Blog
Pulling for Forests in Vietnam
September 12, 2019
The wheels are spinning, but the vehicle is going nowhere. It’s rainy season in Vietnam, and dirt roads have become rivers of mud. It’s not uncommon for a vehicle to become mired in the muck. But in this case, the vehicle holds much-needed funds that won’t be delivered to community-based forest owners unless a team […]
First Steps to Design an Emissions Reduction Pathway in Madre de Dios
September 6, 2019
About the Region Madre de Dios, translated as Mother of God, is a region in the southeast of Peru and receives its name from the main river of the region. It is 85 300 km2 and, with a population of approximately 140,000 inhabitants, is the least densely populated region of the country. Forestry, oil and mining, […]
New Long-Term Emissions Reduction Project Starts in Mexico
July 17, 2019
Querétaro is a small state with one of the fastest growing GDPs in the country and, due to its close proximity to Mexico City and some of the main ports in the country, it acts as an industry and trade hub. Quintana Roo, on the Yucatán Peninsula, has a booming tourist industry as it is […]
Engaging the Private Sector to Invest in Resilience
June 24, 2019
Over a quarter century since the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was signed, we endure and brace for the intensifying impacts of rising global temperatures. While international climate negotiations crawl along, most people agree that we remain achingly far from the monumental changes needed to prepare for climate change. Beyond responding to […]
To the Class of 2019…
June 18, 2019
In the United States, May and June is graduation season, when America’s youth mark an important milestone in leaving behind known comforts and pursuing economic independence. The occasion is observed with platitudes from community leaders, politicians, business leaders and celebrities about seizing the moment, the endless opportunities ahead of them, and being the change they […]
In Africa, Harnessing the Bounty of the Sea
June 5, 2019
I was eight years old when I saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time. It seemed so vast and limitless it was hard to imagine what was on the other side, let alone understand what an incredible resource it is. As a native of Minnesota, I grew up around a lot of water — […]
How much does forest restoration benefit climate?
May 29, 2019
The Paris Agreement was a historic turning point in climate negotiations. As a global commitment toward changing the development trajectories of countries around the world, it acknowledged the reality of climate change and the imperative to mitigate the rise of global temperatures by reducing national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Signatories agreed to a 2-degree Celsius […]
Quality on Tap
May 29, 2019
Just as water pumps are a ubiquitous symbol of international development, a broken one is the symbol of the sector’s need for oversight and quality assurance. Enter Badri Baral, director of Winrock International’s Renewable Energy Project Support Office in Nepal. He oversees Winrock’s latest project with USAID Nepal, Safaa Pani, providing oversight and quality control […]
‘Everybody is Bringing Something to the Table’
May 28, 2019
At its best, mentorship is an essential component of growth and development for both mentors and mentees. This is certainly true for participants in the Community Food Systems Mentorship Program, a national initiative led by Winrock’s Wallace Center that builds mentoring relationships among food systems leaders across the U.S. “While it is extremely important that […]
Shaping Green Growth in Malawi
April 15, 2019
As my third trip to Malawi in a year came to an end, it was apparent that we have reached a milestone that many might not have thought achievable when we started this project five years ago. On April 4, I attended the launch of Malawi’s new National Greenhouse Gas Inventory System (GHG-IS), where Government […]