Glacier systems in the Pamir and Tien Shan ranges are retreating rapidly; projections indicate over 50 per cent of glacier volume could be lost by 2100. This cryosphere meltdown is disrupting water cycles, threatening the livelihoods and food security of over 340 million people across nine countries. Without urgent intervention, communities risk worsening poverty, displacement, and instability.
The Glaciers to Farms (G2F) Programme responds to this crisis by integrating climate science into development planning and deploying concrete adaptation measures in glacier-dependent river basins. The programme focuses 100 per cent on adaptation and aligns with national priorities, including National Adaptation Plans (NAP), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Excessive heat harms young children’s development, study suggests
Climate change—including high temperatures and heat waves—has been shown to pose serious risks to the environment, food systems, and human health, but new research finds that it may also lead to delays in early childhood development.
Published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, the study found that children exposed to higher-than-usual temperatures—specifically, average maximum temperatures above 86 °F (30 °C)—were less likely to meet developmental milestones for literacy and numeracy, relative to children living in areas with lower temperatures.
Warm oceans seem to be turning even ‘weak’ cyclones into deadly rainmakers
The final week of November was devastating for several South Asian countries. Communities in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand were inundated as Cyclones Ditwah and Senyar unleashed days of relentless rain. Millions were affected, more than 1,500 people lost their lives, hundreds are still missing, and damages ran into multiple millions of US dollars. Sri Lanka’s president even described it as the most challenging natural disaster the island has ever seen.
Primed to burn: what’s behind the intense, sudden fires burning across New South Wales and Tasmania
Since the megafires of the 2019–20 summer, Australia has had multiple wet years. Vegetation has regrown strongly. In recent months, below-average rainfall has dried out many landscapes, resulting in dry fuels ready to burn. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has warned these fires point to a “difficult” season ahead.
Do these fires mean Australia is facing another terrible fire season? Not necessarily. The growth of fuel is one thing. But a lot depends on the weather.
Five ways cities across Europe and Central Asia are adapting to extreme heat
Extreme heat is now one of the most urgent and fastest-growing climate risks across Europe and Central Asia. The summer of 2024 was the hottest ever recorded in Europe, while Central Asian cities are experiencing rising average temperatures, more frequent heatwaves and mounting stress on water, energy and health systems. Heat already causes more deaths than any other weather-related hazard, and urban growth is amplifying the risks.
Yet cities across the region are demonstrating that with the right tools, partnerships and planning, meaningful progress is possible.
Estimating Economic Resilience to Climate Impacts: The Gross Resilience Product
Climate impacts are reshaping economic realities across Africa. To understand what this means for future growth, the GCA Resilient Economies Index introduces an important new measure: the Gross Resilience Product (GRP). GRP identifies the share of a country’s GDP that remains resilient under projected climate impacts—offering a clearer picture of how climate hazards influence long-term development trajectories. Built using the Green Economy Model (GEM), it provides a quantitative, comparable estimate of climate-related risks to national economies.
From vulnerability to value: The economic payoff of adaptation in small island states
The economies and livelihoods of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to their geographic characteristics and economic structure, often dependent on tourism and trade. Critical infrastructure in SIDS is typically located near coasts or in areas at high risk of climate impacts. Countries such as the Maldives, with low-lying areas and roads, and hotels located in hazardous zones; and the Marshall Islands, which is at risk of being submerged due to rising sea levels, illustrate how SIDS are at risk of large economic damage from climate impacts.
Macroeconomic models can help create a clearer picture of the long-term implications of climate change and how adaptation action has the potential to create economic stability in SIDS.
Climate change and food prices
Food and climate change are closely linked. Food systems account for about one-quarter of all heat-trapping pollution. Meanwhile, extreme events fueled by climate change can damage crops, reduce yields, and disrupt supply chains — all of which can drive food prices higher. The availability, quality, and affordability of food reflect a complex set of climatic and socioeconomic factors. A recent study suggests that projected warming by 2035 would drive food price inflation in North America up by 1.4 to 1.8 percentage-points per-year on average. There are also examples of short-term price spikes in coffee, cocoa, California vegetables, and Florida oranges following exceptional heat, drought, and heavy rainfall in recent years.
Financing adaptation: 11 financial instruments that help build climate resilience
Climate adaptation has emerged as a high-return investment opportunity. A recent WRI analysis found that adaptation and resilience investments can unlock broad economic, social and environmental benefits that go far beyond simply avoiding losses, even when an extreme event doesn’t occur. The study — which evaluates the expected public benefits of 320 adaptation and resilience investments across agriculture, health, infrastructure and water — found that, on average, $1 invested in adaptation and resilience has the potential to generate more than $10 in benefits over 10 years.
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