August 23, 2023

Preserving and Restoring Mangroves Protects Communities

• Climate and Environmental Protection
• Brief

This brief, available in English and Tagalog, details the valuable services that mangroves provide, explains the challenges of preserving and restoring mangrove forests, and provides recommendations for local leaders to take to protect communities from the consequences of sea level rise and increasingly severe typhoons. Both briefs also include links to the “State of Mangrove Summit” findings for Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, and the Central and Eastern Visayas....read more

May 17, 2023

Climate Change and Poverty Working Paper

• Climate and Environmental Protection
• Report

Building on previous RTAC research, this working paper analyzes the impacts of climate change on future levels of poverty across various income scenarios and thresholds. Utilizing the International Futures (IFs) model, this paper draws on representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios that model alternative patterns of temperature change at a national level using established damage functions operationalized within the International Futures (IFs) tool. Based on findings, an RCP6.0 scenario projects that by 2100, more than 31 percent of the world population will be living in extreme poverty due to climate change, another 28 percent are projected to be living in poverty, and another 22 percent in moderate poverty....read more

December 15, 2022

Climate-Related Migration Foresight: Migration Modeling and Climate Game Changers

• Climate and Environmental Protection
• Brief, Report

By Brooke Jardine – NORC at the University of Chicago for USAID Research Technical Assistance Center (RTAC) The Research and Technical Assistance Center (RTAC) partnered with the USAID Bureau of Policy, Planning, and Learning (PPL) to gather evidence on climate-related migration globally. Two reports were developed to address different aspects of this issue. One report analyzes the current state of climate migration models today while the second report discusses key climate-related “game changers” that are likely to have a significant impact on future migration patterns worldwide. Each report is accompanied by a brief which summarizes the key findings and ideas....read more

August 30, 2022

The Time is Now: Preserving the Ecosystems, Fisheries, and Cultural Heritage of the Amazonian Rivers

• Climate and Environmental Protection
• Factsheet

The Amazon Rainforest is an essential global resource, but existing dams harm river ecosystems, threaten the wellbeing of indigenous people and local communities and endanger the cultural heritage of Brazilian riverine communities. This fact sheet outlines steps that global and national partners can take to preserve Amazonian rivers....read more

May 11, 2022

Toxic Arsenic in Drinking Water

• Climate and Environmental Protection, Global Health
• Factsheet

The fact sheet “Millions of People in India Consume Toxic Arsenic in Drinking Water” provides an a practical, sustainable, and profitable way to reduce arsenic in drinking water.  The fact sheet highlights ECAR technology, developed by Dr. Ashok Gadgil and a team of scientists in 2006, is a sustainable development solution that generates profitable local business while addressing inequities in access to drinking water....read more

May 26, 2020

Smoke Signals: Policy Solutions to Sustain Colombian Forests

By Population Reference Bureau

• Climate and Environmental Protection
• Factsheet

This factsheet describes policy solutions that will help preserve Colombia’s tropical forests from wildfires and their underlying causes. It includes clear recommendations for policymakers, advocates, and other stakeholders to mitigate wildfires and improve the health and biodiversity of Colombia’s forests. The factsheet is based on research led by a team at the National University of Colombia....read more

October 25, 2019

Scaling Back Wildlife Trade in the Mekong Delta: Applying a Political Economy Lens to the Farmer Loophole with a Focus on Vietnam and Laos

• Climate and Environmental Protection
• Report

The report "Scaling Back Wildlife Trade in the Mekong Delta: Applying a Political Economy Lens to the Farmer Loophole with a Focus on Vietnam and Laos" examines the illegal practice of wildlife farms laundering animals by replacing or supplementing farmed species with wild-caught animals also known as the “farmer loophole.” The report explores the governance and regulation structures that have made eliminating this illegal practice challenging. The authors propose three interventions to close the farmer loophole, which were informed by a desk review and key informant interviews with researchers and local stakeholders....read more

October 25, 2019

Training Manual: Using Cocoa Pod Husks to Improve Crop Yields and Soil Quality

By RTAC

• Climate and Environmental Protection
• Training Manual

The training manual "Using Cocoa Pod Husks to Improve Crop Yields and Soil Quality" offers farmers in Cameroon step-by-step instructions for two processes that cocoa farmers can adopt to reduce their reliance on expensive chemical fertilizers and fungicides. This manual is based on research results that showed using compost and biochar from cocoa pod husk can increase crop yields, prevent black pod disease on cocoa pods, and improve the overall quality of soil....read more