Climate Change Solutions Update

Category: FALO & Nature-Based Carbon Removal

Cut Emissions & Remove Carbon:
– Shift Agriculture Practices
– Protect & Manage Ecosystems
– Biomass Carbon Removal & Storage

  • How Southern African farmers & elephants can both adapt to coexist

    Conservation groups in Southern Africa, including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in Zimbabwe, the Ecoexist Trust in Botswana, and Elephant-Human Relations Aid (EHRA) in Namibia, are implementing various strategies to promote coexistence between farmers and elephants. These strategies include using technology such as satellite collars, virtual fencing, and geofences to monitor elephant movements and prevent conflicts. By adapting farming practices, establishing fenced gardens, and implementing nonlethal repellents, these organizations are working towards fostering peaceful coexistence and reducing human-elephant conflict. Through these efforts, there is potential to create an "elephant-aware economy" in the region, incentivizing coexistence behavior and protecting Africa's remaining savanna elephants.

    https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/how-southern-african-farmers-elephants-can-both-adapt-to-coexist/

  • Women scatter seeds, restore forests in Guinea, the ‘water tower of West Africa’

    The arboRise Foundation's reforestation project in Guinea has been successful in combatting deforestation and addressing the impacts of climate change, creating employment for over 1,100 people and restoring water sources. By employing local women to collect seeds and monitor tree growth, the initiative challenges traditional power dynamics and aims for long-term sustainability through carbon credits. The project provides economic benefits to participants and empowers women in traditionally male-led societal structures. Despite facing challenges in replication and vulnerability, the project offers hope and optimism in the field of environmental work, providing a beacon of positivity in the face of environmental challenges.

    https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/women-sow-seeds-restore-forests-in-guinea-the-water-tower-of-west-africa/

  • In Peru, community-led camera trapping boosts conservation and ecotourism

    Community members in Alto Mayo, Peru are working to protect a unique wetland forest through sustainable ecotourism, scientific research, and participatory management of the territory. The Tingana Conservation Concession, managed by Adecaram and supported by Conservation International, covers 4,000 hectares and hosts a diverse ecosystem with renaco trees and aguajales above 800 meters. Visitors can explore flooded forests, learn about sustainable agriculture, and contribute to the community's economy while observing biodiversity through canoe tours. Camera traps have captured footage of rare wildlife like jaguarundis, margays, and birds, aiding in scientific research and environmental education efforts. The initiative has empowered local communities, broadened scientific knowledge, and emphasized the importance of preserving the ecosystem for future generations, with generational replacement being a key focus for sustainability.

    https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/in-peru-community-led-camera-trapping-boosts-conservation-and-ecotourism/

  • Landfill Covering and Methane Capture

    Landfills are a significant source of methane emissions globally as waste decomposes, but they can be transformed into managed systems with gas-capture systems and biocovers to reduce emissions. Restoring vegetation can further enhance carbon uptake and ecosystem recovery. The success of the Jardim Gramacho landfill in Rio de Janeiro, which reduced methane emissions through gas-capture systems and mangrove restoration, demonstrates how legacy waste sites can be stabilized to curb emissions and provide ecological and community benefits. This solution involves covering landfills and capturing methane for combustion, effectively reducing emissions at the source.

    https://climatetrace.org/news/landfill-covering-and-methane-capture

  • Roots of Resilience: The Women Preserving Asia’s Ancient Mangrove Forest

    NGOs like SEEDS are working in the Sundarbans to develop resilience to climate change impacts by planting mangrove saplings along degraded coastlines, integrating the initiative into the local community for long-term sustainability. Women's self-help groups are being enlisted to plant mangroves, turning them into protectors and contributing to the local economy. Dr. Krishna Ray's successful restoration project highlights the importance of community involvement and sustainable funding for long-term mangrove restoration. Local villagers are using mangrove restoration as a way to combat climate change impacts, earning income while contributing to ecological restoration and protection against cyclones and rising sea levels. This approach demonstrates the importance of linking the local economy to climate solutions in vulnerable regions.

    https://reasonstobecheerful.world/women-preserving-worlds-largest-mangrove-forest-sundarbans-asia/

  • Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Adaptation & Agriculture – Global Center on Adaptation

