Reports & Case studies

Resilience Evidence Forum 2023 Synthesis Report

The report captures the key messages that emerged from the Forum, based on the latest evidence and methodological advancements across different scales of analysis, as well as different cross-cutting themes.

Shaping a resilient future in response to COVID-19

In an article in the journal Nature Sustainability, Johan Rockström and an international research team looked at which role resilience could play in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. To get a better understanding of resilience, firstly, Rockström and his co-authors looked at the definition of resilience: Instead of ‘bouncing back’ from a shock, they define resilience as having the capacity to live and develop with change and uncertainty, and present five key attributes that underpin this definition.

Ocean Sand: Putting sand on the ocean sustainability agenda

Sand is a fundamental feature of modern society. It is the second most used natural resource in the world, second only to water, and the single most mined material. In the ocean, sand forms the literals and figurative foundations upon which the future of coastal communities, biodiversity, and multi-billion-dollar industries rest.

Practical Action for Adressing Loss and Damage

The report is a synthesis of different views and analyses of practical action for addressing climate loss and damage. It considers mobilising and innovative finance, assessing needs and delivering actions.

COP27 Resilience Hub Synthesis Report

The report synthesises the main messages from the COP27 Resilience Hub and aims to help set the direction for future action towards COP28 and beyond.

Indicator-based tools for assessing ocean risks and vulnerabilities

The future of the ocean economy depends on our ability to navigate, mitigate and adapt to climate change and other environmental and socioeconomic shocks and their interlinked impacts. This brief provides an overview of existing indicator-based tools to assess ocean risks and vulnerabilities based on a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles and grey literature.

Insights for food systems transformation from southern Africa: Outcomes of the Southern African Resilience Academy

This insights brief presents key themes and recommendations that emerged from the SARA activities and discussions that were convened over the course of 2021 in order to explore ways of addressing barriers and unlocking key actions to transform food systems in southern Africa.

Insights for food systems transformation from southern Africa: Overview of southern African context

Transformation is needed to move southern Africa’s current food system into a space that is responsive to future uncertainties, climate-resilient, as well as environmentally and socially sustainable. Research plays an integral role in this shift. This report contextualises the actions of the Southern African Resilience Academy (SARA) in 2021, a year covering many pivotal events towards food systems transformation.

Advancing Resilience Measurement: Consultation Report

New Advancing Resilience Measurement Consultation Report by USAID, GRP and University of Arizona addresses the challenges and gaps in resilience measurement and evidence by setting a common agenda for actors.

Economy and Finance for a Just Future on a Thriving Planet

Economy and Finance for a Just Future on a Thriving Planet explores the role of economic metrics and the finance sector in a new Anthropocene context. The report synthesizes the finding of a series of dialogues by leading scientists, international organizations, investors, and other change-makers on what a new agenda for economics and finance should look like, and defines tangible pathways for action for our living planet and for prosperity for all.

Environment of Peace: Security in a New Era of Risk

Environment of Peace: Security in a New Era of Risk surveys the evolving risk landscape and documents a number of developments that indicate a pathway to solutions––in international law and policy, in peacekeeping operations and among non-governmental organizations. It finds that two principal avenues need to be developed: (a) combining peacebuilding and environmental restoration, and (b) effectively addressing the underlying environmental issues. It also analyses the potential of existing and emerging pro-environment measures for exacerbating risks to peace and security. The findings demonstrate that only just and peaceful transitions to more sustainable practices can be effective––and show that these transitions also need to be rapid.

Biodiversity Liability and Value Chain Risk Report

Biodiversity risk is increasingly going to be on the corporate radar as part of ongoing work to mitigate climate change risk (and support nature-based solutions) and broader initiatives on ESG. At the same time, accounting and reporting standards for biodiversity-related risks and impacts are taking shape.

Ocean risk reports – Key messages

Our ocean is changing faster than at any time in human history. Risks associated with sea level rise, storm surges and coastal flooding are multiplying, affecting billions of lives and livelihoods and threatening critical coastal ecosystems. Coastal communities in LDCs and SIDS are likely to be most severely impacted, with women and girls especially hard-hit. Key messages from the trio of Ocean Risk Reports by the the Stockholm Resilience Centre and the Global Resilience Partnership, and commissioned by the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA).

Blue acceleration – an ocean of risk and opportunities

Through a synthesis of peer-reviewed and grey literature, empirical data, and case studies from SIDS and LDCs, this report describes ut this show issues of equity and benefit sharing are playing out in the Blue Acceleration, highlights how SIDS and LDCs are at particular risk to stranded assets, and explores the role that finance, public or private, can play in assisting transformation towards an equitable and sustainable Blue economy.

Ocean Risks – SIDS and LDCs

Through a synthesis of peer-reviewed and grey literature, empirical data, and case studies from SIDS and LDCs, this report describes the prominent biophysical and anthropogenic stressors and their impacts on SIDS and LDCs, highlights the key social-ecological features of SIDS and LDCs that shape their vulnerabilities to these stressors, and suggests potential ways that can support SIDS and LDCs to mitigate ocean risks and build resilience.

Gender dynamics of ocean risk and resilience in SIDS and coastal LDCs

Through a synthesis of peer-reviewed and grey literature, and numerous case studies from SIDS and LDCs, this report highlights gender roles in two key sectors of the ocean economy (small-scale fisheries and coastal tourism), describes the gendered dimensions of ocean risks, and summarizes efforts across SIDS and LDCs for gender equitable approaches to building resilience to ocean risks.

Resilience of Local Communities: Lessons from COVID-19

This brief provides a first assessment on how 15 local communities in the Global South are building resilience in the face of COVID-19. We found that communities used many different coping strategies, spanning multiple social domains of resilience, when responding to a crisis.

Case study: Learning from Failure to Accelerate Success in Resilience-Building Initiatives

The aim of this report is to share learning and insights from GRP’s experience of working with its Challenge Funds to drive innovation in resilience practice, by creating a safe space for Challenge Winners to test, learn and adapt their projects. It is aimed at those interested in learning about how to create a space to test innovations, take risks and embrace and learn from failure.

Case study: An Incubator Approach to Scaling Effective Resilience Solutions

The purpose of this case study is to understand how GRP has supported its Challenge Winners to scale their resilience innovations, through documenting the Incubator’s role, project progress and achievements and learning emerging from this. This case study documents both early learning before the scaling activities accelerated into full implementation as well as achievements and learning taken from final reporting, alongside evidence about how the Incubator engaged with the wider base of grantees

Resilience and Sustainable Peace: Managing Climate Related Security & Development Risks in the Anthropocene

This background paper is a joint contribution by Guidance for Resilience in the Anthropocene: Investments for Development (GRAID) and the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP)