Search Climate Insights Directory

The document examines the struggle of Ghana's MMDAs to transition from basic service provision to facilitating broad-based local economic development. It highlights a critical gap in fiscal decentralisation, noting that MMDAs are heavily dependent on unreliable central government transfers, specifically the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), while internally generated funds remain too low to cover recurrent expenditures. The brief argues that certain central government initiatives, such as the "one-constituency, one-million dollar" program, undermine decentralisation by bypassing MMDAs through special development authorities. To address these issues, the document recommends that MMDAs expand their revenue bases, create business-friendly environments for start-ups, and foster collaborations with the private sector and civil society to reduce poverty and unemployment.

The document compiles research on the impacts of Universal Basic Income Grants (UBIG) and cash transfers, focusing on their ability to reduce poverty, improve health, and empower women in South Africa and other low-to-middle-income countries. It challenges myths regarding welfare dependency, arguing that such grants often facilitate job searches and productive investments rather than discouraging work. The bibliography also examines the macroeconomic feasibility of UBIG through progressive taxation and the social benefits of universality over targeted assistance.

A joint statement by civil society organizations calling for the extension and increase of the R350 Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) and Caregivers grants to R585 per month in South Africa. The document argues that terminating these grants at the end of October would plunge approximately 6.8 million people below the food poverty line, exacerbating an existing economic and inequality crisis.

The evaluation concludes that the CMC hybrid model—combining community radio and telecentre services—is an outstanding success in promoting social inclusion, cultural resilience, and poverty alleviation. Key achievements include the integration of CMCs into local communities and the creation of new livelihood opportunities. However, the report identifies significant challenges, including a lack of internal intersectoral cooperation within UNESCO, inconsistent field office support, and the financial instability of centres relying on volunteers and limited revenue. The evaluation recommends that UNESCO establish a clearer strategic interest in the initiative, develop a more structured Results Based Management (RBM) framework for scaling up, and advocate for enabling national policy environments regarding ICT connectivity and broadcast licensing.

The IISD is implementing a project to address the marginalization of poor producers in sustainable markets. While sustainable agricultural production is growing—reaching 20% of global palm oil and 30% of cocoa—production remains concentrated in advanced, export-oriented economies. To counter this, the IISD's Sustainability Standards Initiative (SSI) provides data, digital platforms, and advisory services to help least developed countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America strategically access value-added sustainable markets and align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The IUCN-IISD-SEI-B Initiative focuses on strengthening human resilience to climate change by integrating environmental management into disaster reduction and poverty alleviation policies. The initiative seeks to identify environmental actions that reduce vulnerability, provide implementation guidelines, build institutional capacity, and integrate environmental options into international policy frameworks. Planned outputs include a conceptual framework, case studies, regional consultations, and a network of policy institutions.

The IISD is implementing a project to prevent the marginalization of poor producers in sustainable agriculture markets. By providing data and capacity building on over 400 Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSSs), the initiative aims to help less-developed countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America strategically enter value-added markets to reduce poverty and meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The IISD project 'Tirer parti des marchés durables pour réduire la pauvreté et favoriser le développement durable' aims to prevent the marginalization of poor producers in least developed countries. By increasing transparency and providing data on over 400 voluntary sustainability standards (VSS), the project seeks to enable these countries to develop evidence-based strategies for sustainable production and market access. The initiative includes data collection, a digital platform, and tailored advisory services, initially targeting six pilot countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

The briefing examines the gap between South Sudan's formal commitments to women's rights and the reality of their exclusion from political and economic decision-making. It highlights how women, who make up 65% of the population, are disproportionately affected by poverty and gender-based violence while remaining underrepresented in government appointments and diplomatic negotiations. The authors argue that sustainable development and peacebuilding require moving beyond basic infrastructure to include women as active agents of political change.

The document reports that Malawi is on track to meet five of the eight Millennium Development Goals, attributing this progress to the alignment of the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) with the MDGs. Key successes include a shift from being a net food importer to a net exporter through targeted fertilizer and seed subsidies, as well as improvements in child health and immunization services. The paper emphasizes the role of political will and the contextualization of global goals into national poverty reduction strategies, while calling for development partners to better integrate their programming into Malawi's national frameworks.

