Lessons Learned
Placing diverse knowledge systems at the core of transformative climate researchBackgroundEffective solutions-oriented research values both the process and the outcomes, recognizing that genuine partnerships across knowledge systems emerge within broader political shifts. Yet, international environmental organizations often exclude non-Western knowledge from their frameworks, reinforcing epistemic injustices that mirror social and political inequalities. Transformative change in addressing the climate crisis demands a critical examination of how knowledge and power interact, ensuring the integration—not marginalization—of diverse perspectives. Open access copy available |
Why environmental impact assessments often failBackgroundEnvironmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) aim to mitigate the environmental costs of development, particularly in biodiversity-rich developing nations. While governments and corporations claim EIAs as safeguards against environmental harm from roads, dams, mines, and housing, many are ineffective or even worthless. Weak assessments fail to prevent projects that destroy habitats and endanger species. Key shortcomings include insufficient funding, narrow focus on immediate project areas, conflicts of interest among consultants, and poor governance that grants developers undue influence over policy decisions. Open access copy available |
What works in tropical forest conservation, and what does not: Effectiveness of four strategies in terms of environmental, social, and economic outcomesBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Outcomes and Impacts of Development Interventions: Toward Conceptual ClarityBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Climate Risk ManagementBACKGROUND:Worldwide efforts are underway to devise and apply strategies to manage these risks effectively. Key challenges in climate risk management include the integration of necessary scientific disciplines, articulating stakeholder values and objectives, and quantifying pivotal uncertainties and trade-offs, all of which are vital for crafting effective management strategies. The paper addresses the intensification of global climate risks driven by accelerating climate change. The authors review these challenges based on existing literature to identify potential avenues to overcome them. Open access copy available |
Advances and shortfalls in applying best practices to global tree‐growing effortsBACKGROUND:Over the past three decades, there has been a rapid increase in the number of organizations engaged in tree planting to meet international targets exceeding a trillion trees. These initiatives aim to sequester carbon, conserve biodiversity, enhance water quality, and reduce social inequity. Despite these goals, frequent failures and unintended ecological and social impacts have led to the creation of numerous best practice guidelines for reforestation. Open access copy available |
Peasants, agroforesters, and anthropologists: A 20-year venture in income-generating trees and hedgerows in HaitiBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Beyond Tenure: Rights-based Approaches to Peoples and ForestsBackgroundOpen access copy available |
The global status and trends of Payments for Ecosystem ServicesBackgroundPayments for Ecosystem Services (PES) have expanded significantly in recent decades. These schemes aim to internalize the positive externalities that natural systems generate. PES creates incentives for landholders to adopt behaviors that sustain ecosystem service provision and, in some cases, generates additional revenue streams for conservation. However, it captures only a small fraction of the total value that natural systems provide. Researchers face challenges in collecting comprehensive and reliable data on PES due to its relatively recent emergence and the diversity of practices across different geographic scales. Available with subscription or purchase |
The Effectiveness of Payments for Environmental ServicesBackgroundThe academic debate on how effectively Payments for Environmental Services (PES) achieve environmental and socioeconomic goals continues to grow. Researchers initially focused on defining the concept and documenting early field experiences. Over time, they shifted their attention to designing effective incentives, analyzing behavioral responses, conducting systematic reviews, and applying counterfactual-based impact evaluations to assess outcomes more rigorously. Available with subscription or purchase |
