Why Glasgow’s Climate Talks Should Warm to Resettlement for Small Island States

Small, low-lying islands are on the frontlines of climate change. From Isle de Jean Charles, Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico, to Tuvalu and Kiribati in the Pacific, these populations not only face existential sea-level rise, but exacerbated economic and social fallout from an ever-warming world. While many states have fostered climate resilience by fortifying…

Barbara Rossmiller

Barbara Rossmiller is currently a director in Chemonics’ Water, Energy and Sustainable Cities (WESC) practice, responsible for technical leadership in water, sanitation, and hygiene programming. She is a senior water and sanitation, sector governance, and institutional strengthening specialist with nearly 30 years of experience in international development. In previous roles as chief of party, Barbara led…

Working the System for Improved Water and Sanitation Services

Prompted by winter storm Uri, Texans experienced one of the largest blackouts in U.S. history last February. Loss of power, coupled with pump failures and burst pipes, led to a boil-water notice for more than 14 million residents. Many died of hypothermia and carbon-monoxide poisoning while trying to stay warm. CBS News reported the storm…

Namibian Farmers Fight Effects of Climate Change with Conservation Agriculture

Farmers who work the rich soil of the Okavango River Basin in the Kavango region of Namibia depend on rainfall to water their crops. In 2018 and 2019, the rain didn’t fall, and the worst drought in 90 years devastated fields, killed thousands of livestock, and left a third of Namibians without adequate food. Some…

Balancing Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability in Indonesia

One-third of Indonesia’s 75,000 villages, home to 32 million people, lie within or adjacent to land dedicated by the government for forestry or conservation. All Indonesian citizens depend on healthy ecosystems for goods and services, including water, soil, forest products, and others that underpin sustainable development. However, weak governance, a lack of private sector commitment,…

Supporting Innovations for a Sustainable Soy Supply Chain

Deforestation and the conversion of native vegetation linked to the soy supply chain are serious environmental concerns to key biomes in South America and obstacles to achieving sustainability in the agricultural sector. The Land Innovation Fund for Sustainable Livelihoods, established with an initial contribution from Cargill, is managed by Chemonics. The fund supports innovations that…

Resilience Programming in Support of Reforestation: Emerging Lessons from Haiti

This brief focuses on three key lessons learned — the importance of social capital for resilience, leveraging social capital to establish community buy-in, and linking resilience activities to specific shocks. The USAID Reforestation project team applied this learning to implement a refined reforestation approach, which may be relevant to other projects incorporating components of resilience-building,…

Vital for Life: Systems Thinking + Climate Change Adaptation = Improved Water Security

With the need for basic water services on the rise in lower-income countries, how can a systems approach ensure water and sanitation interventions are resilient to the impacts of external factors like COVID-19 and climate change? This event explored mainstreaming adaptation into water programs through a deeper understanding of the dynamic relationships of all stakeholders…

Final Report: Feed the Future Mali Climate Change Adaptation Activity

The Mali Climate Change Adaptation Activity (MCAA) built resilience to climate change by helping individuals, households, organizations, and the government of Mali adapt to shocks and stresses that come with climate change. The final report covers MCCAA’s project impact towards its key objectives, as and discusses the project’s gender and youth inclusion work, security environment…

From the Highlands to the Deltas: Why We Need Integrated Water Security Programming

Whether building strong economies, improving human health, or supporting thriving ecosystems, water is an integral and interconnected element with impacts far outside of the water sector in global development. While improved water management can reduce treatment costs and deliver valuable ecosystem services, poorly managed upstream resources can undermine investments in drinking water delivery. Cases from…