The document outlines the political transition in Guinea following the 2010 presidential election of Alpha Condé. It highlights a context of economic ruin, widespread poverty, and ethno-political violence. The brief recommends five priority areas for the new administration: national reconciliation, inclusive governance, fighting impunity, security sector reform, and improving living conditions for the population.

The document presents a positive scenario for Africa based on the education development rates of the continent's most successful countries. If these rates were applied universally, Africa would achieve universal primary education by 2030 and universal basic education by 2035. By 2050, this trajectory would result in 85% upper-secondary enrolment, a reduction of 3.5 million malnourished children, a decrease of 60 million people living on less than US$ 1.25 per day, and a nearly 8% reduction in the chance of state failure. Economically, this would add US$ 2.5 trillion to Africa's GDP by 2050, exceeding the cumulative cost of education spending by more than five times.

The paper examines how Zambia manages competing public needs through macroeconomic reforms and growth stimulation. It details the transition from state-led economic management to a liberalised system, focusing on GDP growth, inflation control, and interest rate reductions to expand the state's resource envelope.

The document examines the link between poverty, human insecurity, and conflict in sub-Saharan Africa. It argues that the 'security first' approach of international donors is flawed because it focuses on state security while ignoring the structural economic collapse caused by neo-liberal structural adjustment programmes and unsustainable debt. The author describes 'new wars' in Africa as rational economic responses to exclusion, where warlords utilize global markets for lootable commodities. The paper advocates for a shift toward 'human security' and a significant increase in official development assistance (ODA) to meet Millennium Development Goals, warning that current donor strategies continue to prioritize market liberalization over genuine poverty alleviation.

The report assesses Zambia's stability, noting that while the country has avoided civil war, it faces structural threats from pervasive poverty, neopatrimonial governance, and an imbalance of power between the executive and other state branches. It highlights the risk of political entrepreneurs exploiting ethnic tensions and the potential for social unrest due to economic inequality and a stalled constitutional review process.

The report analyzes the evolution of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) from its inception in 2000 through the 2006 Beijing summit. It argues that FOCAC provides a 'win-win' framework for South-South cooperation, contrasting China's pragmatic, non-interference approach with Western conditional aid. The document details China's economic model, its strategic need for African raw materials (particularly oil), and the specific financial commitments made to African infrastructure, health, and debt relief. It concludes that while China offers significant opportunities for growth, African nations must improve their own governance and strategic coordination to maximize these benefits.

The document assesses the Western Cape's education system, highlighting systemic inequalities, high grade repetition, and the impact of inward migration. It proposes the 'Educating Cape' scenario, which combines expanded Early Childhood Development (ECD) and improved pedagogical teacher training to boost primary and secondary survival rates, ultimately aiming to increase GDP and reduce extreme poverty by 2040.

The Ugandan government implemented expansionary fiscal and monetary policies to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19 lockdowns. While these measures helped stabilize the financial sector and provided temporary liquidity to businesses, the pandemic caused real GDP growth to drop from 6.8% in FY 2018/19 to 2.9% in FY 2019/20. The industrial and services sectors were most severely affected, contributing to a projected 34.5% increase in the number of people living below the poverty line. Fiscal deficits rose to 7.5% of GDP in FY 2019/20, leading to a 21.7% increase in public debt stock to $15.27 billion.

The document details Germany's shift from a marginal interest in Africa during the Cold War to a more active partnership approach starting in 1998. It highlights the transition from a 'watering can' aid model to targeted support for a limited number of countries, emphasizing poverty reduction and sustainable development. Economic ties are characterized by a concentration of foreign direct investment in Libya, Egypt, and South Africa, while political engagement includes support for the G8 Africa Action Plan and NEPAD. The report specifically examines the 'strategic partnership' with South Africa, noting significant bilateral trade and investment in the automotive and chemical sectors. It also outlines Germany's security contributions through UN-mandated operations and its internal economic challenges, such as high unemployment, which influence its international agenda.

The document analyzes how COVID-19 and its containment measures slowed Uganda's GDP growth to 2.9% in FY2019/20, particularly impacting the services and industrial sectors. It details the government's expansionary responses, including reducing the central bank rate to 7%, providing tax relief to businesses, and implementing social safety nets like the Emyooga fund. While these measures stabilized the financial sector and protected some formal businesses, they contributed to a rise in public debt from $12.55 billion to $15.27 billion and increased external debt vulnerability. The paper concludes that approximately 3 million people fell into poverty due to the pandemic.