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The document explores the evolving relationship between Korea and Africa, focusing on how Korea's carbon-neutrality goals and technological expertise can support Africa's climate resilience. It identifies key areas for partnership, including renewable energy, green minerals for batteries, smart city development, and climate-resilient agriculture, while emphasizing the need for these initiatives to be African-led and aligned with the AU's strategic framework.

The document argues that smart city developments often prioritize technology and business interests, risking the exclusion of marginalized groups, the urban poor, and women. It proposes a participatory approach to urban planning that utilizes stakeholder mapping, gender-sensitive data collection, and social equity impact assessments to ensure that digital and infrastructural transformations do not exacerbate existing social inequalities or displace vulnerable populations.

The document examines Johannesburg's transition toward a 'safe city' through the Integrated Intelligence Operations Centre (IIOC), which pools CCTV networks and AI analytics. It argues that these systems, often developed via public-private partnerships with firms like IBM and Huawei, lack transparency and threaten civil liberties. The author contends that surveillance does not address the root causes of crime—poverty and inequality—and recommends banning 'nerve centres' and video analytics in public spaces in favor of community-led, low-tech safety solutions.

The document argues that while Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE aggressively market surveillance solutions (Safe City/Smart City) that can impinge on rights, there is little evidence that the Chinese government is imposing a specific authoritarian blueprint on African states. Instead, it finds that African governments often drive the demand for these technologies to strengthen their own power, and that the actual effectiveness of Chinese surveillance tech in reducing crime is often overestimated and fails to account for local socio-political complexities.

The Cape Agulhas Municipality (CAM) has implemented a phased smart water management system to replace manual monitoring of its groundwater sources. By deploying a LoRaWAN IoT network and digitising infrastructure in a pilot town, Suiderstrand, the municipality has achieved significant reductions in operating costs, vehicle travel, and carbon emissions. The project aims to provide a real-time holistic view of the water network to ensure the sustainable management of aquifers and improve service delivery efficiency.

The document analyzes the transition from a fragmented national regulatory landscape to a harmonized EU-wide framework for civil drones. It details the key regulations that entered into force in 2019, the role of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the development of 'U-Space' for automated air navigation. The brief also addresses the challenges of balancing rapid technological growth with safety, privacy, and civil-military coordination in European airspace.

The report explores the integration of 'fintech' (IoT, big data, AI, and blockchain) into environmental science to address water challenges exacerbated by climate change. Through case studies like the Jefferson Project and Copernicus, it demonstrates how real-time data and advanced analytics enable early warning systems, fill critical data gaps, and inform sustainable decision-making in watersheds, agriculture, and urban environments.

The document analyzes Pune's efforts toward urban sustainability and equity, highlighting the role of civil society organization (CSO) coalitions in collaborating with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). While progress was made in sustainable transport (via the BRTS) and solid waste management (via the SWaCH cooperative), these gains are threatened by fragmented governance, the corporatization of waste, and a shift toward centralized, high-tech infrastructure like the Metro rail. The authors argue that lasting transformation is hindered by the PMC's lack of financial and political autonomy from the state government of Maharashtra.

The document highlights that Indian cities will generate 70% of future energy demand and face increasing climate hazards, necessitating the Smart City Mission's focus on core infrastructure and sustainable environments. It details the India-UK Smart Cities for growth partnership's support in urban planning and clean energy, while recommending multi-stakeholder dialogues, better use of evidence bases, and improved coordination between national and state actors to bridge implementation gaps.

The document reflects on seven years of CDKN's work to integrate climate action with poverty reduction, highlighting its influence on policies in 33 countries and its support for the Paris Agreement. It identifies critical gaps in current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the need for diversified climate finance beyond the Green Climate Fund, and the slow pace of sustainable transport and smart city adoption in developing nations compared to the rapid energy transition to renewables.

The document details the development of the Madurai Action Plan for Blue-Green Infrastructure, a multi-stakeholder initiative designed to mitigate climate-related hazards like flooding and extreme heat. It emphasizes the role of intermediary organisations, such as the DHAN Foundation, in bridging the gap between government authorities and local communities through participatory methods like 'water walks'. The plan consists of 14 projects across six themes, focusing on sanitation, waste management, and the restoration of water bodies. The case study highlights the importance of integrated, long-term planning over sector-specific approaches and suggests that this model can inform the development of 'smart cities' in India by prioritising natural and cultural heritage alongside urban growth.

The document outlines various BC3 research initiatives aimed at improving urban resilience and sustainability. Key examples include flood-risk modeling in Bilbao and Zurich, heat-health warning system evaluations in Madrid, and the socio-economic analysis of energy efficiency plans. It emphasizes the necessity of science-policy collaboration to create cost-efficient, data-driven urban interventions.

The document details a 'future proofing' initiative in Madurai, India, supported by the Madurai Corporation, University College London (UCL), and DFID. It emphasizes the integration of 'blue-green infrastructure'—such as the restoration of the Vaigai and Kruthumal rivers—to mitigate climate risks. The approach highlights the need for social inclusivity, specifically addressing the vulnerabilities of slum dwellers and marginalized groups. It also discusses the city's transition toward becoming a 'Smart City' and the role of community-led technical advisory groups in urban planning.

The 'Green and Smart Town Development Guidelines' by China Development Bank Capital outlines 12 measurable green guidelines across urban form, transport, and energy/resources, alongside six smart city strategies. The guide aims to reduce urbanization costs from 8.6% to 6.8% of GDP by implementing compact development, transit-oriented design, and resource efficiency. It provides specific benchmarks, such as limiting block sizes to 2 hectares and requiring 70% of buildings to meet MOHURD one-star green standards, supported by international case studies from Portland, Stockholm, and Copenhagen.

The guidelines establish a 'first green, then smart' approach, where smart technologies are used to optimize the outcomes of sustainable urban design. The framework covers six smart categories: telecommunications, mobility, governance, energy management, safety, and public services, supported by global case studies to demonstrate economic and environmental viability.

The briefing outlines the unique energy context of India—characterized by high total emissions but low per capita emissions—and proposes four areas for US-India cooperation: facilitating investment in renewable energy, leading a global clean energy collaborative, expanding climate resilience partnerships through data access, and establishing direct high-level communication to support the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

The document emphasizes that urban sustainability is not merely a technological challenge but involves power relations, culture, and social values. It advocates for the use of participatory methods to integrate the 'cognitive dimension'—the knowledge, perceptions, and values of diverse stakeholders—to identify barriers and opportunities in energy transitions. Using a Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) study in Bilbao, the authors demonstrate that social initiatives and changes in lifestyle yield superior results in reducing emissions and improving quality of life compared to purely economic or institutional measures.