This brief history of Enhanced Direct Access traces the idea back to a number of historic precurs... more This brief history of Enhanced Direct Access traces the idea back to a number of historic precursors, such as the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) under the Marshall Plan, the World Bank Kecamatan Development Program in Indonesia, and the Brazilian Amazon Fund. It then follows how the idea evolved under the Bali Action Plan, the Transitional Committee for the design of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and finally, the GCF Board, culminating in the establishment of a GCF EDA Pilot Phase.
Climate change is expected to impact global water resources with present regional changes in the ... more Climate change is expected to impact global water resources with present regional changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events already being attributed to the changing climate. Moreover, evidence suggests that those countries already facing water stress (rather than just water scarcity), especially in Africa, will be particularly hard hit by changes in the hydrological cycle. Despite advances in regional modelling, predicting climate change impacts on water resources is exceedingly difficult, in part because water resources are not only shaped by the hydrological cycle but changes in population, technology, and the social, economic and political landscape. Rising population, urbanisation, pollution, changing agricultural sectors, and institutional and legislative conditions are only some of the diverse factors that ultimately determine future water demands. However, one fact remains-- that is for sure is that climate change will add further uncertainty to water r...
highlight key topics in the field of sustainable natural resource management. Each paper reviews ... more highlight key topics in the field of sustainable natural resource management. Each paper reviews a selected issue of contemporary importance and draws preliminary conclusions for development that are particularly relevant for policymakers, researchers and planners. References are provided to important sources and background material. The Series is published three times a year and is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Rockefeller Foundation. The views expressed in this paper are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily represent those of the International Institute for Environment and Development
Summary The LDCs are a group of 49 countries considered to be the world's poorest as they ha... more Summary The LDCs are a group of 49 countries considered to be the world's poorest as they have a per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) under US $900 and they have very low levels of capital, human and technological development. These 49 countries have a ...
... The ninth Conference of Parties (COP9) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate ... more ... The ninth Conference of Parties (COP9) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Milan, during December 2003. For the second year running, IIED and the RING held 'Adaptation Day at COP'. ...
The last 50 years has seen a rapid growth in agriculture yields with current global food supply e... more The last 50 years has seen a rapid growth in agriculture yields with current global food supply exceeding demand. However, this growth has not been gifted to all parts of the world. Many countries are experiencing diminishing crop and rangeland productivity attributed to such factors as rising populations and changing demographics, land degradation, price shocks, HIV/AIDS, credit arrangements, and climate variability. Least developed countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, are dangerously food insecure making agriculture a primary focus for development efforts. Moreover, globalisation and diminishing terms of trade are a concern where agriculture is a large GDP contributor. Climate change will have both positive and negative impacts on agriculture and future food supply. Certain sectors and regions may benefit from changing climate conditions, opening up new
war in the Middle East will be fought over water, not politics”. Time has shown that the popular ... more war in the Middle East will be fought over water, not politics”. Time has shown that the popular “Water War ” hypothesis was too simplistic and never materialised; nonetheless, it represents a paradigm shift of our understanding of conflict and security to include the role of ecological factors. The fear that environment and resource scarcity will directly and exclusively lead to armed conflict, specifically interstate war, now seems unlikely. What is possible, however, and perhaps more frightening, it that ecological factors indirectly lead to conflict by increasing social and political unrest. This “ecological variable”, when combined with other factors such as ethnicity and religion, political instabilities, poverty and crime, offer a much more comprehensive understanding of conflict (Porto, 2002). It further expands the security debate, particularly in conflict-prone countries, whose Governments would not normally recognise the environment-conflict linkages. The environment-secu...
