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The NAP Global Network supported Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guinea-Conakry, Madagascar, and Togo in conducting gender analyses to ensure climate adaptation is gender-responsive. The analyses revealed that while legal frameworks for gender equality exist, they are rarely linked to climate policies, and women remain under-represented in decision-making for climate-vulnerable sectors. The document argues that context-specific gender analysis is essential to avoid exacerbating inequalities and to unlock women's potential as agents of change in adaptation.

The NAP Global Network supported Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guinea-Conakry, Madagascar, and Togo in conducting gender analyses to ensure climate adaptation investments are equitable and sustainable. The process involved institutional, normative, and technical analyses to identify how gender dynamics influence climate vulnerability and adaptation capacity. Key findings highlight a gap between existing general gender policies and their application in climate planning, as well as significant gender disparities in education, decision-making, and sectoral roles. The document recommends a participatory, multi-expert approach to gender analysis and emphasizes the role of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in incentivizing gender-responsive NAPs.

The paper examines Zambia's experience in coordinating diverse international public funds for climate adaptation and mitigation. It identifies that while multilateral donors have helped establish early coordination frameworks, competing approaches between major donors like the World Bank and UNDP have led to institutional fragmentation and 'turf' struggles. The study highlights that coordination practices often evolve from previous development aid structures and identifies critical knowledge gaps, including the lack of a geo-located project database and insufficient coordination with international NGOs and domestic financing sources.

The Ghana National Adaptation Plan Framework establishes a coordinated, sectoral-based approach to climate adaptation. Led by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the framework aims to integrate climate resilience into national development planning, engage the private sector, and ensure gender-responsive and community-based adaptation strategies across key sectors including agriculture, water, and health.

The report explores how jurisdictions can cooperate through 'carbon pricing clubs' to link carbon pricing instruments (CPIs) and reduce emissions cost-effectively. By analyzing non-climate institutions—specifically APEC, MTCR, OECD, and IFTA—the authors identify key governance dimensions: membership rules, decision-making processes, and compliance mechanisms. The report argues that 'hard coordination' and exclusive membership are essential for maintaining environmental integrity, while centralized secretariats can reduce administrative burdens and facilitate technical alignment. It concludes that a combination of strict accession criteria, peer-review processes, and flexible decision-making (such as majority voting) can help clubs adapt to changing political and economic circumstances while safeguarding their environmental goals.

The report argues that Brazil's energy efficiency (EE) policies have been reactive and focused on residential consumption, neglecting the industrial sector, which is the country's largest energy consumer. Economic analysis of 106 industrial sectors shows that while the efficiency of typical firms improved between 2003 and 2015, the market share of the most efficient firms decreased. The study finds a strong correlation between energy efficiency and productive efficiency, suggesting that a total reallocation of productive inputs (capital, labor, and electricity) could have increased aggregate productivity by 81% in 2015, though capital misallocation is the primary driver of these losses.

The report examines the institutional linkages between gender, water, and climate change in Uganda, noting that while climate change and population growth threaten water security, women face disproportionate impacts due to limited resource access. It finds that Uganda is demonstrating leadership in mainstreaming gender and climate considerations within its water management policy and institutional systems.

The document examines Uganda's efforts to integrate gender and climate change considerations into its water sector. It finds that while significant progress has been made in gender-responsive budgeting and women's representation on local water committees, implementation remains weak due to a lack of technical capacity and the persistence of customary gender stereotypes. The link between water and climate change is well-institutionalized, but the intersection of gender and climate change is described as virtually non-existent in terms of funding and representation. The report emphasizes that women's limited land ownership and literacy levels continue to obstruct their effective participation in water management decision-making.

The 31st AU summit introduced unprecedented budget scrutiny, reducing the 2019 budget by 12% to US$681 million through 'golden rules' of sustainability and predictability. While the AfCFTA saw five new signatories, ratification remains below the 22-country threshold required for implementation. Institutional reforms continue, including the proposed shift to merit-based appointments for the AU Commission and the integration of NEPAD and APRM into the AU core. Additionally, the report highlights an escalating armed conflict in Cameroon's anglophone regions and lists various Peace and Security Council (PSC) decisions from April to June 2018, including a new focus on the nexus between climate change and security.

The OSCE has struggled to implement its 2004 Gender Action Plan due to increased political polarisation, a consensus-based decision-making rule that grants all 57 participating States veto power, and budget constraints. While conservative states and the Holy See have resisted the 'gender' agenda, the document argues that the OSCE's field missions provide a critical opportunity to implement gender-oriented policies on the ground, provided their autonomy is protected from political turmoil.

