regions like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan. The author argues that while national governance is primary, industrialized nations must implement binding transparency regulations—such as the OECD guidelines—to prevent human rights abuses and ensure resource extraction supports sustainable development.

The document is a declaration calling for the end of fossil fuel exploration and extraction to address the climate crisis and mass extinction. It demands a just transition to a democratized, 100% renewable energy system, the removal of fossil fuel industry influence from policymaking, and the recognition of the rights of Indigenous and frontline communities.

The document outlines critical areas for climate finance at COP 21, emphasizing the need for developed countries to meet the $100 billion annual goal by 2020, increasing funding for adaptation, and improving transparency in reporting finance flows. It highlights recent pledges from various nations and argues for a shift in trillions of dollars from high-emissions to low-emissions activities.

The guide outlines three primary strategies for business engagement during COP21: educating leaders on climate science and policy, making public climate commitments through platforms like the Lima-Paris Action Agenda and the We Mean Business 'Take Action' campaign, and participating in onsite networking and events in Paris. It highlights specific tools for tracking commitments, such as NAZCA, and lists various side events and hubs, including the 'Open to Business' hub, designed to facilitate business-led climate action.