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The document outlines the critical role of rural women in economic growth and food security while highlighting the systemic barriers they face, including gender-based violence, lack of land rights, and limited access to education and technology. It argues that empowering rural women through legal reforms, capacity building, and strategic networking is essential for sustainable development and climate adaptation.

The study assesses 62 mining applications in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal to determine if EAPs are following the six core principles of the Mining and Biodiversity Guidelines (MBG). It finds significant gaps in adherence, particularly regarding the use of biodiversity information and best practice environmental impact assessments. The report highlights a performance gap between larger and smaller EAP consultancies and argues for the urgent formal registration and regulation of EAPs under a professional body like EAPASA to ensure sustainable development and protect water and food security in South Africa's grasslands.

The report examines the integration of climate mitigation, adaptation, and food security within the agricultural sector. It focuses on identifying synergies and trade-offs to help policymakers in developing countries overcome barriers and optimally access international climate finance for food-security related elements of national climate change strategies.

The Adapta Sertão programme employs a community-based adaptation (CBA) approach to help small farmers in Brazil's semi-arid region increase yields and resilience through a combination of low-cost technology, micro-credit, and market access. The programme argues that a systemic approach, which uses partnerships to link fragmented public policies regarding finance, technology, and technical assistance, is more effective than relying solely on slow government interventions.

The document identifies five priority policy intersections for the SADC region, noting that over half of the region's countries have economies where fewer than eight sectors account for 75 per cent of exports, primarily focusing on minerals or agriculture.

The document introduces a study that combines a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model with a spatially explicit land use model to analyze the interconnectedness of socio-economic development, land use, climate change, and food security in Vietnam from 2010 to 2030. It aims to provide decision-makers with insights into the spatial patterns of land use change and the resulting implications for greenhouse gas emissions and food security under three different scenarios.

The document argues that agriculture is both a driver of and a victim of global warming, necessitating a shift from project-based activities to coordinated, integrated government policy-making. It emphasizes that climate responses must account for trade flows, production impacts, and interactions with development processes such as urbanization and migration. The paper is part of a broader project examining the application of climate compatible development (CCD) principles within African agricultural research and advisory services.

The document analyzes the transition from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on the shift toward a universal, integrated approach to food security and sustainable agriculture. It reviews proposals from the Open Working Group (OWG) and other entities, highlighting a consensus on increasing productivity and resource efficiency while prioritizing vulnerable populations. However, it notes that specific implementation strategies and the integration of cross-sectoral synergies remain underdeveloped.

The document analyzes the transition from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting a shift toward a universal, integrated approach to food security. It highlights a consensus on increasing agricultural productivity and resource efficiency, with an expanded focus on nutritional value and the empowerment of smallholders. While the Open Working Group's 'Zero draft' includes a dedicated goal for hunger and sustainable agriculture, the author argues that the framework still lacks sufficient integration between goals and specific strategies for implementation, such as research and technology transfer.

The document argues that agricultural cooperatives promote inclusive investment by allowing farmers to maintain control over resources while achieving economies of scale. It highlights that well-organized cooperatives reduce risk for foreign investors and facilitate more efficient contracting. The brief emphasizes that government support should be limited to creating an enabling legal environment and providing technical resources, rather than interfering in internal management, as bottom-up initiatives are generally more successful.

The document promotes agricultural cooperatives as a socially and politically acceptable alternative to 'land grabbing,' allowing farmers to retain control of their resources while accessing markets and finance. It distinguishes between production and service cooperatives and highlights the benefits of collective bargaining and resource sharing. The text emphasizes that while foreign investment can reduce risk and provide capital, government support should be limited to creating a favorable legal environment and providing technical training, rather than direct interference in management.

The report details a rapid foresight exercise and backcasting analysis conducted with 18 practitioners from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to identify gaps in sustainable development planning. It emphasizes the need to transition from siloed, sector-based planning to integrated, multistakeholder processes that align national visions with subnational implementation. The document outlines a capacity-building agenda for 2014-2015 focusing on vertical and horizontal collaboration, cross-cutting policies for water, energy, and food security, and the shift from expenditure-based reporting to objective-based monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (MER). It also maps existing regional networks, such as REDEPLAN and CLAD, to coordinate knowledge sharing and avoid duplication of efforts.

The report identifies four core areas for improving sustainable development (SD) planning: multistakeholder participation, integrated vertical planning across government levels, cross-sectoral policy integration, and monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (MER). Across Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean, the report finds a prevalence of 'silo' sectoral planning and a lack of institutional frameworks for stakeholder engagement. It argues for the creation of national SD councils chaired by heads of state and the adoption of 'glocal' planning to align global goals with local implementation. Key capacity gaps include a lack of data for evidence-based policy, poor coordination between governmental and non-governmental agencies, and limited technical skills for information management at subnational levels.

The study finds that soil and water conservation (SWC) and small reservoir expansion increased significantly in northern Burkina Faso, particularly in regions receiving 700 mm of rainfall or less. While regional cereal yields rose by approximately 3% per year, and rice productivity showed a strong correlation with reservoir expansion, the causal links to poverty reduction and food security are less clear due to data limitations. The report suggests that AWM adoption is one of many factors contributing to livelihood improvements and requires further long-term analysis to establish definitive causality.

The Western Province of Sri Lanka is utilizing urban and peri-urban agriculture and forestry to enhance climate resilience, specifically through the rehabilitation of abandoned paddy lands and the intensification of home gardening. Pilot projects in Kesbewa demonstrate that these interventions can reduce flood risks by improving storm water infiltration and lower greenhouse gas emissions by reducing food transport needs. The document argues for a 'green mosaic' urban design and the alignment of local, provincial, and national policies—including the revision of the Paddy Act—to scale these low-cost adaptation strategies.

The report identifies a critical lack of institutional and individual capacity for climate compatible development (CCD) in Angola, particularly within universities, which are largely disconnected from national climate research. While the government has established policy frameworks and some international projects (such as those by UNDP and GEF) employ transdisciplinary approaches, university-level research and curriculum integration are nearly non-existent. The report highlights urgent needs for meteorological data, skilled researchers in hydrology and agro-meteorology, and the development of CCD materials in Portuguese. Potential pathways for improvement include the newly established Centre of Excellence for Sciences Applied to Sustainability (CESSAF) and the Climate Change and Tropical Ecology Research Centre at José Eduardo dos Santos University.

The report identifies Tanzania's high vulnerability to climate change, particularly in agriculture and coastal zones, and assesses the capacity of its universities to support climate compatible development (CCD). It highlights significant gaps in baseline data, specialized technical skills, and institutional coordination, while noting the potential for interdisciplinary research and the need for curriculum innovation to integrate CCD into higher education.

The report identifies Zambia's high vulnerability to climate change, specifically in agriculture and water security, and assesses the role of higher education institutions in addressing these challenges. It highlights significant gaps in climate modelling, carbon marketing, and the integration of CCD into national curricula, while identifying strengths in solar energy research and disaster management training.

The report assesses Zimbabwe's capacity for climate compatible development (CCD), identifying significant research and institutional gaps despite a strong tradition of academic publishing. It highlights the need for interdisciplinary research, curriculum innovation, and better integration of indigenous knowledge to address vulnerabilities in agriculture, water, and health.

The report identifies Botswana as highly vulnerable to climate change, particularly regarding water shortages and agricultural yields. It finds that while universities like the University of Botswana and Botswana College of Agriculture possess significant individual expertise, there is a critical lack of overarching national CCD policy and institutional coordination. The document argues for a shift toward transdisciplinary research and the integration of indigenous knowledge systems to build climate resilience.