IIED is working with local partner PRIA to support community-led rejuvenation of water bodies and green-space creation through a multi-scalar strategy that links local action with state and national systems in Ajmer and Jodhpur, India. By aligning activities with municipal incentives and nationally funded programmes, the work has attracted interest from the city governments of Ajmer and Jodhpur and other municipalities via the National Institute for Urban Affairs. Drawing on cultural and religious ties to water, PRIA strengthens community participation and embeds nature-based solutions into planning processes to address heat stress, groundwater recharge and inclusive urban resilience. Find out more about the project: https://www.iied.org/urban-living-labs-for-resilience-scaling-impact-through-secure-framework

IIED is working with local partner KDI, using a community-first approach that combines counter-mapping with a locally developed community manifesto to support inclusive planning for wetland management. In a context where public-private partnerships with an interest in tourism development are putting at risk historical land attachment of indigenous groups, the living lab helps residents articulate shared priorities and negotiate land-use boundaries. This approach strengthens community voice in wetland-management processes, supports equitable decision-making, and connects grassroots visions with county-level planning and adaptation financing opportunities. Find out more about the project: https://www.iied.org/urban-living-labs-for-resilience-scaling-impact-through-secure-framework

IIED is working with local partner Doh Eain to apply a placemaking approach that combines nature-based flood mitigation with community-led improvements in informal settlements. Working with grassroots partners such as the Neighborhood Network, the initiative strengthens social cohesion and supports resilience in a context of civil conflict and fragile governance. Through local planning processes and shared public spaces, the living lab builds community confidence and capacity to advance neighbourhood priorities for safety, dignity and climate resilience. Find out more about the project: https://www.iied.org/urban-living-labs-for-resilience-scaling-impact-through-secure-framework

IIED is working with local partners the Homeless Peoples’ Federation Philippines Inc. (HPFPI) and TAMPEI to support informal-settlement communities in securing land and housing tenure through both formal and informal governance pathways. This includes the formal certification and strengthening of Homeowners’ Associations (HOAs), enabling residents to participate in planning and negotiate with local government institutions, alongside the Federation’s active engagement in city-level boards and councils. The project also builds community capacity in savings, planning and disaster-risk governance, creating platforms for collective decision-making and evidence-based advocacy for more inclusive urban development. Find out more about the project: https://www.iied.org/urban-living-labs-for-resilience-scaling-impact-through-secure-framework

This short film was shared in the Development and Climate Days 2025 online event on 30 October. It shows activities and participants of previous D&C Days conferences. D&C Days is a day of online dialogue, interaction, difficult conversations and solution-focused sessions, bringing together climate thought leaders to discuss the real issues that should be tackled at COP30. More information: https://www.iied.org/development-climate-days-2025

In this video, programme coordinator Thuy Nguyen, talks about RECOFTC's role supporting local coffee businesses in Viet Nam by providing business skills and facilitating partnerships between local cooperatives, private companies and other cooperatives in the region. This video was shared in a session as part of the Development and Climate Days 2025 online event in October 2025. Find out more about this REDAA-supported project: https://www.redaa.org/inclusive-and-diversified-crop-enterprises-and-restoration-forest-farm-landscapes-myanmar-and-viet REDAA is funded by UK International Development from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and managed by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

This is a recording of a panel discussion about the challenges around the opening of new copper mines in the Ghanzi and North West districts of Botswana. It features representatives of the Botswana Council for NGOs, Botswana Watch and Ditshwanelo – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights, which were supported by the ALIGN Technical Support Facility to develop and publish a situational analysis on the impacts of new mines in the country. More information: https://www.iied.org/align-responsive-support-facility

This is a recording of a webinar, hosted by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), presenting new economic evidence from eight countries to help governments and funders unlock climate finance for resilience. A landmark economic assessment across eight countries and 24 programmes was launched, showing that early action through social protection delivers far better returns on investment than reactive humanitarian response. The study shows that countries in Africa and Asia could prevent billions of dollars in damages linked to climate change by investing much smaller sums before natural disasters strike. Speakers 0:00: Introduction 00:19: Ritu Bharadwaj, director of climate resilience, finance and loss and damage, IIED/ALL ACT 19:10 H.E. Gaston Alphonso Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda 27: 57: Mathilde Bord-Laurans, deputy executive director, Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) 36:04: Professor Sir Jim Skea, chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 44:24: Kunal Satyarthi, joint secretary, Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, India 55:11: Abdihakim Ainte, director, food security and climate change, Prime Minister's Office, Somalia 1:04:35: Madeleine Diouf Sarr, head, climate change division, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Senegal 1:13:48: Katherine White, deputy director for international development and climate change, Scottish government 1:21:54: Sarah Coll-Black, senior social protection specialist, social protection and jobs global practice, World Bank 1:26:44: Animesh Kumar, head, UNDRR office in Bonn 1:32:19: Valerie Herzog, climate change specialist, Sustainable Development & Partnerships, OPEC Fun 1:38:45: Madeleine C. Thomson, head of climate impacts and adaptation, climate and health, Wellcome Trust More information: https://www.iied.org/how-early-action-through-social-protection-builds-climate-resilience-economic-case