Blog Posts: governance

International consensus on cross-border environmental issues has been hard to come by, but a 40-year-old air pollution treaty has enjoyed great if largely unsung success, leading to cleaner air, healthier forests and the prevention of hundreds of thousands of premature deaths.

Historically, cities have upgraded poor neighborhoods by razing and reconstructing them, often displacing residents. But to actually improve affordable housing and give residents access to services and opportunities, cities need a different approach.

Ground-level ozone pollution, which can cause deadly respiratory problems and contributes to global temperature rise, is a complicated problem that poses complex governance challenges. These three strategies can help.

India's 29 states are updating their climate action plans in 2019. From health experts to business owners, and from academics to farming communities, people outside of government can make valuable contributions to these climate plans.

Monitoring and evaluation of local adaptation grants presents significant challenges. In a new report, WRI researchers lay out some practical steps to ensuring that limited funds catalyze effective action.

Cities in Brazil, India and Indonesia are using the new Urban Community Resilience Assessment tool to prepare for a warmer world.

To manage intensifying climate impacts, we must transform the way we adapt to such changes. Transformative adaptation in agriculture—that is, broad, fundamental, systemic changes in food production—can enhance global food security and reduce the risk of crises and conflict.

While many countries have made climate adaptation commitments, few have actually turned them into action. New WRI research details strategies to bridge the implementation gap.

Costa Rican coffee farmers are shifting to citrus trees as climate change and declining coffee prices challenge their profitability. Some prime coffee-growing areas will become unsuitable within a few decades.

In a study of corporate land deals with rural communities in Tanzania and Mozambique, women consistently received less in return for their land, and had a harder time once they were relocated—despite national commitments to gender equality.