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The document introduces Madagascar as a low-income island nation with high biodiversity and significant vulnerability to extreme weather. It details the country's diverse precipitation patterns, its history of colonial rule and political instability—including a 2009 coup—and its current political landscape under President Andry Rajoelina. The text serves as a foundational context for the 'Current Path' development trajectory forecasts produced by the African Futures & Innovation program.

Libya is an upper-middle-income country in North Africa characterized by a vast desert interior and a densely populated Mediterranean coast. Its economy is overwhelmingly dependent on oil, which provides over 90% of government revenues and export earnings, though output is volatile due to political instability. Since the 2011 collapse of the Gaddafi regime, the country has faced political fragmentation, recurring civil conflict, and a contested hybrid governance system with parallel institutions in the east and west. Geographically, Libya serves as a strategic transit point for migration toward Europe, a role that heavily impacts the country.

Mali is a low-income Sahelian nation facing severe environmental degradation and political volatility. The country is characterized by three natural zones—Sudanese, Sahelian, and Saharan—and is highly vulnerable to climate change, having experienced significant rainfall declines since the 1980s. Politically, Mali has a history of military coups and recurring rebellions, most recently leading to its withdrawal from ECOWAS in January 2024 and the formation of the Confederation of Sahel States with Burkina Faso and Niger. The document also notes the presence of violent extremist groups and the shift in external relations from France toward Russia.

The document identifies key constraints to Chad's development, including insecurity, overreliance on oil, and climate change. It recommends a multi-sectoral approach involving governance reform, non-oil revenue mobilization, agricultural productivity increases, infrastructure development, human capital strengthening, demographic transition, climate risk management, and economic diversification.

The report projects that Cape Verde will experience significant urbanisation and economic growth by 2043, with GDP per capita rising to US$10,839 under the Current Path. While the country has high human development and political stability, it faces challenges including a high dependency on food imports (90% of food consumed is imported) and vulnerability to climate-induced flooding. The analysis explores several scenarios, finding that 'Free Trade' and 'Manufacturing/Transfers' have the highest potential to increase GDP per capita, while a 'Combined Agenda 2063' scenario could reduce extreme poverty to 3.6% of the population but would increase carbon emissions to 0.47 million tons by 2043. Energy projections suggest a transition toward renewables, with a goal for them to constitute 50% of total energy production by 2043.

The document explains that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a natural cycle of water temperature in the equatorial Pacific that drives global temperature and precipitation trends. It warns that a strong El Niño is likely by mid-summer 2026, which may boost global temperatures already elevated by human-caused climate change. The guide advises reporters to avoid storm-related terminology, consult local experts to understand regional 'teleconnections', and recognize that climate change is making ENSO swings more pronounced while ENSO simultaneously amplifies climate impacts like flooding and drought.

The May 2026 report highlights that the month was the second-warmest on record globally, with carbon dioxide levels reaching a new monthly peak of 432.3 ppm. In the United States, spring 2026 was the second-warmest on record for the contiguous U.S., while 77% of the region experienced abnormally dry or drought conditions as of early June. The report also notes a developing potentially very strong El Niño and record-low snowpack in several western states.

Since independence, African agriculture has lagged behind global productivity due to a lack of resource allocation, tenure reform, and infrastructure. Despite possessing 45% of the world's land suitable for sustainable production expansion, the continent remains the most food-insecure region globally, with yields remaining roughly half of the global average. Productivity is further hampered by conflict in states like Angola and DR Congo, extreme weather events, and significant deforestation, with 4 million hectares of forest lost annually. While the African Union's CAADP initiative aims to drive growth, most national budgets allocate only 5-7% to agriculture, leaving smallholder farmers—who provide 80% of sub-Saharan production—without essential inputs and market access.

The document describes El Niño as a natural climate phenomenon characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific. It argues that climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme El Niño events, particularly Central-Pacific (CP) events, and complicating their prediction. For 2026, there is a 61% chance of an El Niño emerging between May and July, with some models suggesting it could be the strongest in 140 years. The briefing details global teleconnections, noting that El Niño typically causes droughts in southern Africa, Australia, and India, while increasing flood risks in East Africa and the Americas. These shifts significantly impact global agriculture, reducing yields for maize, rice, and wheat while often increasing soybean yields. Regional analysis highlights specific risks, such as increased cholera in East Africa, hydropower reductions at Kariba Dam in Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the Amazon becoming a net carbon source during Eastern-Pacific (EP) events.

