Forests sustain and protect us in a myriad of ways. They absorb carbon dioxide and provide us with oxygen, they harbour more than three quarters of terrestrial biodiversity, and they support the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide. But the world has lost 420 million hectares of forest since 1990. …
Forests sustain and protect us in a myriad of ways. They absorb carbon dioxide and provide us with oxygen, they harbour more than three quarters of terrestrial biodiversity, and they support the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide. But the world has lost 420 million hectares of forest since 1990. …
To accommodate high shares of variable renewables in an effort to address global climate change, the future power system would require significant enhancement in grid flexibility. This report highlights the importance of sector coupling as a key source of flexibility that cities can explore to stabilise power grid operations when …
Cities are critical to the global energy transition. The most visible energy transitions today occur in major cities. With their comparatively large revenue bases, big cities have the regulatory frameworks and infrastructure to scale up renewables and meet emission reduction targets. Small and medium-sized cities (with less than one million …
This working paper examines case studies of three communities in Bhutan, Ethiopia, and Costa Rica that are already experiencing severe impacts of climate change. These case studies explore the incremental and transformative adaptation measures they have adopted or will need to in the future. They focus on challenges that include …
This practice note examines how climate change is threatening coffee-growing regions in Costa Rica, specifically the Coto Brus region. By 2050, absent adaptation measures, experts project that climate change will reduce the global areas suitable for growing coffee by about 50% (Bunn et al. 2015). The case study outlines key …
UNDP is currently implementing an innovative project called the Global Sustainable Supply Chains for Marine Commodities Project (GMC Project). This report describes its unique approach to engaging different public and private sector actors along the seafood supply chain to drive sustainability into 9 distinct fisheries in Asia and Latin America.After …
The Government of Costa Rica has become the 14th country to submit its long-term strategy for low-emission development (LTS) to the UNFCCC Secretariat. The LTS conveys Costa Rica’s aspiration to be a modern, green and emissions-free economy, and commits the country to net-zero emissions by 2050.Costa Rica’s ‘National Decarbonization Plan …
Mangroves cut across ecosystems, sectors, jurisdictions and governance regimes. While few countries have a specific mangrove law, many national and international regimes apply to or affect mangroves in some way. Despite the plethora of applicable laws, mangroves continue to deteriorate rapidly, driven by urbanization, population growth and unsustainable development. This …
The global climate is changing rapidly and countries need clear direction on how best to adapt to these changes. Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is becoming an increasingly popular strategy, especially in poor countries where dependence on natural resources for lives and livelihoods is high. But EbA implementation is neither widespread nor …
Most developing and transition countries do not have vehicle manufacturing capabilities hence rely on import of their entire vehicle fleet. A large percentage of these vehicles are imported as used or second-hand. The global demand for the export of used vehicles from developed countries to developing and transitional countries has …
Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an overall strategy to help people to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and promote sustainable development. This report presents the results of using Framework for Assessing EbA Effectiveness at the Adaptation, Vulnerability and …
The assessment includes a global review of literature and legal information on international and national law and policy, a desk assessment of mangrove-related legal instruments in India, Kenya and Mexico, and an in-depth evaluation of effectiveness of mangrove-related law in Costa Rica, Madagascar and Vietnam.
BONN, Germany (Reuters) - Many nations have become less vulnerable to natural disasters ranging from cyclones to earthquakes because of improved preparedness, but Pacific island states remain most at risk, a study showed on Tuesday. Climate change is raising risks by increasing the numbers of severe downpours, storm surges or …
SAN JOSE (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Nate killed at least 22 people in Central America on Thursday as it pummelled the region with heavy rain while heading toward Mexico’s Caribbean resorts and the U.S. Gulf Coast where it could strike as a hurricane this weekend. In Nicaragua, at least 11 …
IN POOR countries people are living longer and healthier lives than ever. Since 2000 child mortality has fallen by almost half. The rate of new HIV/AIDS infections has dropped by 40%. About 7m deaths from malaria have been prevented. Yet there is much more to be done. By one measure, …
“Though I was disappointed at the election of Trump, now I think his decision to pull out of Paris Agreement has brought the world together. We can now think on non-commercial lines to protect our planet for the coming generations,” said Eduard Muller US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull …
Dengue is the most important arthropod-borne viral infection of humans, it is established in the tropics worldwide, and its geographical expansion is expected to increase due to factors such as modern dynamics of climate change, globalization, travel, trade, poverty, unplanned urbanization, and viral evolution. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates …
Seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF) are located in regions with alternating wet and dry seasons, with dry seasons that last several months or more. By the end of the 21st century, climate models predict substantial changes in rainfall regimes across these regions, but little is known about how individuals, species, …
GGGI published a report titled, ‘Bridging the Policy and Investment Gap for Payment for Ecosystem Services: Learning from the Costa Rican Experience and Roads Ahead’. This report provides findings based on the Costa Rican experiences that are beneficial for countries around the world implementing Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes. …
The government of Costa Rica confirmed on Friday that Hurricane Otto had killed at least nine persons in the country, after the storm battered northern regions. The director of the country's legal investigation bureau, OJI, Walter Espinoza gave a press conference to explain the deaths had occurred in the areas …
