There is currently no water cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Of the nine rivers that flow across the border, none possess a formal agreement or mechanism to manage shared water resources. Further, there is very little information available about the status of environment, hydrology and water resources management for these river basins that could be used as a starting point for dialogues on transboundary water coordination.

Increasing demands for energy to boost the Mekong economies have attracted the keen interest of riparian countries for hydropower development. This is evidenced by extensive investment in hydropower projects across the region over the last few decades.

This study estimates that Sustainable Seeds Systems for the Global South received approximately USD 15 billion in funding cumulatively between 2010-2019 across all sources of funders. This is roughly one-third the total funding for seeds innovation in the same time period. Though the trend should get confirmed with further data, the analysis made in this study reveals a slight decline in the trend for investments in sustainable seeds innovation over the last 2-3 years for which data was available.

Non-technical summary:
We summarize what we assess as the past year's most important findings within climate change research: limits to adaptation, vulnerability hotspots, new threats coming from the climate–health nexus, climate (im)mobility and security, sustainable practices for land use and finance, losses and damages, inclusive societal climate decisions and ways to overcome structural barriers to accelerate mitigation and limit global warming to below 2°C.
Technical summary:

Digitalization is transforming existing agricultural business processes and services and enabling new means to deploy innovative services and products at scale. At the core of these services and innovations is open data. In India, Central and State Governments, academic, research institutions, and the private sector have done critical work in conceptualizing different approaches and aspects of an AgriStack to digitally transform agriculture.

The Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA) through the Improving Bean Productivity and Markets in Africa (IBPMA) Project funded by the Global Affairs Canada engaged on the project to reduce poverty amongst smallholder bean farmers, especially women, by reducing food insecurity, increasing incomes, and strengthening climate-smart agriculture (CSA). This mid-term evaluation report has brought up some key findings about the progress the project made over the four-year implementation period.

This study employed a participatory approach to assess the perceived adoption levels, barriers, and incentive mechanisms for the widespread implementation of the alternate wetting and drying irrigation method and integrated rice-fish system. The findings revealed that the current perceived adoption rates for both technologies were low, ranging from 10 to 15%.

One of the main objectives of the Innovahubs model promoted within the regional Initiative AgriLAC Resiliente is to provide spaces for collaborative learning by promoting the exchange and participation of actors from the different regions of intervention in Honduras and Guatemala.

This working paper examines the pivotal role of High Value Crop Products (HVCPs) in modern agricultural research and development, emphasizing their potential to significantly enhance rural prosperity and address global challenges such as poverty and food security. The paper argues for a shift in agricultural focus from traditional staple crops to HVCPs, highlighting their ability to generate higher income per unit of land and labor, thereby offering an effective solution to rural poverty.

Integrated pest and disease management (IPDM) represents a range of environmentally-sound approaches to crop protection and is increasingly recognized as an essential component of sustainable agricultural development. To promote the use of IPDM, it is necessary to validate and disseminate effective IPDM options to farming communities. To this end, the CGIAR Plant Health Initiative (PHI) has initiated nine Innovation platforms (IPs) in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, to develop and validate pest management solutions for major crops in real-life environments.

Rice yield forecasting is a crucial task for management and planning. A rice yield estimation system (RIICE) was developed based on the crop growth model ORYZA and SAR derived key information such as start of season (SOS) and leaf area growth rate. Results from study sites in Sikasso and Segou regions suggest that incorporating remote sensing data, specifically Synthetic aperture radar (SAR), into a process-based crop model improves the spatial distribution of yield estimates.

Digital innovation continues to offer opportunities for a transformative shift in the Global South's agrifood sector, but it also faces significant challenges. Known for its diverse agricultural practices and smallscale farming, the Global South requires customized solutions to enhance productivity and sustainability and ensure scaling. Obstacles like the increasing digital divide, weak information systems and infrastructure, and limited digital capabilities, particularly among marginalized rural populations, hinder progress.