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This document is a book of abstracts from the Science and Research Symposium, a segment of the first-ever Global Sustainable Blue Economy Conference (SBEC) held in Nairobi, Kenya, from November 26th to 28th, 2018. It compiles nearly seventy abstracts submitted by global scholars and practitioners, focusing on the role of scientific research, technology, and innovation in harnessing the Blue Economy sustainably. The abstracts are organized into thematic areas including sustainable resource use, climate action resilience, global connectivity and transportation, and sustainable cities, with an additional focus on human resource capacity.

This fact sheet describes the EcoSanRes programme, a Sida-financed initiative managed by the Stockholm Environment Institute from 2001 to 2010. The programme focuses on promoting sustainable and ecological sanitation systems that recycle organic waste for crop production to address global sanitation challenges and support the Millennium Development Goals.

This briefing introduces the Framework for Integrating Rights and Equality (FIRE), a six-dimensional tool designed to help disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate resilience (CR) decision-makers integrate human rights and gender equality into laws, policies, and practices. The document details the application of FIRE within the Building Resilience through Inclusive and Climate-adaptive Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia-Pacific (BRDR) Program, specifically focusing on risk assessments, land-use planning, and emergency preparedness and response.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the risk of global food price volatility as an indirect impact of climate change, specifically for import-dependent countries. Using Senegal as a case study, it argues that while pursuing self-sufficiency in staple crops like rice can reduce exposure to international price shocks, it may increase vulnerability to direct domestic climate impacts and create a 'rice risk lock-in'. The document recommends a diversification strategy that balances imports with domestic production and promotes a variety of locally grown crops to enhance climate resilience.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) has launched the Initiative on Producer to Consumer Sustainability (P2CS), a platform designed to improve the sustainability of international trade by analyzing production-to-consumption systems (PCSs). The initiative combines innovative supply chain modelling with multidisciplinary governance analysis to increase transparency and identify opportunities for sustainable trade practices.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute provides a generic framework for institutional capacity development (CD) in developing countries. It integrates traditional institutional development, governance, and micro-economic approaches to define capacity as a combination of functions, resources, and structures. The document outlines the process of CD, strategies for sustainability, and provides generic capacity areas and indicators to monitor progress, alongside specific examples from Tanzania, the Philippines, Mozambique, and Madagascar.

This report by Recourse and Trend Asia evaluates the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) 'Approach to Greening Equity in Financial Institutions' (GEA). While acknowledging the GEA's goal to phase out coal-related investments by 2030, the authors argue that the current framework contains loopholes that allow continued fossil fuel financing and fails to align with the Paris Agreement. The report proposes ten essential reforms to make the GEA 'truly green,' focusing on the total exclusion of new fossil fuel projects, increased transparency, gender equality, and the remediation of past harms.

A statement by Indigenous, environmental, and human rights organisations expressing concern over the Three Basins Summit initiative. The signatories argue that the initiative neglects the impacts of extractive industries on rainforests and marginalises civil society, calling instead for a rights-based approach to forest protection and a just energy transition.

This working paper by the World Resources Institute outlines practical approaches and metrics for governments to track and report finance dedicated to locally led adaptation (LLA) to climate change, emphasizing the need to measure both the quantity of funds reaching the local level and the quality of local agency in decision-making.

This paper explores the difficulties of delivering adaptation finance to the most vulnerable people and introduces a framework to assess delivery. It highlights that while international climate finance to developing countries increased between 2008 and 2012 to meet UNFCCC commitments, and developing governments have increased their own spending, questions remain regarding how this money is used and if it reaches the local level. The Adaptation Finance Accountability Initiative (AFAI) addresses these questions by analyzing finance flows in Nepal, the Philippines, Uganda, and Zambia.

This working paper examines the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in creating transparent and accountable climate adaptation finance systems, drawing on experiences from Ethiopia, Uganda, Bangladesh, Kenya, and the Philippines to propose a framework for increasing community inclusion in decision-making.

This report from the World Resources Institute examines the potential of improved water management in rice production to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve water. It identifies specific techniques to reduce flooding, analyzes barriers to adoption across several countries, and provides recommendations for research and policy reform to scale these practices.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute examines the disconnect between the national-level implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement (NDCs). Based on a survey of 90 countries and detailed case studies of 11 countries and the European Union, the paper argues that a 'siloed approach' to these agendas hinders progress. It proposes five core areas for integration: coordinating institutions, aligning targets, joint policy mainstreaming, optimizing financial resources, and creating mutually reinforcing monitoring frameworks. The study concludes that an integrated approach reduces transaction costs, enhances policy coherence, and fosters 'win-win solutions' for climate resilience and sustainable development.

This working paper, produced by the Agreement on Climate Transformation 2015 (ACT 2015) consortium, proposes a framework for the 2015 Paris Agreement. It suggests a structure based on two long-term goals, three continuous improvement cycles (mitigation, adaptation, and support), and a foundation of transparency and accountability to drive a global transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy.

This fact sheet describes LandMark, an interactive global platform launched in 2015 and redesigned in 2024 to help Indigenous Peoples and local communities map and document their land rights and secure tenure.

This WRI working paper surveys 27 public and public-private climate funds (PPCFIs) totaling US$41.3 billion, finding that most focus on mitigation in emerging markets rather than adaptation in least-developed countries. While intended to leverage private capital, few have successfully attracted significant private investment at the fund level due to limited project pipelines, inadequate scale, and cumbersome operational processes. WRI recommends standardizing requirements, improving information transparency, and fostering better market conditions to effectively mobilize private finance.

This report presents the first global, map-based indicator of potential threats to coral reefs, finding that 58% of the world's reefs are at risk. Southeast Asia is identified as the most threatened region, while the Pacific is the least. The primary drivers of degradation are overexploitation and coastal development. The report highlights a critical lack of adequate marine protected areas and calls for integrated coastal management to preserve biodiversity and the economic services reefs provide to nearly half a billion people.

This executive summary from the World Resources Institute details the threats facing global coral reefs, emphasizing the combined impact of local human activities and global climate change. It highlights the critical socio-economic value of reefs for millions of people and the inadequacy of current marine protected areas (MPAs) in ensuring reef resilience.

This fact sheet from the World Resources Institute describes the threats facing global coral reefs, the socio-economic vulnerability of countries to reef loss, and the projected increase in threatened reefs if local and global pressures are not mitigated.

This World Resources Institute working paper reports on three workshops held in Asia, Africa, and Latin America to identify challenges developing countries face in monitoring and tracking climate finance. It details nine primary technical, political, and capacity barriers, ranging from inconsistent definitions and lack of institutional coordination to the limited transparency of development partners and the difficulty of tracking private financial data.