Several of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries are leading the way in developing and implementing low-carbon climate-resilient development (LCRD) strategies. International and domestic climate finance can play an important role in implementing LCRD policies and plans in the least developed countries.

Climate change is a key challenge for Asian cities in the global south. Already half of Asia-Pacific’s urban population live in secondary cities of less than 1 million, and as urbanisation continues more people will be exposed to direct and indirect hazards of climate change.

The issue of energy access for the poor is gaining momentum globally. This collection of papers by early-career researchers draws on in-depth field research in Latin America, Asia and Africa to explore the challenges of delivering access to modern energy services.

The relationship between development finance and climate finance is a key political issue. Some (particularly least developed country (LDC) climate negotiators) stress the differences. Others (most bilateral development agencies) stress the similarities. But understanding this relationship has now become urgent.

Bringing together the dual aims of low-carbon and climate resilient development has become a significant policy goal in planning for climate change.

Rural-urban migration continues to attract much interest, but also growing concern. Migrants are often blamed for increasing urban poverty, but not all migrants are poor.

Wildlife crime is at the top of the international conservation agenda. Current strategies for addressing it focus on law enforcement, reducing consumer demand and engaging local communities in conservation. To date considerably more attention has been paid to the first two strategies than to the third.

Indian cities are exposed to a new pattern of climate-related disaster risks. Floods in Srinagar in September 2014, triggered by extreme rainfall, were the deadliest to hit the valley in the last 60 years.

The impacts of global change can be felt by local communities during both short-term events such as intense storms and long-term changes such as rising temperatures and

How can a thriving biomass sector be developed in South Africa? This paper looks closely at two attempts to develop wood pellets as a biomass fuel and biomass electricity: the Howick wood pellet plant and the Tsitsikamma biomass plant.