It is difficult to address coastal zones as a unified subject because of the sheer diversity of e... more It is difficult to address coastal zones as a unified subject because of the sheer diversity of environments and range of human activity along coastal zones. About 40 percent of the world’s population lives within 100km of the coast-- about 2.2 billion. Coastal zones also support a range of livelihoods and economic sectors including fisheries, agriculture, and commerce. As such, they play an important role in socio-economic development in many countries. Climate change will have a diverse set of impacts on coastal zones due to warming temperatures, changing precipitation, and sea-level rise. The diversity of coastal zones allows for great potential in adaptation to climate change trends and variability. Unfortunately, unsustainable human activity in coastal and marine systems means that many regions are extremely vulnerability to climate change and lack the adaptive capacity. Examples of coastal zone impacts includes, · Increased levels of inundation and storm flooding, which could ...
This publication, produced in collaboration with WWF Southern Africa, looks at how community-base... more This publication, produced in collaboration with WWF Southern Africa, looks at how community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) can inform and contribute to climate change adaptation at the community level, specifically to community-based adaptation (CBA) to climate change. It provides a framework for analysing the two approaches at conceptual and practical levels. Using case studies from southern Africa, the publication demonstrates the synergies between CBA and CBNRM, most important of which are the adaptation co-benefits between the two. While local incentives have driven community action in CBNRM, it is the evolution of an enabling environment in the region, in the form of institutions, policies, capacity and collaboration which characterises the scaling up of CBNRM to national and regional levels.
This paper summarises an assessment made of three South Asian LDC countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan a... more This paper summarises an assessment made of three South Asian LDC countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal (Alam, 2004a, b and c), carried out under the fellowship programme of the Capacity Strengthening of Least Developed Coun-tries (LDCs) to Adaptation to Climate Change (CLACC) project. This project was implemented jointly by a group of Southern institutes under the leadership of the International Institute of Environment and Development (IIED). The assessment looked at climate change impacts on development and the integra-tion of climate change adaptation policies. In this paper we first review the anticipated c limate change impacts for these three countries and their implications for development policies. We then highlight some potential adaptation measures and strategies for the region to lessen the impacts of climate change, variability and extreme events. Our goal is to demonstrate that governments and donor agencies must recognise the threat climate change poses to developme...
This brief history of Enhanced Direct Access traces the idea back to a number of historic precurs... more This brief history of Enhanced Direct Access traces the idea back to a number of historic precursors, such as the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) under the Marshall Plan, the World Bank Kecamatan Development Program in Indonesia, and the Brazilian Amazon Fund. It then follows how the idea evolved under the Bali Action Plan, the Transitional Committee for the design of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and finally, the GCF Board, culminating in the establishment of a GCF EDA Pilot Phase.
Climate change is expected to impact global water resources with present regional changes in the ... more Climate change is expected to impact global water resources with present regional changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events already being attributed to the changing climate. Moreover, evidence suggests that those countries already facing water stress (rather than just water scarcity), especially in Africa, will be particularly hard hit by changes in the hydrological cycle. Despite advances in regional modelling, predicting climate change impacts on water resources is exceedingly difficult, in part because water resources are not only shaped by the hydrological cycle but changes in population, technology, and the social, economic and political landscape. Rising population, urbanisation, pollution, changing agricultural sectors, and institutional and legislative conditions are only some of the diverse factors that ultimately determine future water demands. However, one fact remains-- that is for sure is that climate change will add further uncertainty to water r...
highlight key topics in the field of sustainable natural resource management. Each paper reviews ... more highlight key topics in the field of sustainable natural resource management. Each paper reviews a selected issue of contemporary importance and draws preliminary conclusions for development that are particularly relevant for policymakers, researchers and planners. References are provided to important sources and background material. The Series is published three times a year and is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Rockefeller Foundation. The views expressed in this paper are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily represent those of the International Institute for Environment and Development
Summary The LDCs are a group of 49 countries considered to be the world's poorest as they ha... more Summary The LDCs are a group of 49 countries considered to be the world's poorest as they have a per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) under US $900 and they have very low levels of capital, human and technological development. These 49 countries have a ...
... The ninth Conference of Parties (COP9) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate ... more ... The ninth Conference of Parties (COP9) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Milan, during December 2003. For the second year running, IIED and the RING held 'Adaptation Day at COP'. ...
