The analysis, covering 124 countries across the Global South between 2013 and 2022, found that only about one-third of all projects actually targeted both climate adaptation and biodiversity protection together, even though the two goals are deeply interconnected.

The study, published in World Development, drew on data from 230 government and non-governmental funders, both bilateral and multilateral, tracking the flow of climate and nature aid. 

Of the 182,834 projects reviewed, about 55,900 aimed to address both climate adaptation and biodiversity. Yet only 6,200 treated both issues as core priorities; the rest treated one as a co-benefit of the other.

“Thirty percent of the 182,834 projects, climate and/or biodiversity projects explicitly sought to contribute to both climate adaptation and biodiversity objectives. Of these 55,907 projects, approximately 6,208 had both climate adaptation and biodiversity as their principal objective. Other projects had either climate adaptation or biodiversity as the principal objective and had the other as a significant objective,” the study found.

That means most projects still treat climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation as separate missions, despite increasing evidence that their success depends on one another.

The study said the link is clearest in two sectors, agriculture and environmental protection, which together accounted for roughly half of all dual-purpose projects. These areas, the authors suggested, offered the greatest potential for synergy, such as climate-smart agriculture, mangrove restoration, or forest-based carbon projects that support both ecosystems and livelihoods.

Most importantly, the study found that Asia dominated the climate funding between 2013 to 2022, with the top five recipients of climate adaptation finance being Bangladesh, India, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The study, published in World Development, examined US$163 billion in climate adaptation funding and US$91 billion in biodiversity investments and found that Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), often described as the “ground zero” of global warming, lags far behind other regions in both the amount of money received and the likelihood of being selected for funding.

The researchers, Charissa Bosma, Lars Hein and Daniel C. Miller, found a paradox that countries that are most exposed to rising temperatures, drought, and floods are less likely to be chosen for climate adaptation projects than those with lower levels of vulnerability.

“Sub-Saharan Africa makes up for a bit more than one-third of funding flows for both objectives (37 and 35 percent, respectively). Roughly 40 percent of climate adaptation and 35 percent of biodiversity funding was invested in South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific. Latin America received about one-quarter of the biodiversity funding, compared to 13 percent of the total climate adaptation funding. The Middle East and North Africa accounted for slightly less than 10 percent of adaptation funding and only 6 percent of the total biodiversity funding,” the study disclosed.

Even after accounting for regional and multi-country aid packages, Africa’s underfunding trend persisted. While regional programs exist, they have not been enough to offset the imbalance in country-level disbursements.

“These variations suggest that regional funding influences the magnitude of some estimates, but does not fundamentally alter the overall pattern of underfunding observed for Sub-Saharan Africa,” the study further stated.

However, the study further noted that one major factor shaping where the money goes is governance quality. Countries with stronger institutions, political stability, and regulatory quality were more likely to attract both climate and biodiversity funding, regardless of their vulnerability levels.

That means well-governed middle-income nations, such as Vietnam or Colombia, often attract more financing than poorer but highly vulnerable African countries. 

The study, which began collecting samples in 2022, found microplastics in every rainwater sample taken across the capital. Contamination levels averaged around 15 particles per square metre per day in coastal areas, showing that the problem is widespread.

BRIN researcher Muhammad Reza Cordova said the most common materials found were polyester from synthetic textiles, nylon, polyethene from plastic bags, polypropylene from packaging, and polybutadiene from vehicle tyres. 

These appeared mainly as fine fibres and small fragments. “If we can reduce excessive plastic use, it would already be a big step - though this requires effort from each of us personally,” said Cordova.

Scientists explained that the process occurs through atmospheric deposition, where lightweight plastic particles are lifted by wind and industrial emissions before being washed down by rain. 

“After the rain stops, the air is practically clean of microplastics. That is the safest time to go outside for activities like walking or exercising because you are breathing cleaner air. However, this effect doesn’t last very long - once surfaces dry, the microplastics will become airborne again, carried by the wind,” Cordova added.

The main contributors to Jakarta’s airborne microplastics include synthetic fabrics, vehicle emissions, degrading plastics in open spaces, and the open burning of plastic waste. 

Cordova said tackling the issue requires both systemic reform and public participation through better waste management and reduced plastic use. 

“What we can do now is mitigation - through campaigns promoting wiser plastic use and healthier lifestyles. Fifty years ago, we lived just fine without relying so heavily on plastic. So why can't we do it now?” he said.

President Lula signed into law what critics have labelled the “devastation bill”, but removed or altered 63 of its nearly 400 provisions. “The first thing we are vetoing is 63 provisions of the law out of nearly 400. We are vetoing 63 provisions,” said Miriam Belchior, the executive secretary to the president’s office.

Silva stated that the government made “strategic vetoes to preserve the integrity of licensing,” ensuring that Brazil’s environmental targets remain intact. “Our goals regarding zero deforestation, our goals regarding reducing CO2 emissions by between 59 and 67% are perfectly maintained,” she told reporters in Brasilia.

“May we be able to ensure that this ongoing dialogue with the National Congress leads us to something that benefits environmental protection, sustainable development, and the protection of traditional peoples and communities. And may Brazil begin a new cycle of prosperity, where the economy does not clash with ecology, but instead is part of the same equation,” she added.

Of the provisions removed, 26 were vetoed entirely, while another 37 will be replaced or modified in a new bill to be sent to Congress under a constitutional urgency procedure. 

However, approval of these changes is uncertain as Brazil’s conservative-led Congress has frequently overturned presidential vetoes and blocked key proposals from Lula’s administration. One of the most recent, a New Legal Framework for Clinical Trials with Humans, was overturned in June.

The development comes as Lula’s environmental record faces increased scrutiny ahead of the UN climate summit in November, set to take place in Belem, in Brazil’s Amazon region.

Several countries, still, boast vast forested areas, contributing significantly to the world's total forest cover.

Here are some of the countries with the highest forest areas:

Suriname : 97.3% of the country's land is lush forest.

Guyana : Guyana's forests cover 93.5% of land.

Micronesia : Micronesia has a 92.1% of forest area.

Gabon : Just like the countries mentioned earlier, Gabon has a large forest area which covers 91.3%

Palau : Palau's forests span 90.2% of the country's land area.

Around 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions are due to deforestation and forest degradation. The 2019 IPCC special report on Climate Change and Land emphasised that planting new forests and protecting existing ones are crucial strategies for limiting global warming to 1.5ºC or well below a 2ºC increase.

"We really need to ensure that we continue to push for action from countries that are the most polluting," Tuvalu Climate Minister Maina Talia told AFP on the sidelines of the summit.

The forum is advocating for a regional climate adaptation fund, dependent on international support, and is calling for a swift transition away from fossil fuels, which are seen as the primary cause of climate disasters.

"The decisions world leaders take in the coming years will determine the fate, first of Pacific Islanders, and then everyone else," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, making a rare visit to the summit said.

The 18-member Pacific Islands Forum is also experiencing internal divisions, as its member countries disagree on how to handle China's growing security presence and ambitions in the region.