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Botswana has achieved remarkable GDP growth and high credit ratings due to diamond exploitation and sound macroeconomic policies. However, this growth has not translated into broad-based development, as evidenced by a declining Human Development Index (HDI) and high income inequality. The country faces severe challenges from the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which threatens to undermine decades of development, and a lack of economic diversification beyond the mining sector.

Over sixty civil society organizations have called on President George Bush to extend the deadline for the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) negotiations to allow for meaningful public participation and transparency. The organizations argue that current negotiations exclude civil society representatives outside the business sector and that the failure to publish negotiating texts hinders democratic input. They specifically express concern that labor issues will be addressed in May 2003 without input from Central American labor unions, and highlight potential threats to agriculture, sustainable development, worker rights, and access to medicines.

The EIB is a central financial institution for EU relations with developing countries, particularly those in the ACP region. While it operates under the Cotonou Agreement, the document argues that the EIB prioritizes economic and technical evaluations over sustainable development and poverty eradication. The report highlights significant gaps in public information and project evaluation, noting that many venture capital operations lack public scrutiny. It recommends that the EIB adopt international standards like the Millennium Development Goals, implement mandatory public consultations, and establish an independent inspection mechanism for affected communities.

The document analyzes the 'Development Box' (DB), a proposed mechanism for developing countries to register exceptions to WTO agricultural liberalization. It outlines the goals of the DB—such as protecting food security and small farmers—and discusses the arguments from proponents like the Like-Minded Group and opponents such as the U.S. and certain Cairns Group members. The briefing also reviews an Oxford Policy Management study suggesting specific S&D instruments and highlights the potential impacts on Least-Developed Countries and middle-income nations.

Following the April 2002 ceasefire, Angola faces immense reconstruction needs, including the reintegration of approximately 105,000 ex-combatants and the resettlement of 4.3 million internally displaced persons. While the country possesses vast oil and mineral wealth, structural crises persist in health, education, and agriculture. A critical strategic concern is the Okavango River Basin; as Angola develops the headwaters in Kuando-Kubango province, potential increases in water abstraction and dam construction could negatively impact the downstream ecosystems and water security of Namibia and Botswana. Cooperation is managed through the Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM), but Angola's lack of technical capacity and hydrometric data hinders its participation in integrated water resource management.

Following the death of Jonas Savimbi in February 2002, the Angolan government and UNITA signed a cease-fire agreement on April 4, 2002. While the document notes a 'window of opportunity' for peace and economic growth, it highlights severe structural challenges, including a collapsed health and education system, destroyed infrastructure, and a dysfunctional formal economy. Despite these hurdles, the report identifies significant investment potential in oil, natural gas, road and rail reconstruction, and agriculture.

The document asserts that human use of fossil fuels has disrupted the Earth's climate balance, leading to a one degree Fahrenheit increase in global mean temperature over the last century. While some regions like the Midwest might see initial benefits such as increased crop yields, the text warns that failure to reduce emissions could lead to temperature increases of 5 to 10 °F, resulting in severe consequences for the U.S. and dire outcomes for poor developing countries.

The report highlights that six Midwest states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio) are home to 140 power plants that release approximately 2% of global man-made CO2 and 25% of all US power plant CO2. It predicts that without aggressive emissions reductions, the region could see temperature increases of 5-10°F in the 21st century, leading to significant risks for the Great Lakes water levels, crop yields, and human health. The document advocates for cleaning up old coal plants, transitioning to renewable energy, and increasing individual energy efficiency to mitigate these risks.

The report describes a Zimbabwean economy in crisis, driven by the breakdown of the rule of law and a chaotic land resettlement program that undermined the agricultural sector. It details severe macroeconomic instability, including hyperinflation, currency collapse, and a reliance on parallel markets. The document argues that recovery is impossible without fundamental political change, the restoration of property rights, and a return to democratic governance.

The report analyzes the vulnerability of the Gulf Coast's diverse ecosystems—from upland forests to coral reefs—to rising temperatures and sea levels. It highlights that while climate change poses significant threats to water resources, biodiversity, and public health, current human activities like shoreline development and water engineering remain the primary drivers of ecological change. The authors advocate for a three-pronged strategy of mitigation, minimization of human impacts, and adaptive management to safeguard the region's economic and natural heritage.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that provides research, reporting services, and policy advocacy to support sustainable development globally. Its strategic priorities include developing sustainability indicators, supporting climate change negotiations, promoting sustainable economic and trade policies, and improving natural resource management through community-based approaches.

