This toolkit aims at providing step-by-step guidance accompanied by tools to develop and implement “Action Plans” to close the loops of material and resources at any school level, considering a system approach and focusing on low-tech options that could be applied in any low- and middle-income settings.This toolkit was built on existing proven methodologies from the sanitation and solid waste mana...

Municipal solid waste in developing countries is often poorly managed resulting in high methane emissions and environmental harm. While carbon finance offers a promising tool to improve project viability by monetizing emission reductions, current mechanisms remain insufficient and carbon finance must be complemented by performance-based mechanisms and embedded within a supportive policy, regulator...

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was adopted on 22 March 1989 by the Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Basel, Switzerland, in response to a public outcry following the discovery, in the 1980s, in Africa and other parts of the developing world of deposits of toxic wastes imported from abroad.ObjectiveThe overarching objective of ...

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...