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This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute outlines lessons from the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia (AKP) regarding the gaps between climate research and practical adaptation. It highlights systemic failures in knowledge dissemination, the scarcity of sub-national and sector-specific data, and the critical need to integrate local traditional knowledge and multi-language materials to support decision-makers and practitioners across Asia.

This policy brief evaluates the first phase (2009–2012) of the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia (AKP), a collaborative initiative designed to build adaptation knowledge and capacity across Asia. The program utilized a three-tiered approach—sharing, generating, and applying knowledge—to mainstream climate adaptation into development planning. While the AKP successfully established a diverse network of local experts and produced over 50 knowledge products, it faced significant challenges regarding leadership consistency, language barriers in dissemination, and the limitations of linear project planning frameworks in measuring long-term social learning.

This policy brief examines how international greenhouse gas (GHG) emission offsets can be designed to provide a 'net decrease' in emissions, moving beyond the standard one-to-one credit ratio. It analyzes the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to identify project types and accounting methods—such as stringent baselines and discounting—that could generate surplus reductions and a net atmospheric benefit.

This research paper examines the potential for services trade liberalization, specifically in financial and logistics sectors, to enhance food security within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The authors argue that while liberalization alone may not solve rural financial exclusion or infrastructure gaps, integrating food security objectives into services sector reform could provide a strategic rationale for deepening regional integration.

This meeting report from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) documents a workshop held in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2012. The event focused on the challenges and opportunities of fossil-fuel subsidy reform in Southeast Asia, presenting case studies from the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Iran, while providing a policy framework for sustainable reform.

This policy brief discusses the development of Safeguard Information Systems (SIS) for REDD+, emphasizing that these systems can be built upon existing national and international architectures rather than requiring entirely new mechanisms.

This report analyzes the legal and institutional frameworks governing Indigenous Peoples’ and Local Communities Conserved Territories and Areas (ICCAs) in the Philippines. It examines the tension between the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997 and other state laws, such as the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of 1992, highlighting how the 'Regalian Doctrine' often undermines community land rights and local governance.

This policy brief examines the Philippines' legal and institutional approach to climate resilience, centered on the 2009 Climate Change Act. The Act establishes a centralized governance structure led by the Climate Change Commission to mainstream climate adaptation and mitigation across government sectors and local government units (LGUs). While the framework emphasizes devolved planning and integrated socio-economic objectives, the document notes tensions between these goals and national policies promoting large-scale mining and coal investment.

The Philippines' Climate Change Act of 2009 established a centralized governance framework led by the Climate Change Commission, chaired by the President. The Act aims to mainstream climate resilience across government sectors through a National Framework Strategy (2010) and a National Climate Change Action Plan (2011), which prioritizes seven areas including food security and sustainable energy. Implementation is devolved to local government units (LGUs) via Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAPs), supported by various funding mechanisms such as preferential loans and the proposed People’s Survival Fund. While the framework promotes integration of adaptation and mitigation (e.g., through 'ecotowns'), the document notes tensions between these goals and other government policies, such as the promotion of coal and large-scale mining.

This research paper examines the politicization of rice in Southeast Asia and argues that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should strengthen existing information-sharing and reserve mechanisms to improve regional food security and market stability, rather than attempting full trade liberalization.

This briefing summarizes the outcomes of an April 2012 expert workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, focused on two primary determinants for the success of REDD+ (Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation): the development of safeguard information systems (SIS) and the engagement of the private sector.

This report details the outcomes of an expert meeting and field visit held in Nairobi, Kenya, in April 2012. The event was part of the 'Building REDD+ Policy Capacity for Developing Country Negotiators and Land Managers' project, delivered by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the ASB Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins. The meeting focused on two primary determinants for the success of REDD+: the development of Safeguard Information Systems (SIS) and the fostering of effective private sector engagement.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute reviews approaches and lessons learned for integrating climate change adaptation into development planning, with a specific focus on the Asia-Pacific region. It examines the multi-level nature of planning—national, sectoral, and sub-national—and proposes strategies to avoid policy conflicts and leverage existing financial flows to reduce vulnerability.

This 2012 report summarizes a task force meeting in Durban, South Africa, aimed at identifying lessons learned for REDD+ policy capacity in developing countries. The discussions prioritized three 'pillars'—Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV), safeguards, and financing—as the primary areas for research and policy development. The report emphasizes the need for country-driven processes, effective communication with local communities, and the integration of national experiences (such as those from Brazil, Kenya, and Indonesia) to inform international negotiations and national implementation.

This research paper examines housing vulnerability to climate hazards in Vietnam, with a specific focus on Central Vietnam and the city of Da Nang. It analyzes how socio-economic status, poor construction practices, and a lack of professional technical guidance contribute to structural weaknesses in homes, particularly semi-permanent housing. The document highlights the 'two-fold source of vulnerability' where the use of modern materials without safety standards increases risk, and discusses the economic benefits of investing in disaster-resistant reinforcement to break the cycle of poverty caused by repeated disaster recovery costs.

This briefing, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network in 2012, synthesises findings from the IPCC SREX report specifically for the health sector. It examines how climate extremes—such as heatwaves, floods, and droughts—interact with human vulnerability and exposure to create disaster risks, and provides a framework for health policy-makers to integrate disaster risk management (DRM) with climate change adaptation (CCA).

The Annual Partner Survey 2011-2012 report details the results of a voluntary survey conducted by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in late 2011. The survey gathered feedback from 202 participants—including NGOs, individual consultants, and research institutes—regarding the quality of CDKN's products, its effectiveness in knowledge sharing and partnership facilitation, and its overall influence on organizational practices and policies.

This report surveys the diverse methodologies used to calculate and report 'leverage ratios' in climate finance, highlighting the lack of a universal definition. It examines how various institutions—including the World Bank, the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), and the Clean Technology Fund (CTF)—measure the ability of public funds to catalyze private and other public investments, and proposes a more rigorous framework for assessing financial effectiveness.

This 2011 report by Friends of the Earth International documents global struggles to enforce community and Indigenous rights against corporate power. It highlights successful and ongoing resistance to mega-dams in Malaysia, mining in the Philippines and Costa Rica, and oil extraction in Nigeria and North America. The report also promotes community-based forest governance in Indonesia and Cameroon, and food sovereignty initiatives in Colombia and Uruguay, arguing that local, sustainable management of natural resources is a necessary alternative to the neoliberal corporate model.

This report by Friends of the Earth International (ATI) details global campaigns to defend community rights against corporate interests and neoliberal paradigms. It highlights various case studies where local and indigenous communities have resisted extractive industries, such as mining in Costa Rica and the Philippines, oil exploitation in Nigeria, and tar sands in Canada and the US, while promoting alternatives like community forest governance and food sovereignty.