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The study finds that SAICM implementation has positively impacted chemicals management in Tanzania across all five of its objectives, including improved registration of imports and reduced risks in the mining sector. However, significant challenges remain, particularly regarding the unsafe use of chemicals in the informal sector, lack of national coordination at the decision-making level, and the absence of facilities for destroying obsolete chemicals.

The report evaluates Tanzania's adherence to four global biodiversity conventions using a 15-category review methodology. While Tanzania is found to have a strong legal and policy framework, it struggles with financing, monitoring, and the practical enforcement of laws, particularly regarding illegal ivory trade under CITES. The study concludes that implementation effectiveness is moderate overall, with significant gaps in human and technical capacity and a heavy reliance on international donor funding.

The report evaluates a new audit methodology designed to assess how countries implement clusters of related multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). Testing in Estonia and Tanzania focused on four biodiversity-related MEAs: the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Ramsar Convention, CITES, and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). The methodology uses 15 categories to score implementation as strong, moderate, or weak. In Estonia, implementation was generally high, with 'Cross-border cooperation' being the strongest area. In Tanzania, overall effectiveness was moderate, with a strong legal framework but weaknesses in enforcement and monitoring. The report concludes that the methodology is a useful, relatively easy-to-apply tool for both national governments and international secretariats to identify implementation gaps and streamline reporting.

The document argues that conventional formal institution building is insufficient for sustainable development and calls for new collaborations between governments, civil society, and the private sector. It emphasizes the need to link livelihoods in low-income regions with consumption patterns in affluent regions and to integrate disaster risk reduction (DRR) into development planning to build resilience. SEI highlights various projects, including palm oil governance in Southeast Asia, Arctic resilience, and sanitation in East Africa, to illustrate the need for 'hybrid accountability' and 'institutional bricolage' in governance.

The document describes the complex network of national and regional institutions managing water in Colombia, highlighting the role of the IDEAM and the Corporaciones Autónomas Regionales (CARs). It identifies critical gaps in water resource knowledge—specifically regarding supply, demand, and quality—that hinder effective decision-making. To address these, the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) proposes the ADR (Robust Decision Making) process and the WEAP tool, which utilize the XLRM framework to model various climate and socio-economic scenarios, thereby supporting more robust adaptation strategies and reducing potential conflicts in water management.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing groundWork, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), and the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA), submitted comments on 16 April 2013 regarding the draft 2012 National Framework for Air Quality Management in South Africa. The CER argues that the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) failed to follow prescribed review processes, ignored legislative obligations from the 2007 Framework, and provided insufficient support to municipalities for air quality management.

The document highlights that while Niger has the world's fourth largest uranium production, with export values exceeding 348 million Euros in 2010, the environmental governance of this sector is largely ignored by development cooperation donors despite reports of severe impacts.

The Centre for Environmental Rights is seeking clarification from Minister Susan Shabangu on why a mining right application from Duiker Mining (Pty) Ltd was accepted for the Chrissiesmeer Biodiversity Site, despite previous ministerial assurances that mining in this ecologically sensitive area was prohibited. The Centre notes that while the Minister claimed the process was complete, no formal declaration under section 49(1) of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) has been published in the Government Gazette. They urge the Minister to formally prohibit prospecting and mining in the site for at least 20 years to ensure ecological sustainability and provide certainty to stakeholders.

The report finds a decline in the actual disclosure of environmental records in South Africa during 2012, despite a decrease in requests being ignored. While public bodies showed more active engagement with PAIA requests, active refusals increased and full grants dropped. Private companies shifted from ignoring requests to actively refusing them, often challenging the legal right of non-governmental organisations to monitor environmental compliance. Significant non-compliance was noted regarding PAIA Manuals and statutory reporting to the South African Human Rights Commission, particularly within the Department of Mineral Resources.

The document details the technical and operational requirements for a consultancy aimed at enhancing the institutional readiness of MARN and SINAMA in El Salvador. Key requirements include the design and implementation of a software-based executive information system for MARN, the integration of existing environmental evaluation and planning tools, and the coordination of organizational development with personnel capacity building. The project emphasizes building upon previous consultancy work and utilizing open-source software to ensure sustainability and scalability within the national environmental governance framework.

