From reversing deforestation to phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, COP26’s commitments unlocked new pathways for the development community to spur climate action. However, the success of these financial and policy commitments depends on climate-vulnerable countries’ ability to attract and deploy climate finance effectively. Underdeveloped fund management systems and limited financial expertise are common roadblocks…
Countries already suffering from conflict and instability are often also on the frontlines of climate change. In Mali, rainfall has decreased by about 30% in the last 40 years, a severe crisis in a country where 80% of people depend on rain-fed agriculture. In Yemen, climate change has increased the country’s vulnerability to droughts and floods, deepening acute…
Driven by technological advances in soil management, improved seed quality, and modern farming practices, Brazil experienced an agricultural revolution over the past few decades that has transformed the country’s economy, society, and outlook. Brazil’s Cerrado biome, where the rich farmlands of the Matopiba region are located, illustrate, both the benefits and challenges of this transformation.…
Individuals with disabilities, particularly women and girls, have long been excluded from planning and responding to natural disasters, the impacts of climate change, and external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Research indicates that natural disasters and pandemics exacerbate pre-existing inequities, disproportionately affecting women and girls and increasing their risk of violence, abuse, and exploitation…
In this three-part series, Chris Perine, Chemonics’ director of corporate environmental sustainability, answers questions about how the global development community can adapt to effectively address the climate crisis. His recommendations include areas for further climate research, more thoughtful and human-centered use of data, and new approaches to development programming. 1) What type of research…
We’d like you to meet Matthew Mendis! Matthew is the managing director of the Chemonics Energy Group. In this video, Matthew discusses his path to working in development and the clean energy sector, why he’s excited to work on USAID’s Sri Lanka Energy Program, the importance of renewable energy to curb climate change, and what…
In celebration of International Youth Day, Chemonics calls on the global development community to amplify youth voices and embrace them as an integral part of fighting the climate crisis. At Chemonics, we believe that empowering young people to improve the structures around them catalyzes positive, more inclusive outcomes for youth and their communities. Young people will suffer the…
With the anticipated resurgence of climate change on the U.S. development agenda, the objectives of reducing atmospheric carbon (mitigation) and increasing climate resilience (adaptation) will again be front and center. It is, therefore, critical that those designing and implementing climate programming reflect on the programmatic options and identify the ones with the greatest potential to…
The following blog post introduces Chemonics’ recently launched Blended Finance Technical Briefs series. Each explores a different development sector as it intersects with blended finance and impact investing, including agricultural finance, gender lens investing, healthcare services, health supply chains, and sustainable landscapes. With private capital outpacing traditional donor assistance, the devastating impact of the COVID-19…
The mechanics of drilling a well are straightforward. Knowing where, how, and whether to drill that well amid extreme conditions wrought by climate change poses a whole new challenge. International development experts, confronting the complexities of rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and extreme weather, are adding new data-driven approaches to their toolkits to drill that…
The experts say it’s possible. We can limit the warming of our planet to 1.5 C if we achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. That’s encouraging until you consider that Asia alone now accounts for 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and that share is growing. The power sector plays a major role in the climate challenge. For…
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…