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…
The Guatemala Biodiversity Project was a critical and timely response to growing trends impacting protected areas that, if continued, could have led to significant loss of key conservation gains made in Guatemala. The project addressed institutional and resource challenges and constraints at the heart of encroaching threats to key ecosystems. Through a local systems approach,…
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…
These briefs serve as a reference point for development practitioners interested in leveraging blended finance approaches in project design and delivery and improving the quality of engagement with the private sector. They include a primer that provides a targeted, high-level overview of blended finance mechanisms to contextualize the sector-specific technical briefs. The briefs also articulate…
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…
From 2016 to 2021, the Build Indonesia to Take Care of Nature for Sustainability (BIJAK) project supported enhanced conservation and management of Indonesia’s marine and terrestrial biodiversity, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and fostered sustainable landscapes and natural resource management. To accomplish this, BIJAK worked primarily at the national level to improve the management of forests…
Development programs worldwide are designed to protect vulnerable people, places, and livelihoods from climate change, but with smarter methods, these programs could be even more effective.
Earth-observing satellites and geospatial technologies collect valuable information that can shape how developing countries manage climate risks and land use. A joint initiative of USAID and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), SERVIR puts this information in the hands of communities who need it most. With the data and tools provided by SERVIR programs,…
Sri Lanka’s power system currently faces considerable challenges that limit the country’s ability to secure the electricity supplies it needs to fuel rapid economic growth while progressing toward its target of generating 80% renewable energy by 2030. The Ceylon Electricity Board, a state-owned utility, is financially weak due to non-cost reflective tariffs and high generation…
Communities across the globe are coping with the impacts of a changing climate. To help them manage these impacts, USAID and its partners increasingly apply a “climate lens” to activities. A critical input to this is best practices guidance on both the use of climate change adaptation (CCA) strategies and the targeting of resources where…