How we use land — from forest clearing to agriculture — is changing the climate. But it’s increasingly clear that this is a two-way street: Climate change is now altering the land, too.

The effects are visible from space. Satellite images show where climate-fueled wildfires have carved through forests. They reveal landscapes transformed by typhoon-driven mudslides. They show the Amazon river shrinking and Australia drying. 

As impacts intensify, we’re gaining a clearer picture of this dangerous land-climate feedback loop — and how the world should respond.

Around 1 in 8 people globally live in informal settlements or “slums." Lacking basic services and often precariously built, these communities are especially vulnerable to floods, heat and other extreme weather. But with more support, they could pioneer new approaches to climate resilience.

New climate plans reveal that countries are still aiming well below what’s needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. At this week’s UN climate summit (COP30), leaders must confront this gap head-on and take concrete action in five areas.

Wind power often calls to mind vast fields of towering turbines. But this isn’t the only option. Some are turning to “small wind” projects that can generate clean power exactly where it’s needed — from breweries in California to remote farming communities in South Africa.

The 2025 UN climate negotiations kicked off on Monday. Follow updates from WRI experts on the ground in Belém, Brazil on our Live from COP30 page. A few noteworthy moments: