In Guatemala’s Polochic Valley, land has long been both a source of livelihood and a trigger for conflict. Persistent disputes over land and agriculture have fuelled tensions, often escalating into violence and leaving communities trapped in cycles of insecurity.

What happens when peacebuilding efforts are designed to address these challenges? Our latest impact evaluation of interventions supported by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund shows striking results. By strengthening local institutions, investing in mediation skills, improving land registries, and supporting food security, the program has helped communities resolve disputes before they escalated into violence. By the second year of implementation, municipalities saw an average reduction of 16.2 land-related conflicts—an 80% drop compared to what would likely have happened without the intervention. The strongest gains were in areas with highest initial levels of conflict.

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What the evidence tells us about land management, climate, and livelihoods 

Our new policy brief, developed in partnership with the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), synthesizes findings from two evidence gap maps (EGMs) and a systematic review to assess what we know about what works in land management. Drawing on global evidence from low- and middle-income countries, the brief examines three key land management approaches—protected areas, land rights, and community-based or decentralised land management and monitoring. It explores how these interventions affect environmental outcomes and livelihoods, how impacts vary across social and geographic contexts, and barriers and enablers that shape success on the ground.

While the evidence base remains uneven, the findings suggest that well-designed interventions can support more sustainable land use and improve livelihoods. The brief also highlights important trade-offs between environmental conservation and human well-being, underscoring the need for context-sensitive programming.

By clarifying where evidence is strong, where it is thin, and what questions remain unanswered, this policy brief offers practical guidance for policymakers, funders, and practitioners working at the intersection of climate, biodiversity, and development.

View systematic review brief | Read about the project

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What drives lasting income gains for women in rural India

Our impact evaluation examines how DAY-NRLM, India’s flagship livelihoods program, addresses structural barriers to sustained rural income growth. Using panel data from more than 23,000 households and 5,000 women’s self-help groups across nine states, the study analyses how building strong federations of the self-help groups, combined with sequenced economic interventions under DAY-NRLM’s National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP), translates into sustained gains in income and consumption.

The findings show that well-functioning federations are central to durable impact, with layered investments delivering higher returns, stronger livelihoods, and meaningful advances in women’s economic participation and empowerment. Our study, conducted in collaboration with India’s Ministry of Rural Development, the Gates Foundation, and the World Bank, offers timely lessons for shaping DAY-NRLM’s next phase and advancing pathways to rural prosperity.

Read impact evaluation report | Read about our study | Read brief

Our new blogs provide a nuanced picture of how large-scale institutions and community action translate into lived change for rural women, highlighting the human dimensions behind the evidence from our multi-year evaluation.

In this blog, we foreground women’s voices, drawing on rich qualitative fieldwork from five states to show how collectivization through self-help groups is reshaping aspirations, mobility, and agency within households and communities. The second blog focuses on a quieter but equally important shift; changes in diets and food hygiene, revealing how empowerment is reflected in everyday practices that influence nutrition, health, and well-being.

3ie has appointed Abdelrahman Nagy as our new Program Director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). As we continue to grow and diversify our portfolio in the MENA region, our partnerships and work have expanded rapidly. We look forward to the leadership and vision Abdelrahman will bring as we continue to deepen our partnerships and advance evidence-informed decision-making with key partners across the MENA region.

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3ie among top five connectors in the global aid ecosystem

New research using International Aid Transparency Initiative data sheds light on how the global aid ecosystem actually functions — beyond funding volumes to the networks that shape influence and coordination. Analysing more than 10 million aid transactions across 230 countries since 1967, the study reveals that a small group of “knowledge brokers” play a pivotal role in connecting funders, implementers, and researchers. We are pleased to share that 3ie is among the top five universities, research foundations, and organisations, such as J-PAL and Hewlett Foundation, that emerge as key connectors helping evidence circulate across the system. 

The study highlights one of 3ie's core beliefs: that influence in global aid flows not only through financial resources, but also through strategic partnerships that enable coordination, learning, and evidence-informed action. 

Read paper