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The Sombwe Dam project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo threatens Upemba National Park, potentially violating national conservation law and risking the loss of rare species and critical forests. The project, intended to power the copper and cobalt mining belt, could release 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent by the end of the century due to forest submergence. Global Witness calls for the suspension of work by PowerChina and demands that international financiers and the DRC government seek alternative sites to avoid devastating biodiversity and climate impacts.

The National Pricing Strategy for Water Use Charges outlines a hybrid tariff system for South Africa, combining national and catchment-level charges. It defines six water use categories and five main charge types: Water Resources Management, Infrastructure (including O&M, Depreciation, FIBC, and Capital Use), Waste Discharge, Water Research Commission, and Economic Regulator charges. The strategy emphasizes the 'user pays' and 'polluter pays' principles while providing targeted subsidies and phased-in charges for resource-poor farmers and foresters to support racial and gender equity. Implementation began on 1 April 2016, introducing multi-year tariffs and a structured process for budget planning and price setting.

The document outlines a framework for energy management in South African wastewater treatment works (WWTWs), emphasizing the role of level 1 energy audits to identify high-demand areas. It details specific optimisation strategies for aeration, pumping, and sludge management, noting that these interventions can yield energy savings up to 75%. Additionally, it provides a menu of financing mechanisms, including grants and energy performance contracts, to support the adoption of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.

The document outlines energy efficiency (EE) strategies for pumps and motors in South African wastewater treatment works, noting that pumping can account for 4% to 30% of a facility's energy use. It categorizes interventions by payback period and energy savings potential, ranging from no-cost operational adjustments to capital-intensive retrofitting. Potential energy savings from these combined interventions can exceed 50%. The factsheet also details various financing options, including municipal budgets, grants, concessional loans, and energy performance contracts, to support the deployment of these technologies.

The document outlines specific power consumption (SPC) benchmarks for primary and tertiary wastewater treatment technologies in South Africa. It identifies that while these stages are not energy intensive, efficiency can be improved through peak demand management, equipment idling, and UV disinfection upgrades, with potential energy savings of up to 50% for UV systems.

The Hartenbos wastewater treatment works (WWTW) in the Western Cape has implemented a hybrid microgrid consisting of solar PV and battery energy storage (BESS) to ensure operational continuity during loadshedding. The system, completed in September 2025 with a cost between R100 million and R112 million, allows the facility to island from the grid, reduce diesel reliance, and export surplus power. The project serves as a model for other municipalities to stabilize critical services and lower energy expenditures through embedded renewable energy.

The document identifies the secondary treatment stage as the highest energy consumer in wastewater treatment works, particularly in systems using activated sludge where aeration can account for 50% of process energy. It recommends benchmarking specific power consumption (SPC) and implementing interventions such as fine bubble aeration, dissolved oxygen control, and cascade aeration to reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Financing options for these projects include municipal budgets, grants, concessional loans, and energy performance contracts.

The IAI, ICSU-ROLAC, and UNESCO are forming a consortium to implement research, capacity building, and outreach programs in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) aligned with Future Earth themes. The partnership focuses on two primary goals: developing secure, low-carbon energy systems and integrating risk prevention and management to mitigate natural disasters. The consortium aims to strengthen interdisciplinary research involving social, applied, and natural sciences to generate policy-oriented outcomes for the region.

The project investigated the Paraná river downstream of the Porto Primavera dam in Brazil to understand how flow dynamics affect large wetlands and floodplains. Using the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) method, researchers found that fish migration and reproduction are strongly influenced by the duration, starting date, peak, and frequency of flood events. The study also identified that professional fishing, tourism, and recreation depend on these ecosystems, though these activities often face conflicts of interest. To address these issues, the team developed a mathematical model using Stochastic Dual Dynamic Programming (SDDP) to simulate the performance of 53 hydropower plants on the river, aiming to create operating policies that optimize both energy production and ecosystem recovery.

The report examines Kenya's renewable energy policy landscape, noting that while the country has achieved high renewable energy generation (over 90%), there are significant gaps in local manufacturing capacity and social inclusivity. It highlights a dependency on imported technology for solar and wind components and identifies a disconnect between high-level policy ambitions—such as the 'Buy Kenya, Build Kenya' strategy—and the actual capabilities of local medium enterprises. The document also notes that women remain underrepresented in technical roles and that the energy sector is characterised by high levels of casualised labour, which undermines the goal of decent work.

