Floods are among the most common causes of disasters in cities. Many cities are built on rivers or on low-elevation sites on coasts so they’re vulnerable to flooding. As cities expand, so the increased building further limits natural drainage and can increase flood risks each time it rains heavily.

In the last year, the list of cities where serious floods and loss of life has occurred include Jakarta, Chittagong, Manila, Beijing, Krymsk, Buenos Aires, various cities in Nigeria, New York and other cities in the US, and the Caribbean which was hit by hurricane Sandy in October 2012. In 2011 floods in Thailand devastated Bangkok and many other Thai cities (and rural areas).

Read more: http://www.iied.org/how-does-changing-climate-impact-urban-poverty

The International Institute for Environment and Development has today published a toolkit for those wishing to help small enterprises in the forestry sector fulfil their potential to reduce poverty and manage natural resources in a sustainable way.

The guidance is for international donors, nongovernmental organisations and national government agencies and extension workers who work to support small and medium forest enterprises.

Read more: http://allafrica.com/stories/201205010446.html

Adaptation to climate change has become an important policy priority in the international negotiations on climate change in recent years. However, it has yet to become a major policy issue within the developing countries, especially amongst the LDCs (who will be amongst the most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change). The experience cited in this report on two LDC countries, namely Bangladesh in Asia and Mali in Africa, shows that although much has been achieved in terms of describing and analysing vulnerability to climate change and identifying potential adaptation options, there remains much more to be done in terms of mainstreaming adaptation to climate change within the national policy making processes in those countries.

Download the paper (1.08 MB, PDF)
http://un.org

This study investigated whether – on the basis of existing Zambian policy – a new framework can be developed that can be used to compensate government, companies and forest owners for protecting and conserving their forests, thereby reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study concludes that receiving payments for reduced emissions through a ‘reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation’ (REDD) initiative is possible in Zambia.

Download the study (1.6 MB, DOC)
http://www.profor.info

Governments gather in Denmark in December 2009 for what is perhaps the most important meeting since the end of the second world war. December is the deadline they have set themselves for agreeing on action to tackle climate change, and the COP15 conference in Copenhagen is where hopes are high that a new global deal can be struck. This briefing is a guide for journalists reporting on this event, its buildup and its aftermath. It explains key processes, major actions to be agreed and possible outcomes.

Download the guide (304 KB, PDF)
http://www.iied.org

Forestry is no magic bullet for poverty eradication any more than any other sector is on its own. But good forestry does offer some high-potential routes out of rural poverty. Forestry can contribute to food security, provide resource safety nets and sometimes enterprise opportunities where little else exists. Forests have also proven to be fertile ground for pioneering good local governance.

What is needed is for national and international governance frameworks to take a lead from local initiative and convert laudable intentions into some practical action. It is time to remove the barriers that prevent forests and trees from contributing to the livelihoods of
poor people and to support emerging opportunities for sustainable local forestry enterprises.

Download the document (61 KB, PDF)
http://www.recoftc.org

Community-based initiatives for biodiversity and poverty reduction, where biodiversity is sustainably managed by communities for nutrition, health, cultural and other needs, receive little official support and recognition. Their wider adoption is often hampered by unsupportive policy environments.

This project aims to understand how policy, economics and governance affect community-based initiatives, and how to better engage with governance in order to scale-up community initiatives and reduce poverty.

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http://www.iied.org

Nigeria has vast oil and gas reserves and abundant renewable energy potential. Yet the country is suffering an energy crisis, which has a major impact on its ability to reduce poverty and achieve the MDGs.

The SUNGAS project has been conceived to deliver access to modern energy services in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria via small-scale community-based initiatives. The immediate objective is to catalyse the development of natural gas and renewable energy markets and sustainable community-based energy service facilities. This will be achieved through policy reform and by demonstrating that alternative community-based energy facilities can provide sufficient power for meeting rural and urban community needs.

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http://www.iied.org

Helping the millions of poor people at greatest risk from climate change to adapt to its impacts is a daunting task. One new approach that deserves greater support is community-based adaptation (CBA). This briefing paper outlines the concepts behind CBA, shares some early lessons learned, and calls for greater networking, information sharing and support for CBA activities.

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http://www.iied.org

A multimedia publication released in Bamako today, 11th December 2008, captures the deep concern among West African farmers about the privatisation of seeds and knowledge.

This publication reports back on an international workshop held in 2007, where farmers from 11 countries in West and North Africa exchanged experiences with their peers from India, Indonesia, Iran and Peru.

The book contains a transcript of the ‘Bamako Declaration’ - a call for agriculture, agricultural research and markets that reflect the needs of local farmers, farm workers and consumers, rather than those of multi-national companies.

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http://www.iied.org