The last 50 years has seen a rapid growth in agriculture yields with current global food supply e... more The last 50 years has seen a rapid growth in agriculture yields with current global food supply exceeding demand. However, this growth has not been gifted to all parts of the world. Many countries are experiencing diminishing crop and rangeland productivity attributed to such factors as rising populations and changing demographics, land degradation, price shocks, HIV/AIDS, credit arrangements, and climate variability. Least developed countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, are dangerously food insecure making agriculture a primary focus for development efforts. Moreover, globalisation and diminishing terms of trade are a concern where agriculture is a large GDP contributor. Climate change will have both positive and negative impacts on agriculture and future food supply. Certain sectors and regions may benefit from changing climate conditions, opening up new
war in the Middle East will be fought over water, not politics”. Time has shown that the popular ... more war in the Middle East will be fought over water, not politics”. Time has shown that the popular “Water War ” hypothesis was too simplistic and never materialised; nonetheless, it represents a paradigm shift of our understanding of conflict and security to include the role of ecological factors. The fear that environment and resource scarcity will directly and exclusively lead to armed conflict, specifically interstate war, now seems unlikely. What is possible, however, and perhaps more frightening, it that ecological factors indirectly lead to conflict by increasing social and political unrest. This “ecological variable”, when combined with other factors such as ethnicity and religion, political instabilities, poverty and crime, offer a much more comprehensive understanding of conflict (Porto, 2002). It further expands the security debate, particularly in conflict-prone countries, whose Governments would not normally recognise the environment-conflict linkages. The environment-secu...
It is difficult to address coastal zones as a unified subject because of the sheer diversity of e... more It is difficult to address coastal zones as a unified subject because of the sheer diversity of environments and range of human activity along coastal zones. About 40 percent of the world’s population lives within 100km of the coast-- about 2.2 billion. Coastal zones also support a range of livelihoods and economic sectors including fisheries, agriculture, and commerce. As such, they play an important role in socio-economic development in many countries. Climate change will have a diverse set of impacts on coastal zones due to warming temperatures, changing precipitation, and sea-level rise. The diversity of coastal zones allows for great potential in adaptation to climate change trends and variability. Unfortunately, unsustainable human activity in coastal and marine systems means that many regions are extremely vulnerability to climate change and lack the adaptive capacity. Examples of coastal zone impacts includes, · Increased levels of inundation and storm flooding, which could ...
This publication, produced in collaboration with WWF Southern Africa, looks at how community-base... more This publication, produced in collaboration with WWF Southern Africa, looks at how community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) can inform and contribute to climate change adaptation at the community level, specifically to community-based adaptation (CBA) to climate change. It provides a framework for analysing the two approaches at conceptual and practical levels. Using case studies from southern Africa, the publication demonstrates the synergies between CBA and CBNRM, most important of which are the adaptation co-benefits between the two. While local incentives have driven community action in CBNRM, it is the evolution of an enabling environment in the region, in the form of institutions, policies, capacity and collaboration which characterises the scaling up of CBNRM to national and regional levels.
This paper summarises an assessment made of three South Asian LDC countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan a... more This paper summarises an assessment made of three South Asian LDC countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal (Alam, 2004a, b and c), carried out under the fellowship programme of the Capacity Strengthening of Least Developed Coun-tries (LDCs) to Adaptation to Climate Change (CLACC) project. This project was implemented jointly by a group of Southern institutes under the leadership of the International Institute of Environment and Development (IIED). The assessment looked at climate change impacts on development and the integra-tion of climate change adaptation policies. In this paper we first review the anticipated c limate change impacts for these three countries and their implications for development policies. We then highlight some potential adaptation measures and strategies for the region to lessen the impacts of climate change, variability and extreme events. Our goal is to demonstrate that governments and donor agencies must recognise the threat climate change poses to developme...
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Papers by Laurel Murray