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This policy brief describes a pilot study conducted as part of the Future Climate for Africa (FCFA) scoping phase to evaluate the use of medium to long-term climate information in Accra, Ghana, and Maputo, Mozambique. The study found that future climate projections are not routinely used in decision-making, which is instead driven by historical data and seasonal forecasts. The authors advocate for a 'co-exploration' approach that prioritizes place-based, multi-stressor vulnerability analysis—addressing socioeconomic and governance issues first—before integrating climate data to identify adaptation strategies.

This policy brief examines the risks climate change poses to large-scale hydropower infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa and the current lack of climate service integration in the planning process. It argues that while hydropower is critical for energy security, most projects rely on historical data that ignore future hydrological shifts, leaving long-lived assets vulnerable to failure or inefficiency.

This policy brief details a pilot study on the use of climate information for decision-making in Malawi. It finds that while short-term weather and seasonal forecasts are used, medium- to long-term climate projections (5–40 years) are not currently integrated into national policy or planning, despite their availability. The document identifies barriers such as inappropriate spatial and temporal scales, technical jargon, and short policy cycles, while highlighting opportunities to integrate climate projections into long-term economic modelling and infrastructure design.

This policy brief describes a pilot study conducted by the Global Climate Adaptation Partnership (GCAP), the UK Met Office, and Atkins as part of the Future Climate for Africa (FCFA) programme. The study investigated the current and potential future use of medium- to long-term climate information for adaptation in Rwanda, identifying gaps in how policy-makers integrate climate projections into national planning and infrastructure projects.

This policy brief details the findings of a pilot case study in Zambia conducted between February and October 2014 by the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre, the Met Office Hadley Centre, and the Zambia Red Cross Society. The study evaluated how climate science can inform long-term development and humanitarian planning, concluding that there is currently no evidence of climate information being used for long-term planning or infrastructure decisions in the country.

This case study examines the application of the Partners for Resilience (PfR) programme in Barangay Potrero, Malabon City, to address severe urban flooding. By combining customised risk communication, localised early warning systems in partnership with the national meteorological agency (PAGASA), and inter-city coordination within the Tullahan River Basin, the project aimed to shift community and leadership mindsets from passive acceptance of flooding to proactive risk management.

This report examines the integration of urban and peri-urban agriculture and forestry (UPAF) into climate change action plans, focusing on case studies from the Western Province of Sri Lanka and Rosario, Argentina. It argues that UPAF can address the 'triple challenge' of climate change mitigation, adaptation, and the provision of basic services like food security for vulnerable urban populations.

This guide provides a framework for identifying 'similar listings' across different iterations of South African environmental legislation to determine if pending or unlawful activities can be authorized under current regulations. It specifically addresses the transition between the Environment Conservation Act (ECA), the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), and the 2014 EIA Regulations (GNR 982, 983, 984, and 985).

This guide describes the role of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in regulating chemicals and manufactured nanomaterials, specifically detailing the activities of the Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN) and its steering groups.

The document argues that Brazil's agricultural price risk policies are outdated and inefficient, providing only R$ 4 billion in gains despite a R$ 5.4 billion budget in 2013. It finds that farmers would be willing to pay R$ 50 billion for better risk mitigation for soy, sugarcane, corn, and coffee. The authors recommend transitioning from public production acquisitions to subsidizing private market instruments like put options, citing successful shifts in the US and Europe and a specific program in São Paulo.

This executive summary of a 2015 study by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) evaluates price risk mitigation policies for Brazil's agricultural sector. The authors argue that current government-led interventions, such as direct buyouts, are inefficient and fail to meet market needs, suggesting a shift toward market-based instruments like sell options and insurance to improve productivity and economic potential.

This report by Z/Yen Group Limited for FSD Africa analyzes the role of onshore and offshore financial centres, with a specific focus on African cities. It utilizes the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) to categorize centres by connectivity, diversity, and specialty, while providing a roadmap for African centres to improve their competitiveness through infrastructure, business environment reforms, and human capital development.

This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes Environment Canada's 2014 report on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions trends. It highlights a significant gap between Canada's projected 2020 emissions and its Copenhagen Accord pledge, noting that while some sectors show mitigation, growth in the oil sands and general economic expansion continue to drive emissions upward.

This background paper, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in January 2015, outlines the framework for public and stakeholder consultations to develop a new provincial climate change and green economy action plan for Manitoba. It reviews the province's emissions profile, previous climate efforts, and potential strategic directions for integrating mitigation and adaptation.

This research paper examines the capacity of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to implement post-conflict reconstruction and development (PCRD) and explores how South Africa can leverage its membership to strengthen these activities. The author argues that SADC is currently constrained by a state-centric approach to security, structural silos, and a lack of institutional capacity, leaving PCRD responsibilities to individual member states. By comparing SADC with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the paper suggests that SADC needs to adopt a more holistic, human-security-based approach and improve its coordination with the African Union (AU) and international donors.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) evaluates the progress and challenges of regional integration in Africa, drawing primarily on Country Review Reports (CRRs) from the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). It examines the gap between the African Union's high-level rhetorical commitments to a continent-wide common market and the practical realities of limited trade growth, administrative incapacity, and political reluctance to cede national sovereignty.

This research paper argues that using land for bioenergy creates intense competition with food, feed, and carbon storage, potentially widening the global crop calorie gap. The authors contend that most bioenergy is land-inefficient compared to solar energy and that current greenhouse gas accounting often 'double counts' biomass, erroneously suggesting that bioenergy is carbon-free. The paper recommends phasing out bioenergy from dedicated land use and prioritizing biomass derived from true wastes.

This technical report evaluates water use efficiency and the application of the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) standard among stone fruit farmers in the Western Cape of South Africa. It combines orchard-scale biophysical measurements of peach and plum trees with farm-scale assessments of water balance and quality across nine volunteer farms in the Breede catchment. The report finds that while Western Cape farmers are significantly more water-efficient than global averages, there are local opportunities to reduce water use by up to 20-30% through improved irrigation scheduling and the use of correct crop factors. It also details the implementation of the AWS standard, identifying drought, social risks (such as infrastructure theft), and regulatory uncertainty as primary concerns for farmers.

This 2015 briefing identifies the personnel from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) attending the UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan. It details their professional focuses—such as DRR finance, gender equality, and resilience measurement—and lists their scheduled presentations and exhibition activities during the conference.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes how the proposed Regulatory Cooperation chapter of the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement could undermine the authority of US states to implement public health and environmental protections. The author argues that the agreement's goals of regulatory convergence and compatibility would effectively create a regulatory ceiling, preventing states from adopting standards more protective than federal minimums, particularly regarding toxic chemicals and pesticides.