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This case study examines Cape Town's response to a severe drought from 2015 to 2018, focusing on the collaborative partnerships established between public and private sectors to maintain economic resilience and avoid a jobs crisis.

This case study describes how GreenCape, a not-for-profit organisation, provided support to water-intense industrial sectors in Cape Town during the severe drought of 2015-2018. The initiative aimed to help businesses reduce water consumption to maintain operations while adhering to a 45% water restriction.

This case study details the water reduction strategies implemented by Virgin Active across its Western Cape branches in response to a severe regional drought. Through a R24 million investment in technological and behavioral interventions, the company reduced water usage by 62%.

This document is a Terms of Reference issued by GreenCape in December 2018 to appoint a service provider to develop and deliver a training program for qualified plumbers on the safe installation of alternative water systems in Cape Town.

This briefing by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute argues that the United States must proactively plan for climate-induced migration to avoid regional instability and humanitarian crises. It highlights the lack of legal protections for environmental migrants and the specific risks of agricultural decline in Mexico and Central and South America, while noting the potential strain on U.S. military resources tasked with humanitarian aid.

This case study by the Green Economy Coalition examines the impact of drought on rural livelihoods in Ethiopia and evaluates the effectiveness of traditional humanitarian aid versus market-based resilience strategies implemented by Mercy Corps.

This factsheet from the Raising Risk Awareness initiative analyzes the 2015-16 drought in Ethiopia, noting that the event's extreme rarity and severity—influenced by El Niño—strained the capacity of existing national and international preparedness and response systems.

A report by the Stockholm Environment Institute detailing the biophysical impacts of climate change in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, specifically focusing on the agricultural sector, water scarcity, and the resulting socio-economic vulnerabilities.

This rapid analysis by World Weather Attribution examines the influence of climate change and La Niña on the drought in Somalia, specifically focusing on meteorological drought (lack of rain) during the 2016 rainy seasons.

This policy brief examines the vulnerabilities of the Caribbean's agriculture and tourism sectors to climate change, drawing on CDKN-funded research. It argues that urgent investment in climate resilience is necessary to prevent the reversal of economic growth and poverty alleviation, proposing specific adaptation measures and the use of decision-support tools to prioritise 'no regret' investments.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines climate adaptation readiness in Southern Africa by analyzing the region's response to the severe 2015/16 El Niño-induced drought. The author argues that while the El Niño cycle is a natural phenomenon, the resulting drought serves as a critical test of the region's institutional and policy capacity to handle severe environmental stress. The paper identifies significant gaps in national and regional response capacities, highlighting the need for a shift from reactive 'response' to proactive 'prevention' and the scaling of successful local and regional adaptation strategies.

This policy brief discusses the application of attribution science to disaster risk management in Kenya, highlighting how climate science can bridge the gap between scientific data and policy action to improve risk awareness, preparedness, and resource allocation.

This report summarizes an information session held by WWF South Africa on October 18, 2017, focused on water saving and stewardship for agricultural producers in the Western Cape. It addresses the critical water scarcity facing the region, the role of producers as stewards of shared water resources, and practical technological and biological methods to improve water use efficiency and mitigate climate risks.

This research note examines the vulnerability of Zimbabwe's livestock industry to climate change, identifying key environmental threats and systemic institutional failures that hinder the sector's capacity to adapt.

This policy briefing examines the vulnerability of the livestock sector in Southern Africa to climate change, highlighting the severe impact of the 2015/2016 drought. It argues that while regional strategies like the SADC Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan exist, implementation remains sporadic and donor-driven. The document advocates for the use of indigenous animal genetic resources, improved support for small-scale farmers, and enhanced regional collaboration to build a climate-resilient livestock industry.

This policy briefing examines climate adaptation readiness in the agricultural sector of South Africa's Western Cape province following the 2015/2016 El Niño-linked drought. It argues that while comprehensive policy frameworks for disaster risk reduction and management exist, implementation is hindered by bureaucratic bottlenecks, insufficient funding, and a persistent focus on short-term relief over long-term resilience. The document highlights the success of conservation agriculture among grain farmers and calls for strengthened intergovernmental cooperation and adaptive water resource planning.

The Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) advocates for a shift from traditional water control and recovery-based humanitarian aid toward a resilience-based approach that integrates natural water cycles and local knowledge into design and investment.

The June 2016 Peace & Security Council Report examines the strained relationship between the African Union's Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the UN Security Council (UNSC), focusing on coordination failures, funding disputes for peacekeeping, and the AU's struggle to implement preventive diplomacy in member states like the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This report details the second phase (2015–2016) of the Breede Catchment Water Stewardship Programme in South Africa's Western Cape, a partnership between WWF-SA, Woolworths, M&S, GIZ, and the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS). The project focused on transitioning from on-farm water risk identification to collective action, specifically addressing urban water quality in townships, invasive alien plant clearing in mountainous areas, and the application of the AWS Standard to agriculture.

This case study assesses the economic impacts of climate change on agricultural production in three villages within the Karamoja region of Uganda: Oryeotyene North ward (Abim district), Nakayot (Napak district), and Lopedot (Amudat district). The report analyzes recent losses from droughts and floods, projects future production losses up to 2050, and evaluates adaptation strategies to improve resilience for crop and livestock farming.