The Climate-Smart Governance (CSG) Dashboard stands as an innovative platform, providing data on climate-related hazards, vulnerability, climate scenarios, and sector-specific information. Developed as part of the CGIAR initiative on Climate Resilience (ClimBeR), the CSG Dashboard plays a crucial role in supporting nations undertaking the UNFCCC National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process. Aligned with the iterative nature of the NAP process, the CSG Dashboard enhances adaptive capacity and resilience, minimizing vulnerability to climate change impacts.

Agricultural intensification and forest conservation are often seen as incompatible. Agricultural interventions can help boost food security for poor rural communities but in certain cases can exacerbate deforestation, known as the rebound effect. We tested whether coupling agricultural interventions with participatory forest zoning could improve food security and promote forest conservation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

There is little documentation about the status, management, and governance of the communal grasslands of Ethiopia's highlands. However, research being carried out by ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute) in northern Shewa, Amhara region, is highlighting their importance as a critical resource for those farmers engaged in mixed crop-livestock livelihood systems across the highland areas. These grassland areas range from 2 to 200 hectares and can be used by up to four different villages or �kebele' and providing on average 10-20% of livestock feed for local farmers.

The AWARE platform, a vital component of CGIAR's Climate Resilience initiative, stands as a crucial tool connecting early warning systems, proactive measures, and timely financial interventions. Designed for anticipatory action, AWARE empowers stakeholders to mitigate the impact of disasters before they occur, emphasizing multi-level coordination and collaboration for effective responsiveness. AWARE disseminates comprehensive information across climate, market dynamics, health, nutrition, and population displacement.

The dry lowlands of Ethiopia are seasonally affected by long periods of low rainfall and, coinciding with rainfall in the Amhara highlands, flood waters which flow onto the lowlands resulting in damage to landscapes and settlements. In an attempt to convert water from storm generated floods into productive use, this study proposes a methodology using remote sensing data and geographical information system tools to identify potential sites where flood spreading weirs may be installed and farming systems developed which produce food and fodder for poor rural communities.

This paper provides an inventory of novel approaches to and mechanisms for quality assurance of the seeds of vegetatively produced crops (VPCs). It explores to what extent seven African countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) are decentralising and integrating VPC seed systems, in terms of regulations governing the sector, methods of seed production, and methods of seed inspection and certification. It consolidates existing data and presents new data on decentralised seed quality assurance (SQA) approaches for VPCs in these seven selected countries.

Rice is not only crucial to the food security of a majority of the world’s population, but it also has an important role in regulating water scarcity and has a huge potential in mitigating the effects of climate change. Despite this, the potential of rice production systems to bring sustainable outcomes is abated by its increasing vulnerability to extreme weather events and high-emission practices.

As part of the AICCRA project, the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) are mandated to develop curricula and training materials to accelerate the mainstreaming of climate information services (CIS) and climate-smart agriculture (CSA) into university curricula in Africa.

This project aims at contributing to the UN resolution 2/24 on combating desertification, land degradation and drought and promoting sustainable pastoralism and rangelands; and UN resolution 4/15 on innovations in sustainable rangelands and pastoralism, as well as the UNEP-led gap analysis on rangelands and the resulting report: Rangelands: A case of benign neglect.

There is renewed interest in the engagement of smallholder farmers in carbon markets. This follows in the wake of commitments by governments and companies to reduce or avoid the release of greenhouse gases. It is well known that soil can store large amounts of carbon, and soil stewardship offers a means to harness this potential. However, issues around permanence and scaling in smallholder farmer systems must be addressed if progress is to be made in this area.

In most Latin American countries, payment for ecosystem services (PES) can be a useful strategy for restoration and conservation of the environment, increasing productivity and promoting sustainable development in rural areas. Despite these plausible benefits, PES implementation can be challenging due to the contextual framework in which it takes place (e.g. institutional weakness in the implementation and monitoring stages, limited connectivity among stakeholders, low levels of agricultural technification, etc.).

The role of gender in institutions and governance affecting rural areas is complex and multifaceted; the tools and methods to analyze and explore their interactions must address this complexity. Researchers, practitioners and policymakers from various disciplinary backgrounds have used a wide range of tools. This paper provides them with guidance on the tools that are available, and points to gaps where methodological development is needed.