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This executive summary distils findings from the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report specifically for South Asia. It details observed climate changes, projected risks to food and water security, and the necessity of integrating adaptation and mitigation strategies into regional development to protect vulnerable populations and economic growth.

This report by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) distils the findings of the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) specifically for South Asia. It outlines how climate change is already impacting the region through temperature extremes and sea-level rise, and projects future risks including food and water shortages, flood damage, and heat-related mortality. The document emphasizes the necessity of integrating adaptation and mitigation into long-term development planning to avoid 'maladaptation' and leverage co-benefits across sectors such as agriculture, energy, transport, and urban planning.

This report documents the Second Meeting of the Asian Regional Initiative on Biocultural Community Protocols (ARI-BCP), held in Bangalore from February 18 to 20, 2013, to discuss challenges and collaboration on Biocultural Community Protocols (BCPs) across South Asia.

This document is a Question and Answer (Q&A) briefing for an Invitation to Tender (ITT) regarding CDKN project AAGL-0036. It clarifies the geographical scope, budget constraints, and deliverable requirements for potential bidders.

This guide provides building professionals with strategies and technologies for Low Carbon, Climate Resilient (LCCR) construction in semi-arid climates, using Madhya Pradesh as a model. It details the environmental impacts of the construction sector, passive design principles for thermal comfort, and specific alternative building materials and techniques to reduce embodied energy and carbon emissions.

This report chapter discusses the need for improved knowledge regarding the impacts of ozone on agriculture in South Asia, driven by increased ozone precursor pollutants from rapid industrialization and economic growth in Asia.

This research paper evaluates the air quality and health co-benefits of 14 emission control measures targeting black carbon, methane, and ozone precursors, finding that full implementation could significantly reduce global PM2.5 and ozone concentrations and prevent millions of premature deaths by 2030, with the majority of benefits occurring in Asia.

This report, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network in 2012, synthesises findings from the IPCC Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) specifically for the Asia region. It examines the interaction between climate extremes, human vulnerability, and exposure, providing a framework for integrating disaster risk management (DRM) with climate change adaptation to enhance long-term resilience in Asian countries.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines historical private-sector investment patterns to assess the potential for private finance to meet climate change adaptation needs in developing countries. The author argues that private finance is unevenly distributed across regions and sectors, often failing to align with the most pressing adaptation needs of the poorest populations.

This 2010 policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines how air pollution, energy production, and pesticide use threaten the ecosystem services necessary to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It argues that the degradation of approximately 60 per cent of examined ecosystem services may prevent the eradication of hunger and poverty, particularly in developing regions.

This document introduces a series of commissioned papers for the 2010 World Resources Report, focusing on the tension between addressing immediate development needs—such as poverty and hunger—and preparing for long-term climate risks. It highlights the projected decline in water availability and crop yields in Asia and calls for new planning tools to manage the trade-offs between short-term relief and long-term resilience.

This policy brief from the Stockholm Environment Institute argues that rainwater harvesting (RWH) is a critical, low-cost tool for enhancing ecosystem productivity and human well-being. It highlights RWH as a decentralized alternative to large-scale water infrastructure that supports rainfed agriculture, urban water security, and climate change adaptation.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the role of 'soft components'—social and institutional investments—in agricultural water management (AWM) interventions at the mesoscale (community or sub-catchment level). Through meta-analyses and case studies across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, the report argues that high initial social capital and participatory methodologies are critical for the sustainable adoption of AWM technologies. It highlights a significant gap in the monitoring and economic valuation of these soft components and their long-term environmental and social impacts.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute evaluates the Swedish Ozone Layer Protection programme (OLP), a bilateral initiative from 1999 to 2006 designed to support the implementation of the Montreal Protocol in developing countries and economies in transition. The report identifies country ownership, capacity building, and stakeholder participation as critical governance factors for the successful national phase-out of ozone-depleting substances (ODS). It argues that a shift from top-down regulation to bottom-up governance is necessary for sustainable implementation and provides recommendations for reforming the incentive structures of implementing agencies and the status of national ozone units.

This report assesses progress toward the human development Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) between 2000 and 2005, focusing on the challenges of scaling up skilled providers, ensuring sustained financing, and improving governance to translate resources into effective service delivery in health, education, water, and sanitation.

The 'Standards for Sustainable Trade' project, implemented by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the European Commission, investigated how regional cooperation can reduce technical barriers to trade (TBT) and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures for developing countries. The report concludes that while regional centers of excellence can offset national capacity gaps, the WTO's TBT Agreement is often unrealistic for developing nations, which act as 'standards takers' rather than 'makers' due to a lack of institutional and scientific resources.

A statement by Sunita Narain of the Center for Science and Environment detailing India's national action plan for climate change, the specific missions established to reduce emissions, and the systemic challenges India faces in transitioning to a low-carbon economy while maintaining equity in global negotiations.

This report documents a series of three outreach events held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from August 6 to 8, 2014, to launch and disseminate the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). The events, which included a press conference, a formal launch for policymakers, and a session for young leaders, aimed to translate the global scientific findings of the AR5 into the local context of Bangladesh to support national development planning and climate resilience.

This briefing presents ten recommendations from experts in India, Pakistan, and Nepal for the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Key proposals include mandating community involvement in monitoring, integrating DRR with climate change adaptation, addressing urban risks in informal settlements, and mainstreaming DRR into national budgets and local financial institutions.

This document is an atlas published by the World Health Organization (WHO) that examines the impact of environmental hazards on children's health. It categorizes risks into 'traditional' hazards, such as air pollution and poor water and sanitation, and 'emerging' hazards, including chemical exposures, e-waste, and climate change. The report aligns these challenges with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advocates for multisectoral cooperation to reduce preventable child mortality and lifelong disease risks.