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The study finds that human-induced climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, made the extreme rainfall events in Rio Grande do Sul more than twice as likely and increased their intensity by 6-9%. The El Niño Southern Oscillation also played a significant role, increasing the likelihood of such events by a factor of 2-5. The floods affected over 90% of the state, causing 169 deaths and displacing over 580,000 people, with impacts exacerbated by poverty, failing flood protection infrastructure in Porto Alegre, and inconsistent enforcement of environmental protection laws.

The document addresses the humanitarian and environmental crisis caused by record-breaking rainfall in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, affecting nearly 1.5 million people. It attributes the severity of the disaster to both global greenhouse gas emissions from wealthy nations and domestic failures, including the dismantling of environmental legislation and a lack of integrated disaster management. The author advocates for a transition from 20th-century concrete infrastructure to 21st-century nature-based solutions and integrated urban land use management to enhance climate resilience.

WRI Brasil's 2023–2027 strategy focuses on transforming cities and food, land, and water systems to reduce inequality and protect ecosystems. Key goals include achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, expanding green urban infrastructure, and promoting a 'bioeconomy' in the Amazon. The strategy emphasizes a 'count it, change it, scale it' approach, leveraging research and partnerships to implement nature-based climate solutions and sustainable agriculture.

The report argues that a significant 'urban services divide' exists in the global South, where over 1.2 billion people lack reliable access to housing, water, sanitation, energy, and transport. This divide creates a cycle of poverty and environmental degradation. To break this cycle, the authors propose seven transformations: prioritizing the vulnerable in infrastructure design, partnering with alternative service providers, improving local data through community engagement, supporting informal workers, innovating financing and subsidies, promoting transparent land management, and creating diverse governance coalitions. The report emphasizes that these shifts can yield cascading economic and environmental benefits, including reduced GHG emissions and improved public health.

Friends of the Earth International expresses deep frustration with the July 16, 2019, Revised Draft of the UN Binding Treaty, claiming it dilutes the scope of the instrument by shifting focus from transnational corporations to all business activities. While the organization acknowledges the integration of victims' rights and human rights coverage, it argues the draft only sets obligations for States and fails to create international jurisdiction or direct obligations for corporations. The organization calls for a more ambitious text ahead of the October 2019 IGWG session to end corporate impunity and prioritize human rights over profit.

Friends of the Earth International expresses frustration with the Revised Draft of the UN's legally binding instrument for regulating transnational corporations, claiming it dilutes the focus on transnational entities and fails to establish direct corporate obligations, instead placing responsibility solely on States.

The report examines the gap between strategic planning and implementation in the public sector, with a focus on South Africa. It argues that successful prioritisation and alignment are not merely technical achievements but are dependent on the socio-political environment, including the concentration of state power and the stability of the political-administrative interface. Through case studies of Chile, Malaysia, and Uganda, the document highlights the importance of iterative planning, strong central coordination, and the integration of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) into budgetary decisions. It specifically critiques the South African context, noting that its constitutional structure of three independent spheres of government and the prevalence of factional politics hinder top-down alignment. The report suggests that South Africa could benefit from 'lab'-style planning, nested monitoring hierarchies, and genuine participatory governance to bridge the planning-implementation gap.

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 report outlines a proposed model for Environmental Improvement Zones (EIZs) in Winnipeg, designed to shift environmental action from a top-down municipal approach to a neighbourhood-level service delivery model. Based on a review of local precedents like Business Improvement Zones and international examples such as Montreal's Eco-quartiers, the report recommends that EIZs be established through multi-partite agreements between the City of Winnipeg, the Province of Manitoba, and Environment Canada. The proposed model suggests anchoring EIZs in existing community-based organizations, governed by neighbourhood steering committees, and focusing on service innovation and delivery rather than broad sustainability mandates. It provides a detailed implementation roadmap for 2005-2006, including the selection of five pilot neighbourhoods and the hiring of a dedicated coordinator.

The document analyzes the global debate over water privatization, contrasting the view of water as an economic good promoted by international financial institutions with the view of water as a human right. It details the role of the World Bank and IMF in pushing privatization through loan conditionalities and provides case studies of both failed privatization (Cochabamba, Bolivia) and successful participatory public management (Porto Alegre, Brazil).

The study evaluates transport interventions in Porto Alegre, Brazil, finding that a BRT system could reduce annual CO2 emissions by 25-31 thousand tonnes compared to a business-as-usual scenario with fare integration, whereas fare integration alone might increase emissions.

The document argues that over 1.2 billion city dwellers lack reliable access to basic services, creating an "urban services divide" that hinders economic development and climate goals. It proposes seven transformations—ranging from partnering with alternative service providers to supporting informal workers—to improve equity, prosperity, and sustainability in rapidly growing cities.

The World Resources Institute developed the Urban Community Resilience Assessment (UCRA) to help city planners identify specific resilience needs among urban populations, particularly the urban poor. Piloted in Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre, the tool evaluates vulnerability context, community resilience, and individual capacity. Findings indicate that physical infrastructure, such as early warning systems, does not automatically result in individual behavior change or increased personal resilience. The paper argues that effective urban planning requires participatory engagement with residents to avoid exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and to foster social capital and positive resilience habits.

The report argues that over 1.2 billion city dwellers lack reliable access to basic services like water, sanitation, electricity, housing, and transport, creating an "urban services divide" that hinders economic development and climate goals. To address this, the World Resources Institute proposes seven transformations: partnering with alternative service providers, improving local data through community engagement, prioritizing the vulnerable in infrastructure design, promoting transparent land management, creating diverse governance coalitions, innovating financing and subsidies, and supporting informal workers. The report highlights that investing in water and sanitation can yield returns of US$4–34 for every US$1 invested, while unsafe sanitation costs the global economy US$223 billion annually.