S08_ Evaluation, Democracy and Bias in an AI-shaped, Sustainability-focused Development World
S10_ Evaluations of, for, and in Transitions
S08_ Evaluation, Democracy and Bias in an AI-shaped, Sustainability-focused Development World
S10_ Evaluations of, for, and in Transitions
S09_ Evidence for Climate and Environmental Action (E4CA): Evaluating What Works in Climate Mitigation and Adaptation, as well as in Environmental Sustainability.
Geeta Baatra, Sven Harten
Rationale and Objectives
The Evidence for Climate and Environment Action strand directly addresses the conference theme Evaluation for Vibrant Democracies by demonstrating how evaluative evidence strengthens democratic decision-making on climate and environmental policies. Climate change and environmental degradation represents two of the most pressing challenges facing democracies worldwide, requiring evidence-informed policies. This strand showcases how evaluation can support democratic governance by providing credible evidence on what works, for whom, and under what conditions in climate and environmental action.
The strand embodies all three conference sub-themes:
• New Methods: Sessions will present innovative evaluation approaches for climate and environment interventions, including geospatial tools, AI applications in monitoring, and novel methods for attributing impact in complex adaptive systems.
• Systemic Learning: Climate and environment action requires understanding interconnected systems. The strand examines how evaluation can capture system-level change, and transformational impacts.
• Responsiveness: The strand emphasizes evaluation role in amplifying marginalized voices particularly Indigenous peoples, women, youth, and communities most affected.
The strand embodies all three conference sub-themes:
• New Methods: Sessions will present innovative evaluation approaches for climate and environment interventions, including geospatial tools, AI applications in monitoring, and novel methods for attributing impact in complex adaptive systems.
• Systemic Learning: Climate and environment action requires understanding interconnected systems. The strand examines how evaluation can capture system-level change, and transformational impacts.
• Responsiveness: The strand emphasizes evaluation role in amplifying marginalized voices particularly Indigenous peoples, women, youth, and communities most affected.
Strand Overview
This strand proposes six interconnected sessions. Each session synthesizes multiple E4CA presentations while creating space for additional contributions.
Session 1: Indigenous Peoples, Biodiversity, and Climate Resilience
The session will examine how evaluation can respect and integrate Indigenous knowledge systems while assessing their contribution to climate resilience and biodiversity conservation.
Objectives:
• Present evaluative evidence on the effectiveness of Indigenous land management and conservation practices for climate mitigation and adaptation
• Explore methodological and ethical considerations in evaluating interventions involving Indigenous communities
• Identify lessons for integrating traditional ecological knowledge with scientific evaluation approaches
Session 2: Climate Finance: Access, Effectiveness, and Accountability
This session examines what evaluation reveals about climate finance effectiveness, where resources actually flow, and how accountability mechanisms function.
Objectives:
• Synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of different climate finance mechanisms and delivery modalities
• Assess barriers to climate finance access for the most vulnerable countries and communities
• Examine transparency, monitoring, and accountability in climate finance flows
• Explore the disconnect between climate finance commitments and development outcomes
Session 3: Adaptation Interventions: Evidence on What Builds Resilience
This session synthesizes lessons on what adaptation approaches prove effective at scale.
Objectives:
• Present evidence on effectiveness of adaptation interventions across key sectors (water, agriculture, urban, health)
• Examine methodological challenges in evaluating adaptation, including attribution and measuring resilience
• Identify conditions under which community-based and ecosystem-based adaptation succeeds
Session 4: Just Transition, Environmental Integrity, and Transformational Change
This session examines evidence on what makes transitions “just” and environmentally sound, and how evaluation can assess transformational change that delivers multiple benefits beyond emissions reduction.
Objectives:
• Present evidence on renewable energy investments and their economic, social, and environmental outcomes
• Explore evaluation frameworks for assessing transformational change versus incremental impacts
• Assess environmental safeguards and co-benefits of low-carbon transitions, including ecosystem protection, and biodiversity outcomes
Session 5: Innovative Methods and Tools for Climate and Environmental Evaluation
This session explores how methodological advances can enhance evaluation’s contribution to climate and environmental policy and practice.
Objectives:
• Present innovative methods for climate and environmental evaluation including geospatial tools, AI applications, remote sensing, and biodiversity monitoring technologies
• Examine approaches to evidence synthesis and meta-evaluation in climate and environmental domains
Session 6: Land Degradation and Transboundary Water Management
This session examines what works in combating desertification, restoring degraded lands, and managing transboundary water systems to deliver both environmental and development benefits.
Objectives:
• Present evaluative evidence on sustainable land management approaches that prevent and reverse land degradation and desertification
• Explore integrated approaches that address land-water-climate nexus challenges in dryland and coastal ecosystems
Session 1: Indigenous Peoples, Biodiversity, and Climate Resilience
The session will examine how evaluation can respect and integrate Indigenous knowledge systems while assessing their contribution to climate resilience and biodiversity conservation.
Objectives:
• Present evaluative evidence on the effectiveness of Indigenous land management and conservation practices for climate mitigation and adaptation
• Explore methodological and ethical considerations in evaluating interventions involving Indigenous communities
• Identify lessons for integrating traditional ecological knowledge with scientific evaluation approaches
Session 2: Climate Finance: Access, Effectiveness, and Accountability
This session examines what evaluation reveals about climate finance effectiveness, where resources actually flow, and how accountability mechanisms function.
Objectives:
• Synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of different climate finance mechanisms and delivery modalities
• Assess barriers to climate finance access for the most vulnerable countries and communities
• Examine transparency, monitoring, and accountability in climate finance flows
• Explore the disconnect between climate finance commitments and development outcomes
Session 3: Adaptation Interventions: Evidence on What Builds Resilience
This session synthesizes lessons on what adaptation approaches prove effective at scale.
Objectives:
• Present evidence on effectiveness of adaptation interventions across key sectors (water, agriculture, urban, health)
• Examine methodological challenges in evaluating adaptation, including attribution and measuring resilience
• Identify conditions under which community-based and ecosystem-based adaptation succeeds
Session 4: Just Transition, Environmental Integrity, and Transformational Change
This session examines evidence on what makes transitions “just” and environmentally sound, and how evaluation can assess transformational change that delivers multiple benefits beyond emissions reduction.
Objectives:
• Present evidence on renewable energy investments and their economic, social, and environmental outcomes
• Explore evaluation frameworks for assessing transformational change versus incremental impacts
• Assess environmental safeguards and co-benefits of low-carbon transitions, including ecosystem protection, and biodiversity outcomes
Session 5: Innovative Methods and Tools for Climate and Environmental Evaluation
This session explores how methodological advances can enhance evaluation’s contribution to climate and environmental policy and practice.
Objectives:
• Present innovative methods for climate and environmental evaluation including geospatial tools, AI applications, remote sensing, and biodiversity monitoring technologies
• Examine approaches to evidence synthesis and meta-evaluation in climate and environmental domains
Session 6: Land Degradation and Transboundary Water Management
This session examines what works in combating desertification, restoring degraded lands, and managing transboundary water systems to deliver both environmental and development benefits.
Objectives:
• Present evaluative evidence on sustainable land management approaches that prevent and reverse land degradation and desertification
• Explore integrated approaches that address land-water-climate nexus challenges in dryland and coastal ecosystems