Search Climate Insights Directory

The paper addresses the lack of systematic tracking for locally led adaptation (LLA) finance, providing governments with metrics to measure both the amount of funding reaching the local level and the extent to which it supports local agency in decision-making. It suggests three primary implementation categories: budget tagging, expenditure review, and integration with existing policy or planning processes. These tools are intended to improve transparency, accountability, and resource mobilization to ensure investments meet the needs of those most affected by climate change.

The paper examines the challenges of channeling adaptation finance to vulnerable communities, noting a disconnect between national priorities and local needs. It recommends enhancing coordination, clarifying adaptation tagging criteria, and building local capacity to improve the transparency and effectiveness of fund disbursement.

The document examines the difficulties of ensuring adaptation finance reaches the local level and the most vulnerable people. It introduces a framework for assessing finance delivery and notes that the Adaptation Finance Accountability Initiative (AFAI) analyzes specific finance flows in Nepal, the Philippines, Uganda, and Zambia to determine how funds are used and who receives them.

The document argues that local communities are often marginalized from national climate adaptation planning and financing, leading to ineffective investments. It positions civil society organizations as essential intermediaries that can facilitate community participation and monitor finance flows. To achieve this, the paper proposes a four-step capacity-building process for CSOs: conducting political economy assessments, analyzing finance allocation and reporting, developing engagement strategies, and pursuing peer-to-peer learning and training.

The document examines the role of local financial institutions (LFIs) in East Africa in financing the productive use of renewable energy (PURE), particularly for SMEs and the agricultural sector. While there is strong interest in expanding PURE lending, LFIs face constraints such as limited staff capacity, credit risks, and insufficient funding. The paper suggests that 17 surveyed LFIs require $174 million to expand their lending and recommends a shift toward more direct lending from balance sheets, the use of green bonds, and collaboration with development partners for de-risking instruments.

The document examines the results of a TerraFund-financed project by Support for Women in Agriculture and Environment (SWAGEN) to restore 200 hectares of forest and farmland in Southwestern Uganda. While SWAGEN reported planting 199,649 trees with a 98% survival rate, WRI's AI-powered satellite analysis detected a net increase of 71,122 trees, representing 36% of the projected target. The study identifies challenges in restoration monitoring, including overestimated survival rates, the slow growth of native species, and inaccuracies in geospatial boundary reporting, while concluding that the project successfully increased tree counts across all monitored areas.

The research examines the challenges of impact-driven investing in new mobility enterprises in Kampala and Hyderabad. It identifies systemic barriers, including regulatory risks, entrenched stakeholders, and the difficulty of quantifying transport-related impacts due to the sector's indirect role in other development areas. The paper argues that successful impact investing requires stakeholders to understand market and institutional barriers and commit to supportive partnerships.

The document describes eutrophication as a growing environmental crisis, noting that over 500 coastal areas are impacted and dead zones increased from 10 cases in 1960 to 405 in 2008. It attributes this trend to human activities, specifically wastewater, agriculture, and nitrogen deposition from fossil fuel combustion. The brief predicts that eutrophication will continue to increase, particularly in the developing world, driven by a projected population of 9.2 billion by 2050, a 54 percent expected increase in global meat consumption between 2002 and 2030, and a 50 percent projected growth in energy consumption from 2005 to 2030.

The document advocates for a shift in how Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) approach climate action, moving beyond simply maximizing climate finance volumes to ensuring their entire investment portfolios align with the Paris Agreement. It emphasizes the need for MDBs to stop supporting CO2-emitting energy sources, mainstream climate risks for a world 3-4°C warmer, and support the strengthening of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The document examines the vulnerability of coffee cultivation in the Coto Brus region of Costa Rica, where up to 50% of suitable land may be lost by 2050. It identifies a gap between the awareness of sustainable practices and their implementation, particularly among resource-limited smallholders. The report argues that current short-term incremental adjustments are insufficient and advocates for 'transformative adaptation,' which includes diversifying incomes, replanting with resilient varieties, and potentially shifting livelihoods for farmers in areas where coffee is no longer viable.