The report identifies systemic barriers to integrated climate governance in Belize, Nepal, and Tanzania, such as fragmented institutional mandates and the narrow framing of climate change as solely an environmental issue. It advocates for 'collective learning' and systems thinking to bridge gaps between sectors and governance levels, highlighting the potential of payment for ecosystem services (PES) and the role of civil society as 'boundary organisations' to foster collaboration.

The document analyzes the shift in Arctic environmental governance from a cooperative 'low politics' area in the 1990s to 'high politics' linked to global markets and resource politics. It explores how issues like climate change, biodiversity, and persistent pollutants have framed the Arctic as a global concern and assesses the impact of emerging geopolitics on pan-Arctic governance.

The document examines the conceptual challenges of 'accountability' within global governance, arguing that the term is often conflated with legitimacy, transparency, and democratic accountability. It critiques the 'standard approach'—which focuses on vertical power lines and punitive sanctions—and proposes a shift toward 'accountability to mandate' and 'promise-keeping.' The author emphasizes that accountability should be analyzed through both substantive (meeting objectives) and procedural (how the organization works) lenses. The paper also explores the 'polycentric' nature of global governance, where overlapping accountability regimes can lead to 'multiple accountabilities disorder' (MAD) and a 'regulatory trilemma' between efficacy, responsiveness, and coherency.

The document investigates the shift from top-down technocratic approaches to inclusive environmental governance within the Natura 2000 network. It proposes a three-pronged evaluation framework focusing on information quality, legitimacy, and social dynamics. Applying this to the Garate-Santa Barbara SCI in the Basque Country, the authors find that while participatory processes can reduce uncertainty and foster local relationships, they often fail to influence final political decisions, leading to participant frustration.

The report analyzes the lack of formal legal recognition for TICCAs in Panama, highlighting conflicts between the National Environment Authority (ANAM) and indigenous peoples. It examines national environmental laws, the Constitution, and comarca-specific laws, noting that while state laws often ignore traditional conservation, indigenous customary laws—such as the Guna's Anmar Igar—effectively protect biodiversity. The document proposes strategies to integrate traditional governance into the National System of Protected Areas (SINAP) and protect indigenous collective rights over natural resources.

The report examines the tension between the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997 and other national laws, such as the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and the NIPAS Act, which often undermine indigenous land tenure and governance. It highlights that while the Philippines has progressive laws on paper, implementation is hindered by the 'Regalian Doctrine' and institutional conflicts between agencies like the NCIP and DENR. The document details the role of ICCAs in biodiversity conservation and provides case studies of indigenous communities, such as the Tagbanwa and Talaandig, struggling to maintain control over their ancestral domains against state-led protected area systems and extractive industries.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing groundWork, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), and the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA), submitted comments on August 22, 2012, regarding the review of the National Framework for Air Quality Management. The submission criticizes the lack of a systematic review of the 2007 Framework, the absence of a current State of the Air Report, and significant gaps in air quality monitoring and public access to information. The CER advocates for more stringent emission standards, mandatory reporting for data holders, and a more inclusive, transparent review process.

The document identifies freshwater, climate change, and environmental governance as universal priorities across regions. It highlights that successful policies—such as the removal of fossil fuel subsidies and integrated water resources management—rely on robust governance structures, multi-stakeholder participation, and the addressing of underlying drivers of degradation. The text emphasizes the importance of transboundary cooperation and the potential for successful policies to leverage societal transformation toward sustainable development objectives.

Europe is characterized by strong environmental governance, particularly within the European Union, with successful implementations of climate policies, air quality monitoring, and water resource management. While the region is a leader in biodiversity conservation networks and waste regulation, it continues to face challenges including growing waste volumes, industrial waste legacies in Eastern Europe, and a lack of improvement in the overall conservation status of habitats and species.

The document examines the Asia and the Pacific region as a critical driver of global environmental outcomes, highlighting its role as the fastest-growing region with rapidly rising greenhouse gas emissions. It argues that while some progress has been made in mitigation and adaptation, urgent action is needed to achieve low-carbon, climate-resilient societies. The text identifies key pressures from unsustainable economic growth, population increase, and urbanization, and recommends integrated water management, the '3Rs' approach to waste, and governance improvements to ensure sustainable development.