The authors critique 'the new botany' of genetic engineering, contrasting it with traditional botany and evolutionary biology. They argue that transgenic crops are developed for patentability and profit rather than productivity or subsistence, leading to ecological hazards such as 'superweeds' and the disruption of species barriers. The text compares the trajectory of transgenic technology to that of nuclear fission, suggesting it follows a pattern of overreach and eventual failure, and advocates for a biologically informed agriculture focused on fair food distribution.

Between October 1997 and January 1998, the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and partners conducted three regional workshops in Lima, Peru; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Fortaleza, Brazil. These meetings aimed to use probabilistic seasonal forecast information to reduce socioeconomic disruption caused by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The workshops involved climate scientists and stakeholders from sectors such as health, agriculture, and fisheries to create regional precipitation forecasts and design pilot application projects. Specific forecasts for the 1997-98 period predicted above-normal rainfall for coastal Ecuador and northern Peru, while predicting drier than normal conditions for most of northeast South America, including northern parts of Northeast Brazil.

The document challenges the assumption that climate protection is a financial burden, asserting that energy-efficiency investments often yield returns exceeding 100% per year. It identifies eight categories of market failures—including capital misallocation, organizational failures, and perverse regulatory incentives—that cost the American economy approximately $300 billion annually. By shifting focus from theoretical economic models to empirical business evidence, the authors demonstrate that 'whole-system engineering' and 'barrier-busting' policies can reduce carbon emissions while increasing GDP and competitiveness. The report highlights that high energy prices are not the only driver of efficiency, citing Seattle's success in saving electricity faster than Chicago despite lower prices. It concludes that a market-transformation approach can stabilize the climate and foster economic growth globally, particularly in developing nations.

The report assesses the vulnerability of Canadian Prairie agriculture to climate change, highlighting the historical impact of droughts in the 1930s and 1988. It projects that while warming may extend growing seasons and open northern lands for cultivation, increased evaporation and potential precipitation deficits could lead to more frequent and severe droughts, reducing average potential yields by 10-30%. The document emphasizes the need for policy shifts to incentivize sustainable land management and diversification, noting that current income protection programs may discourage adaptation. It also discusses Canada's potential shift in global competitive advantage, suggesting increased opportunities for wheat and corn exports if other global regions face diminished production.

The report projects that global food requirements will increase significantly by 2050, driven by population growth and rising dietary standards in less developed countries (LDCs). While theoretical land and yield potentials exist, the report argues that meeting this demand will require massive increases in crop yields, a substantial expansion of cultivated land in Africa and Latin America, and a six-fold increase in cereal exports from developed regions. It highlights critical risks including soil degradation, water scarcity, and the environmental impact of forest clearance, suggesting a 'doubly green' revolution focused on sustainable intensification and policy reform to avoid food insecurity.

The report analyzes the sustainability of global food systems up to 2050, projecting a significant increase in food demand, particularly in less developed regions (LDCs). It argues that while global production can theoretically meet this demand through yield increases and land expansion, this requires massive shifts in trade, where developed regions (MDCs) must substantially increase cereal exports to Africa and the Middle East. The study highlights critical risks including soil degradation, water scarcity, and the need for a 'doubly green' revolution in agricultural technology to avoid environmental collapse.

The document argues that neonicotinoids, systemic insecticides widely used in corn and soy production, are causing widespread declines in insect and bird populations, particularly honey bees in Canada. It highlights that these chemicals are water-soluble, persistent, and toxic to arthropods, potentially threatening global food security by reducing fruit, vegetable, and nut supplies. While some government reports suggest economic losses from a ban, other studies indicate that neonic seed treatments provide negligible benefits to crop yields. The briefing notes regulatory responses in Ontario, Québec, and the European Union to mitigate these risks.

The document details the role of human activity in increasing atmospheric CO2 and the resulting global temperature rise, which reached 1oC above pre-industrial levels by 2017. It compares the projected impacts of 1.5oC and 2oC warming, noting that 2oC would expose over one third of the world's population to severe heatwaves and increase water stress by 50%. To limit warming to 1.5oC, the text argues for a 45% reduction in emissions from 2010 levels by 2030 and a transition to net zero by 2050. While the Paris Agreement establishes a framework for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the document states that current targets are insufficient and would likely lead to 3oC of warming by 2100.

The US Renewable Fuel Standard increases demand for ethanol and biodiesel, leading to a higher proportion of US farmland being used for biofuel crops like corn and soybeans. Because global food demand remains constant, this displacement causes farmers in countries such as Brazil to convert grazing land to cropland, which in turn pushes ranchers to clear and burn forested land for livestock, releasing large volumes of CO2.