Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon has increased in recent years, with illicit economic activities and unsustainable agricultural practices damaging the natural environment and threatening biodiversity. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated things further, with the isolation of vulnerable indigenous communities and reduced access to markets providing a backdrop for increased land grabbing and environmental crime. As deforestation…
The world is facing mission-critical gaps in climate finance and development finance. Last month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that investment in climate mitigation and adaptation is three to six times lower than it needs to be to reach the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the UN…
Youth entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector can provide direct career opportunities for young innovators while also promoting a cascade of positive economic outcomes for other young people along the agricultural value chain and reducing the carbon footprint of food production.
Every day, people from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras leave their homes to embark on a perilous journey through Mexico to the United States, driven by both a lack of employment opportunities and the impacts of climate change. To address the root causes of irregular migration stemming from the region, the United States and Mexican governments…
Soil-testing technology developed on Mars is improving farming practices on Earth while helping to address climate change. In the flat, dry soy fields of Bahia in northeastern Brazil, an artificial intelligence startup called Agrorobótica is collecting soil samples, then using NASA-inspiredrobotics to analyze their composition. Agrorobótica is funded through an innovation grant managed by Chemonics International. The…
The climate crisis and ability to find decent jobs are two of the most urgent and significant issues facing young people. To address this, Chemonics and Unbounded Associates developed a set of resources to share the youth perspective on facilitating a just transition to the greening economy. These resources aim to provide development organizations with research-based practical guidance for…
Max McGrath-Horn is a specialist in the design and financing of climate change solutions, mobilization of cross-sector partnerships, negotiation with government stakeholders, and crowding-in private finance. He is currently senior climate finance advisor in Chemonics’ Climate Group. Previously, Max worked at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, where he managed the Green Climate Fund…
How do we build inclusive spaces when developing geospatial services? How can we ensure that the services developed by SERVIR benefit all of society—particularly the most vulnerable—in the context of a rapidly changing climate? SERVIR applies a user-centric and collaborative approach to answer these questions, applying Earth observations, geospatial science and technology to address development…
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…