The document outlines a methodology for tracking nature-based solutions (NBS) investments in sub-Saharan Africa by scanning multilateral development bank portfolios. Between 2012 and 2021, the World Bank and African Development Bank led 85 NBS-related projects with combined total budgets of $12.1 billion, of which $4.5 billion was specifically for NBS components. The research identifies Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as the countries with the highest project counts and notes that NBS are being used to address urban flooding, coastal flooding, and water security while providing co-benefits for biodiversity and carbon sequestration.

The study examines the extent to which agrifood policies in Kenya, Uganda, and India incorporate electricity needs for mechanization, water access, and postharvest processing. It argues that integrating electricity infrastructure can increase crop cultivation and income while reducing food loss. To improve policy effectiveness, the paper recommends establishing time-bound mandates, interministerial coordination, financial incentives, and public-private partnerships to align agrifood systems with sustainability and climate resilience goals.

The transport sector accounts for 24% of global CO2 emissions from fuel combustion, with road transport comprising nearly three-quarters of that total. To limit global warming to 1.5 °C, the IPCC projects the transport sector must be zero-emission by 2050. WRI employs a systems-thinking approach to decarbonization, focusing on eight key areas: clean energy integration, roadmapping and policy, fleet electrification, sustainable e-mobility, integrated climate planning, equitable transition, consumer behavior, and sustainable materials. WRI's global team of over 100 experts provides research, implementation support, and stakeholder coordination to ensure the transition enhances social equity and minimizes ecological damage.

The WRI Results Framework establishes a structured system to plan and evaluate programmatic progress across three primary human systems: food, land & water; energy; and cities. It sets specific global targets for 2030 and WRI intervention targets for 2027, focusing on outcomes such as reducing agricultural land demand by 100 Mha, increasing the share of zero-carbon electricity by 9% in target geographies, and improving urban climate resilience. The framework integrates Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and utilizes a tiered approach of global, intervention, and country-specific targets, supported by impact indicators for people, nature, and climate.

The 'Food is Local' fellowship by WWF International provides funding for master's and PhD students from 32 eligible countries to conduct interdisciplinary research on transforming food systems to be more sustainable, equitable, and climate-resilient. Eligible applicants must be citizens of the listed countries, have two years of conservation experience, and plan to start their studies by January 2024. Research proposals are encouraged to cover themes such as agroecological practices, gender equity, and the role of food systems in achieving Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

WWF is offering a master's fellowship for Ugandan citizens to conduct research on human-elephant conflict around the northern border of Murchison Falls National Park. Eligible applicants can request up to $15,000 per year for up to two years of funding. Selection is based on academic potential, the quality of the research proposal—specifically its focus on the interface of climate, conservation, people, and sustainable development—and the potential for lasting conservation impact and community engagement.

The report examines the environmental and social costs of global food production, specifically the conversion of natural ecosystems into agricultural land. It highlights the role of commodity markets and subsistence farming in driving deforestation and biodiversity loss, while presenting shrimp aquaculture as a potential model for conversion-free production through controlled intensification. The document calls for a collaborative effort between governments, companies, and civil society to implement traceability, regenerative agriculture, and comprehensive land-use planning to secure the planet's ecosystem services.

The WWF's Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program (EFN) is offering a master's fellowship for Ugandan citizens or residents to develop solutions for human-elephant conflict around the northern border of Murchison Falls National Park. Eligible applicants can receive up to $15,000 per year for up to two years to cover tuition, living expenses, and research costs. Applications must be submitted by April 15, 2026, with successful candidates notified in July 2026.

The fact sheet examines the role of informal reclaimers in African cities, highlighting their contribution to waste diversion and the barriers they face, such as health risks and lack of policy recognition. It advocates for a transition from a linear 'take-make-waste' model to an inclusive circular economy where reclaimers are recognised as key stakeholders and involved in earlier stages of the product life cycle, including design. The document provides a status quo analysis and opportunities for various actors—including national and local governments, producers, and civil society—to formalise and support the informal waste sector.

The document presents the 'Umlibo' tapestry, a 6m x 2m artwork created by 43 artists in Hamburg, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Through personal narratives, it details how climate change manifests as unseasonal rainfall, soil erosion, and declining marine stocks, while highlighting the role of sustainable livelihoods—such as food gardens and art—in building community resilience.