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The document examines how the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change concurrently degrade the readiness of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). It highlights the financial and operational strain caused by severe weather, specifically citing the $3.6 billion in damages to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune from Hurricane Florence. The author contends that the DoD should apply the same decisive adaptation strategies used to combat COVID-19 to mitigate long-term climate risks, such as recurrent flooding and wildfires, to ensure national security and deter adversaries.

The ‡Khomani Bushmen, residing in South Africa's Northern Cape, have transitioned from a sustainable hunter-gatherer existence to a mode of subsistence that contributes to climate change. This shift is driven by land restitution processes that returned fenced farms rather than open wilderness, and a lack of basic government services like refuse collection and sanitation. Consequently, the community relies on borehole water without a management policy, burns wood and plastic for heat and waste disposal, and uses non-biodegradable packaging. While initiatives like 'veldskool' and youth camps attempt to preserve indigenous knowledge and environmental mindfulness, they are hindered by a shortage of mentors and a lack of immediate behavioral change.

The World Resources Institute criticizes a Green Climate Fund (GCF) proposal that would require project proponents to separate 'climate' components from 'development' components to determine 'incremental cost' funding. The author contends that this approach oversimplifies the reality of developing countries, where adaptation and development are often inseparable, and risks excluding urgently needed projects from funding. The document further argues that the concept of a 'zero cost baseline' is unrealistic and that the proposal lacks transparency, leaving funding decisions to arbitrary Board negotiations.

Earthjustice and a coalition of environmental organizations oppose BSEE's proposed revisions to the 2016 Blowout Preventer Systems and Well Control Rule. They argue the proposed changes—specifically regarding drilling margins, verification organizations, blowout preventer (BOP) requirements, and real-time monitoring—increase the risk of catastrophic oil spills and worker fatalities. The authors contend that BSEE failed to provide the necessary data or quantitative risk analysis to justify these rollbacks and violated the Administrative Procedure Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Endangered Species Act.

The Republic of Maldives, supported by UN Environment, is requesting USD 300,000 from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for a 12-month readiness program (April 2017 to March 2018). The proposal focuses on strengthening the National Designated Authority (NDA), creating a Five Year National Strategic Framework to mobilize international climate finance, and developing a first draft of a Country Programme. Key activities include broad-based stakeholder consultations, the development of at least three project concept notes aligned with the Maldives Climate Change Policy Framework and NDC, and the creation of a monitoring platform on the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MEE) webpage. The project aims to leverage existing initiatives, such as the BML Green Fund and UN Environment's work on energy efficiency in housing, to enhance the country's ability to access and manage climate finance.

Between 2010 and 2014, US$748 million in climate finance primarily targeting climate change was committed to 15 Pacific SIDS, predominantly as grants. The funding was split between adaptation (59%) and mitigation (36%), with 72% sourced through bilateral channels, led by Australia. The vast majority of support (86%) was project-based, with a heavy concentration in creating 'enabling environments' and renewable energy. The analysis notes that Polynesian countries were more successful in attracting diverse funding than Micronesian countries, and highlights significant differences in flexibility and transaction costs between bilateral and multilateral funding sources.

The document analyzes climate finance commitments to OECS Member States between 2010 and 2015, finding that while US$ 101 million was committed, actual disbursement rates were extremely low (under 10% for most countries). The funding was dominated by multilateral sources and focused heavily on disaster-related adaptation, primarily delivered through short-term projects.

The document outlines how climate change poses an existential threat to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) through sea level rise, ocean acidification, and extreme weather. It emphasizes that while adaptation can reduce risks, SIDS face high economic costs due to a lack of economies of scale and limited resources. The briefing advocates for the integration of adaptation, mitigation, and development strategies, highlighting the potential for renewable energy to enhance energy security and the necessity of international cooperation to avert dangerous climate change.

The document outlines the existential threats posed to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) by climate change, specifically sea level rise and ocean acidification. It emphasizes that while adaptation can reduce risks, SIDS face high per-capita costs due to a lack of economies of scale. The report advocates for integrating climate adaptation with broader development goals and transitioning to renewable energy to enhance energy security.