The Union of Concerned Scientists report 'Betrayal at the USDA' examines the first year of Secretary Sonny Perdue's leadership at the USDA. It argues that the administration has systematically sidelined science and expertise to favor large agribusiness corporations. Key concerns include the appointment of unqualified personnel, the rollback of school nutrition and food safety standards, the disregard for World Health Organization guidelines on antibiotics in livestock, and the promotion of climate change denial. The report also criticizes proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the elimination of protections for small farmers through the dismantling of the Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA).

The Berg Water Management Area (WMA) faces a projected water supply deficit of approximately 300 million m3 per year by 2040, which could cost the region over R146 billion and 650,000 jobs annually. Current planning systems are fragmented, treating water and economic development as independent variables, and local municipalities often lack the capacity to secure off-budget financing for infrastructure. The brief recommends that the Western Cape Government support municipalities in integrating water planning into Integrated Development Plans (IDPs), advocate for a regional water utility, and employ hydro-economic modelling to prioritise interventions.

The document traces South Africa's fiscal history, detailing how British colonial authorities introduced direct taxes like the Hut Tax in 1849 to raise revenue and force African men into wage labour. It examines the evolution of the tax state through the Union of South Africa, the apartheid era's regressive policies, and the post-1994 transition to a modern, integrated system under the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

The document argues that current transboundary water governance in Southern Africa is inadequate due to a prioritisation of national sovereignty over regional integration. It highlights how climate change acts as a 'stress multiplier', exacerbating water scarcity and threatening energy and food security, as seen in the 2015/16 hydropower crises in Zambia and Zimbabwe. The author contends that while bilateral agreements (like the Zambezi River Act) provide some success in benefit-sharing, broader basin-level cooperation is hindered by weak mandates for river basin organisations (RBOs) and a lack of quantified economic co-benefits. The paper advocates for a 'positive-sum' approach to water management, integrating climate risks into investment planning to unlock international climate finance and prevent cross-border disputes.

This report describes a study funded by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) and led by the Nepal Development Research Institute (NDRI) to assess the vulnerability of Nepal's hydroelectricity sector to climate change and identify adaptation options.

The document examines the DRC's energy crisis, characterized by an 11% electricity access rate and a heavy reliance on traditional biomass. It analyzes the complexities of the Grand Inga hydropower project, including financial hurdles, governance failures within the state utility SNEL, and socio-environmental concerns. The author argues for a 'two-track strategy' that combines large-scale hydro with diversified, small-scale renewable energy sources (RES) such as solar, wind, and geothermal, supported by the 2014 electricity law to attract private investment. Regionally, the paper highlights the role of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and the potential for the DRC to act as a strategic energy hub for Southern, Central, and Eastern Africa.

The document explores the potential for the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to monitor Agenda 2063 and the SDGs, noting strong normative and thematic alignment. However, it identifies critical barriers, including administrative weaknesses, lack of funding, and slow review cycles, which currently render the APRM incapable of the extensive monitoring required. The authors suggest that for the APRM to succeed, it must undergo substantial reform, improve the frequency of its reviews, and enhance its data-gathering capabilities through ICT and partnerships.

The document analyzes the institutional frameworks for climate change adaptation in Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Lucia, emphasizing that effective adaptation depends on governance processes, national-level policymaking, and civil society engagement. While both nations have developed adaptation policies and contributed to the UNFCCC, the analysis finds a need for more thorough vulnerability assessments and the creation of adaptation activity inventories to improve transparency and reduce duplication.

The report finds that Nepal's hydropower sector is currently highly vulnerable to climate variability, particularly smaller run-of-river plants. While future annual energy generation is projected to be relatively robust, climate change is expected to increase hazards such as sediment loads, floods, and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). The study recommends a shift toward a more balanced power mix with increased storage capacity and the adoption of 'low-regret' adaptation options, including improved hydro-meteorological monitoring and early warning systems.

The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a coalition of Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad, along with Benin, was established to combat Boko Haram. While the force has achieved some operational gains since early 2016, it continues to struggle with significant financial shortfalls, political mistrust among member states, and a gap between official claims of operationality and the reality on the ground. The African Union (AU) serves as a critical strategic and technical partner, filling an institutional vacuum left by the Lake Chad Basin Commission's (LCBC) limited experience in peace operations.