Agricultural residue burning, particularly stubble burning in the Indo-Gangetic Plains, has emerged as a critical environmental crisis affecting air quality, soil health, and human welfare across South Asia. This comprehensive review examines the Pusa Decomposer technology developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) as a sustainable alternative to traditional stubble burning pra...

Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) provide businesses a means to support renewable energy generation and meet clean energy goals. This fact sheet answers some basic questions about RECs and REC purchasing....

This paper aims to help countries think through the process of enhancing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to include strengthened actions in the agriculture sector. The paper underscores the need for a tailor-made approach to NDC enhancement that is suited to a country’s unique set of circumstances. This paper also identifies a broad range of actions that can benefit adaptation and...

Blended finance is a strategic approach that combines public and private funding to mobilize private capital flows towards emerging and frontier markets. It aims to attract commercial capital to projects that benefit society while providing financial returns to investors. This approach is particularly useful in situations where private investments are not commercially viable due to high risks or n...

The air quality in Upper Northern Thailand (UNT) deteriorates during seasonal vegetation fire events, causing adverse effects especially on respiratory health outcomes. This study aimed to quantitatively estimate respiratory morbidity from vegetation fire smoke exposure, and to assess the impact of a burning ban enforced in 2016 on morbidity burden in UNT. We computed daily population exposure to ...

Steps and tools provided in the Program Design and Performance Management (PD/PM) Toolkit can be applied to new and ongoing State Department programs, projects, and processes across diplomatic engagement, administration, and foreign assistance. This Toolkit is designed to be applicable to all bureaus, offices, and posts and the templates can be customized to fit your needs.The PD/PM Toolkit will h...

Throughout Belize, Indigenous Maya farmers commonly practise a form of agriculture referred to as milpa in which fire is used to clear fields and fertilize the soil. Within this system, small areas of forest are chopped down, burned, and planted with maize, beans, squash and other crops. After being cultivated for a year or two, the field is then left fallow and allowed to regenerate back to fores...

This toolkit provides practical guidance for the development and continuous improvement of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) systems for national adaptation plan (NAP) processes.It is informed by lessons learned from countries around the globe that either already implement or are developing MEL systems as part of their NAP processes. Illustrative practical examples are embedded throughout...

Blended finance is an innovative approach to development financing that strategically combines public, philanthropic, and private capital to fund sustainable development initiatives, particularly in low income and developing countries. The OECD defines it as "the strategic use of development finance for the mobilisation of additional finance towards sustainable development in developing countries....

The harmonization of energy standards is an endeavour that aims to ensure consistent and high-quality energy production, transmission and use across different regions. As the demand for biofuels continues to grow, it becomes increasingly possible to establish internationally compatible standards to facilitate trade and promote high-quality and sustainable energy.Efforts to harmonize biofuel qualit...