The project aims to reduce community vulnerability to climate change and improve livelihoods by mainstreaming adaptation into national policies and development plans. In Mozambique, the focus is on community-based forest fire management and early warning systems. In Kenya, the project implements drought-resistant crops and improved agricultural techniques. In Rwanda, the effort centers on increasing the resilience of the hydropower sector through natural resource management and energy planning. Regional knowledge sharing involves pilot countries and observer nations Tanzania and Madagascar.

This policy brief examines China's expanding economic role in the Mekong region, specifically its investments in natural resources, energy, and infrastructure in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. It highlights China's strategic shift toward securing foreign resources to fuel its domestic industrial growth and the resulting environmental and social challenges in host countries.

The document details Rwanda's 2004 electricity crisis, which was caused by declining water levels in Lake Bulera due to watershed degradation, poor maintenance, and reduced rainfall. In response, the government implemented the Environment Policy (2003), Environment Law (2005), and Land Law (2005) to protect the Rugezi Wetlands, banning agricultural and pastoral activities within 50 meters of lake shores. These measures, combined with reforestation and erosion control, restored the Ntaruka station to full operational capacity by October 2007. The crisis also prompted Rwanda to diversify its energy portfolio into methane gas, geothermal, and peat resources to reduce vulnerability to hydrological changes and climate change.

The document describes the use of NREL's Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) and RMI's internal dispatch model to evaluate the technical feasibility and cost of four electricity scenarios: Maintain, Migrate, Renew, and Transform. It outlines spatial and temporal resolutions, generation cost assumptions based on learning curve theory, and specific modifications made to approximate distributed energy resources in the Transform case.

The Regulations for Mini-Grids Template establishes a framework for the licensing, operation, and tariff management of mini-grids. It defines three license types based on capacity and connectivity: Simplified (up to 100 kW), Full (up to 5 MW), and Interconnected (up to 5 MW). The template outlines a detailed application process, a tariff calculation methodology balancing viability and affordability, and rules for main-grid interconnection, including compensation mechanisms for Full Licensees. It also includes minimum technical, safety, and environmental standards for simplified systems.

The document analyzes the role of renewable energy in the Southern African mining sector, highlighting how energy instability and the high cost of diesel generators drive mining firms toward hybrid and private renewable solutions. While South Africa faces challenges from a reliance on coal and potential 'bridging' fuels like shale gas and nuclear power, the declining cost of solar and wind technologies, supported by the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPPP), offers a viable path to reduce operating costs and increase energy security.

The document lists ten financing programs providing grants, seed funding, and technical assistance for renewable energy technologies. These programs target various stages of business development, from R&D and pilots to scaling and commercial expansion, primarily within African nations and other low-income or developing regions. Funding amounts vary significantly, ranging from small grants of US $15,000 to large-scale transition grants of up to US $15 million.

The Sierra Leone Energy Transition and Green Growth Plan outlines a pathway to 100% electrification and clean cooking by 2040. The plan emphasizes a shift from biomass and oil toward hydropower and solar PV, requiring an estimated USD 6.5 billion in capital investment by 2040 and a cumulative USD 15 billion by 2050. Key targets include deploying 745 MW of large hydropower and 932 MW of solar PV by 2040, while integrating electric mobility and green hydrogen by 2050. The transition is expected to double energy-sector jobs to 29,117 by 2050 and support national goals such as the Feed Salone strategy and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Ghana aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2060, a transition requiring approximately USD 550 billion in capital investment. The plan identifies a shift toward solar PV, electric vehicles, and clean cooking as primary abatement drivers, while noting that without action, emissions could rise from 28 Mt CO2e in 2021 to over 140 Mt by 2050. The strategy emphasizes the need for de-risking instruments to attract private capital and the establishment of an Energy Transition Office to coordinate implementation.

The document outlines a strategic framework for Caribbean nations to 'recover better' from the COVID-19 pandemic by investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency. It highlights the economic benefits, such as GDP growth and job creation, and identifies eight key enablers—including the removal of fossil fuel subsidies and the adoption of cost-reflective tariffs—necessary to transition from centralized, fossil-fuel-dependent power systems to resilient, decentralized green energy infrastructures.