The Council on Strategic Risks describes a workshop in California that explored how extreme weather events, such as wildfires and droughts, can be leveraged by opportunistic actors to spread mis- and disinformation. The report identifies key uncertainties regarding generative AI, institutional capacity, and public trust, and presents three divergent future scenarios for the state: a 'muddling through' crisis, a geopolitical collapse triggered by conflict in the Pacific, and a positive social transformation in water management. It concludes that information manipulation is a persistent risk to disaster response and national security, necessitating cross-sector partnerships for resilience.

The project aims to build a 'climate risk protection shield' for 840,000 individuals in Zambian smallholder households by transitioning from aid-dependent interventions to self-sustaining markets. It consists of three components: restructuring the insurance sector through a not-for-profit reinsurance cell, strengthening the indigenous tree seedling supply chain via a national certification system and 1,000 nurseries, and utilizing the One Acre Fund platform to provide climate-resilient inputs and training to 65,000 households. The total investment is USD 30,261,554, including USD 5,261,554 in co-financing from One Acre Fund.

The document explains the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and warns that a particularly strong El Niño is forecast, which may lead to record global temperatures. It details the diverse impacts of the 2023-2024 event in Latin America, including crop failures in Mexico and Central America, droughts in northern Brazil, and energy crises in Costa Rica. It provides a list of technical resources and experts for further reporting.

Drought in Türkiye has led to a permanent decline in hydroelectric output, with the average capacity factor of plants falling from 38% (1996–2005) to 26% over the last decade. This decline is compensated by natural gas power plants, increasing the country's reliance on energy imports. The long-term impact of drought on energy imports is estimated at an average of $1.8 billion per year, with the three largest dams alone (Atatürk, Karakaya, and Keban) contributing to $400 million in additional annual gas imports.

The report finds that drought has caused a permanent decline in Turkey's hydroelectric capacity factors, leading to a reliance on natural gas to compensate for the loss, which increases energy imports by an estimated 1.8 billion dollars annually.

Analysis by Zero Carbon Analytics indicates that consecutive climate extremes in the UK—including the 2022 drought, the 2023/2024 wet winter, and the 2025 drought—have repeatedly driven up farmgate lamb prices. The 2023/2024 wet winter had the most significant impact, increasing prices by an estimated 25%. For the 2.6 million UK households that regularly purchase lamb, these events added up to GBP 168 to their grocery bills. The report highlights a 'climate premium' on traditional Easter lamb roasts since 2023, with price increases ranging from 7% to 21%. The findings suggest that while biological grass systems show some recovery, the market buffer of hay stocks has been progressively depleted, increasing the sensitivity of prices to new climate shocks.

April 2026 was the fourth-warmest month globally on record, with the contiguous U.S. experiencing its third-warmest April. The report highlights severe drought in the Southeast U.S., record-low Western snowpack, and a persistent marine heat wave off the coasts of California and Mexico. Using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), the analysis attributes springtime warming trends in 98% of analyzed U.S. cities to human-caused climate change, with exceptional warmth noted in Honolulu and San Juan. Forecasts indicate a high probability of a strong El Niño developing later in 2026, potentially driving global temperature anomalies above 1.8°C relative to pre-industrial levels by early 2027.

The report analyzes gender dynamics in Zambia's agricultural sector to support a project targeting 100,000 smallholder farmers. It identifies significant gaps in women's access to land, credit, and insurance, noting that while women provide 55% of agricultural labor, they face systemic barriers due to patriarchal norms and limited decision-making power. The analysis details the legal framework, including the 2023 National Gender Policy, and highlights the disproportionate impact of climate shocks on women, who represent 56.7% of the country's poor.

Between December 2025 and February 2026, climate change significantly boosted global temperatures, with over one in six people experiencing strong climate influence daily. Nearly 228 million people faced 30 or more risky heat days added by climate change, with 81% of these individuals residing in Africa. The analysis highlights that in 45 countries, all risky heat days during this period were driven by climate change, and 124 countries saw the average person experience at least 30 days of strong climate influence (CSI level 2 or higher).

SLAMDAM has developed 'SLAMDAM SMART' mobile flood barriers integrated with AI-driven IT tools to address the increasing frequency and severity of floods and droughts. These solutions aim to protect communities, farms, and infrastructure while converting flood hazards into opportunities for water storage and irrigation to enhance long-term resilience.

March 2026 was the warmest March on record for the contiguous U.S., characterized by a historic snow drought in the West and extreme heat that increased cooling energy demand. Globally, the month was the second-warmest on record, with Arctic sea-ice reaching a near-record low maximum. In the U.S., severe drought affected 77% of the contiguous region, while Hawaii experienced record-breaking precipitation due to Kona lows.