Blog

Rice production accounts for a significant portion of many Asian countries’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and Vietnam is one of the world’s largest rice producers. To meet the targets set out in its nationally determined contribution (NDC) and to maintain transparency in national communications (NC), Vietnam assesses the spatial variation of emissions across its rice-producing regions.

• 12/30/2021
• Sadie Shelton

The agriculture sector across the globe not only feeds the world’s population but it also provides nearly 27 percent of worldwide employment. Yet the sector faces significant sustainability challenges: it is estimated to contribute more than one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions through a combination of agricultural activities and land use changes, and it consumes, on average, 70 percent of the world’s freshwater resources.

• 11/18/2021
• Feed the Future Enabling Environment for Food Security

At first glance, USAID and NASA seem like an unlikely pair. NASA’s satellites watch the world from above; USAID helps farmers around the world grow crops from the ground up. But through a 15-year partnership, we’re helping solve one of the greatest threats to Earth — the climate crisis — and simultaneously strengthening resilience against poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and lack of access to safe water and sanitation.

• 11/16/2021
• Pete Epanchin

As an Agency that stares down the world’s toughest challenges, none pose a greater threat than climate change. The science is clear: we have a narrow window remaining to dramatically reduce global emissions or we all face catastrophic consequences — with the most vulnerable populations continuing to get hit the hardest.

• 11/03/2021
• Gillian Caldwell

A wide range of environmental changes threaten development. Of these challenges, climate change and plastic pollution in particular inspire concern and action from governments, scientists, and advocates alike. USAID’s work on ocean plastic pollution operates at the intersection of these related problems, and highlights opportunities for innovation in waste management.

• 10/26/2021
• Ruby Rorty

Across the globe, people are struggling to improve air quality, but the sources of pollution that cause the most harm are a moving target. They can differ by location, time of year, and time of day.

• 07/29/2021
• Lauren Azmon

After its success with improving solid waste and water management, the city of Indore, India has consistently been ranked the cleanest city in that country by the government’s annual Swachh Survekshan survey. Now, Indore is focused on having cleaner skies.

• 07/27/2021
• Beth Elliott and the Clean Air Catalyst Indore and Global Teams

Poor air quality and climate change are major challenges facing Nepal. Air pollution poses the second highest risk factor for death and disability in the country, behind only malnutrition. Meanwhile, scientists predict that Nepal will be especially vulnerable to climate change over the next century.

• 07/15/2021
• USAID

Air pollution is the world’s largest environmental health risk, contributing to an estimated 6.7 million premature deaths each year globally. It is also a critical development challenge because low and middle income countries (LMICs) experience the greatest health burdens from poor air quality.

• 07/13/2021
• Jacquelyn Spade, Nila Cousar

“[Women are] disproportionately impacted by climate change, more vulnerable to gender-based violence, and therefore disproportionately impacted by conflict.” – Vice President Kamala Harris, remarks to the 65th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women

• 05/27/2021
• Jamie Wen-Besson, Georgia Hartman

In response to growing demand from countries seeking support for increased electric vehicle (EV) deployment to bolster climate change objectives, the USAID-NREL Partnership has developed several different projects aimed at streamlining development of EV charging infrastructure, workforce training, and grid management, which build upon the recently launched global Greening the Grid EV Toolkit.

• 04/01/2021
• Britton Marchese

Climatelinks has a new design and updated content – just in time for the United States to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord. The site has been revamped to better meet the needs of the USAID, its climate and development partners, and the climate community around the world. 

• 02/17/2021
• Climatelinks

When you think about a farmer getting ready for their season, what is the first image that comes to mind? Is it something about getting the fields ready, images of a healthy crop emerging from the soil, a good rain, or something altogether different? For us, it is something that looks like this:

• 01/25/2021
• Agrilinks

Women are the primary custodians of natural resources in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region and are at the forefront of the impacts of climate change. Yet, when it comes to decision-making and research on managing these resources, women’s voices are rarely heard.

• 12/02/2020
• Rajesh Bahadur, Poonam Tripathi, Utsav Maden

Uptake of low emissions agriculture research outputs by policymakers and other stakeholders requires time. Even when researchers are interested in pursuing the scaling and use of research outputs, most are not incentivized to take this on. Allocating targeted resources and donor support, while involving science communicators and outreach specialists can be effective in overcoming constraints to delivering low emission development research to policymakers.

• 10/21/2020
• Arun Khatri-Chhetri