    Climate impacts are reshaping farming techniques globally, with unreliable rainfall and flash floods complicating food production in the Global South. Indigenous seed varieties and regenerative farming practices are at risk, affecting the nutritional health of populations. Communities in Zambia are implementing ecosystem-based adaptation to combat water shortages, emphasizing peer-to-peer learning and combining innovation with Indigenous practices for a sustainable future.

    https://gca.org/indigenous-knowledge-systems-in-adaptation-agriculture/

  • From Plans to Progress: A Blueprint for Delivering 1.5°C Through the ‘Global Mutirão’

    The Global Implementation Accelerator initiative is helping countries implement their NDCs and NAPs, with collaborative alignment already delivering tangible results. Private capital in Brazil supports forest restoration, while companies like Unilever adopt renewable energy and regenerative farming. In Taiwan, the European Outdoor Group aggregates renewable energy demand, and in Vietnam, companies like H&M and IKEA support grid modernization. These initiatives create win-win situations where countries advance climate goals and companies secure future access to renewable resources.

    https://exponentialroadmap.org/from-plans-to-progress-a-blueprint-for-delivering-1-5c-through-the-global-mutirao/

  • Our Power News – What was different about this year’s UN climate talks?

    World leaders marked the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, with historic progress towards limiting global warming to 1.5°C and transitioning away from fossil fuels. Indigenous delegations played a crucial role in advocating for climate action, securing the demarcation of territories and pushing for community-led renewable energy. The momentum towards forest protection, accountability for polluters, and clean energy as a right is growing, with renewable energy on track to meet all new electricity needs by 2025. Continued support is needed to demand real climate action and build a powerful climate movement for a safe and better future.

    https://350.org/our-power-news-what-was-different-about-this-years-un-climate-talks/

  • How a species of bamboo could help protect the South from future floods

    In early 2024, Michael Fedoroff led a project to plant rivercane, a native bamboo plant, along Tuckabum Creek in Alabama to restore eroded wetlands. Rivercane used to be abundant in the Southeast but has declined due to European settlement. The project showed that rivercane is crucial for preventing erosion and damage from floods, as seen during Hurricane Helene. A network of scientists, volunteers, and Native stakeholders are working to bring back rivercane and restore its benefits in the face of climate-fueled disasters. The Rivercane Restoration Alliance (RRA) and its allies are working to replant rivercane in the Southeast, emphasizing its benefits for waterways, native species, and water filtration. Large restoration projects involve collaboration with stakeholders like land management companies, government agencies, and Native American tribes. Rivercane holds cultural significance for tribes, who historically used it for crafts. Challenges to restoration efforts include education, as rivercane is often mistaken for invasive bamboo, and the cost and availability of plants. Innovative methods, like the "cane train," are being used to propagate rivercane and overcome these challenges. Researchers are working on sequencing rivercane genomes to choose the best varieties for different locations due to the plant's specific needs. Despite imperfections, rivercane propagation is seen as a cheap and easy method for restoration projects. In Yancey County, North Carolina, a rivercane restoration project led by the county government and local groups involved volunteers in planting thousands of shoots to stabilize stream banks. This project demonstrates the power of planting rivercane as an actionable solution for ordinary landowners and volunteers to contribute to healing the landscape in the face of climate change.

    https://grist.org/solutions/how-rivercane-a-native-bamboo-could-help-protect-the-south-from-future-floods/

  • Five climate trailblazers: UNEP’S 2025 Champions of the Earth

    The UN Environment Programme has named five new climate visionaries as its 2025 Champions of the Earth, recognizing their work on climate justice, sustainable cooling, forest protection, and methane emissions reductions. The laureates, including Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, Supriya Sahu from Tamil Nadu, Mariam Issoufou Architects, and Imazon from Brazil, are driving real change for people and the planet with their innovative leadership in areas such as climate law, sustainable cooling, resilient buildings, and deforestation prediction models. Imazon's non-profit research institute, using science and AI-driven geospatial tools, is curbing deforestation in the Amazon and supporting legal cases. Cynthia Houniuhi is honored for pioneering forest monitoring systems, while Manfredi Caltagirone, posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, dedicated his career to addressing climate challenges, particularly methane emissions, and shaping global energy policy through his work at UNEP's International Methane Emissions Observatory.

    https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/12/1166558