KLIMOS contributes to an increased capacity of the Belgian and Flemish development aid and its partners in the South regarding climate change through strategic policy research. Central theme is climate adaptation and mitigation in development aid: sustainable integration of the production and supply of food- and energy while maintaining ecosystem services. Adaptation and mitigation are the two strategies with regards to climate change. Both strategies are crucial elements of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyotoprotocol and provide important opportunities for developing countries. Adaptation increases resistance and resilience of communities and ecosystems. Developing countries have less options compared to rich countries to arm themselves against the consequences of climate change (like drought, floods, hunger). The climate adaptation funds provided by the Kyoto protocol won’t be enough. Future development projects will need to pass an adaptation test. Mitigation measures in developing countries have up to now not been legally binding, through the CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) and future mechanisms like REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestaion and Degradation) and deforestation avoidance funds will become available for important climate mitigation projects in the South. Sustainability, from both an ecological (biodiversity) and a socio-economic perspective (competition with food production, land tenure conflicts) is crucial. This platform will focus on the adaptation- and mitigation options in rural areas of countries in the South with the highest degree of poverty, where food, forest preservation and restoration, fuelwood, biodiversity and energy are crucial and strongly interconnected themes. KLIMOS will develop a knowledge pool regarding consequences of climate change for countries in the South. Options for mitigation and adaptation in the south will be made available in an accessible format to DGDC, other authorities, NGO’s and the private sector in north and south. An “Environmental Integration Toolkit” will be developed and implemented allowing ex-ante sustainability evaluation of development projects.