The 2013 Climate Knowledge Brokers (CKB) workshop brought together 35 participants from 17 organisations to enhance the sharing of climate and development information. The event focused on evaluating seven collaborative projects, sharing lessons on user engagement and internet marketing, and discussing the future governance and funding of the CKB Group. Key technical outputs highlighted include the reegle Tagging API and the Knowledge Navigator widget, both designed to reduce information duplication and improve content discoverability. Participants identified a critical need to move beyond 'one way communication' and better integrate local and indigenous knowledge to reach diverse stakeholders in developing countries.

This document is a preview of results from a book regarding the valuation of oceans and the economic impacts of action or inaction, focusing on the Pacific Ocean as a case study for the need for integrated regional policies to address multiple human-induced stressors.

The document examines the relationship between Pacific Ocean temperature patterns and water availability in the semi-arid regions of central Chile and west-central Argentina. It identifies that winter snowpack is the primary water source for these areas and is strongly influenced by ENSO and PDO cycles. Specifically, El Niño events correlate with high snow and flow, while La Niña events generally correlate with dry years. The document also notes that shifts in the PDO in the 1940s and 1970s coincided with significant changes in average river flows, suggesting that multidecadal PDO behavior drives low-frequency hydrological variations in the region.

The Reefs at Risk Revisited analysis finds that approximately 75 percent of global coral reefs are threatened by local and global pressures, with local threats affecting over 60 percent. Without intervention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local pressures, threatened reefs could increase to over 90 percent by 2030 and nearly all reefs by 2050. While over 25 percent of reefs are in marine protected areas, only 6 percent are effectively managed. The report identifies 27 nations as most vulnerable to reef degradation, including Haiti, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

The Pacific contains over a quarter of the world's coral reefs, with nearly 50% currently affected by local threats such as overfishing and pollution. While the region has over 920 Marine Protected Areas covering 13% of its reefs, future climate change is projected to increase the proportion of threatened reefs to 90% by 2030 and nearly all reefs by 2050.

The submission argues that aid to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) has declined by over 50 percent between 1994 and 2004, despite the extreme vulnerability of these states to natural disasters and economic shocks. It highlights a disparity where some states are aid-dependent (with aid exceeding GDP), while others lack basic funding for health and education. The author proposes eight reforms, including untying aid from donor procurement, harmonising donor policies, and replacing GDP per capita with a vulnerability index to assess development needs.

The World Scientists' Call for Action, signed by 1,586 scientists including 110 Nobel laureates, demands that the 1997 Kyoto Climate Summit result in a strong treaty with legally binding emission reductions for industrial nations. The signatories warn that human-induced global warming threatens sea levels, human health, and food security, while exacerbating existing environmental crises such as deforestation and species loss. They emphasize that the developing world is particularly vulnerable and call for a transition to renewable energy and a new commitment to global environmental stewardship.

The President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Hilda C. Heine, describes the United States' decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement as "disappointing" and "highly concerning" for those on the "frontline of climate change." Despite the "grave impacts" of this decision, the President asserts that the Marshall Islands and the "wider Pacific family" remain firmly committed to the agreement and will continue to implement it swiftly.

The document highlights a gap in policy attention toward slow-onset climate processes in Latin America and the Caribbean, despite the region's experience with extreme weather. It calls for integrated risk-management approaches and international cooperation to address loss and damage, noting similar challenges in Asia and the Pacific.

The report argues that climate change will increasingly exacerbate risks to US national security by intensifying physical impacts and mounting geopolitical tensions over the energy transition. It identifies a likely increase in cross-border conflicts over water and migration, strategic competition in the Arctic, and the risk of unilateral solar geoengineering. The document highlights 11 highly vulnerable countries and two regions (Central Africa and Pacific island states) where climate-induced instability may necessitate increased US diplomatic, humanitarian, and military resources. It also notes that current global policies are insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals, leading to competition over critical minerals and technologies.

The document examines the European Investment Bank's (EIB) involvement in development projects, particularly in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific (ACP) under the Cotonou Agreement. It highlights a gap between the EIB's financial activities and the EU's sustainable development and poverty eradication goals, noting a lack of transparent project evaluations and public consultation. The text concludes with recommendations for the EIB to adopt binding sustainability criteria and establish an independent inspection mechanism.