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The report highlights a critical need for water resilience in the Western Cape due to severe drought and climate change. It identifies four primary investment areas: water metering and monitoring, water efficiency, water reuse, and alternative water supplies (groundwater, rainwater, and desalination). The document details market potentials, such as a R2 billion potential market for potable water reuse in Cape Town and a R5.8 billion potential residential market for alternative water systems in the Western Cape. It also outlines significant barriers, including municipal creditworthiness, high capital costs, and public perception of wastewater reuse.

The report analyzes the climate-security nexus in the Eastern Mediterranean, identifying the region as a climate change hotspot where rising temperatures and water scarcity interact with fragile political structures. It highlights risks including domestic resource competition, potential conflicts over the Nile, Euphrates, and Tigris rivers, and increased migration toward Europe. The author argues that while conventional security threats currently dominate government agendas, the economic and physical impacts of climate change could trigger social unrest and regional instability. The report recommends increasing the visibility of economic risks to leaders and utilizing 'variable geometry' cooperation—combining inter-governmental frameworks like the Barcelona Convention with city-to-city and civil society networks—to foster regional adaptation.

The document analyzes climate change as a 'threat multiplier' that exacerbates global instability and poses direct risks to U.S. military infrastructure and operations. It details how the Department of Defense (DOD) and other agencies like the DHS and CIA integrate climate risk into planning, focusing on issues such as mass migration, water scarcity, and the opening of the Arctic. The brief also outlines specific energy and resilience initiatives across the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, while noting the tension between military adaptation needs and Congressional fiscal priorities.

The peer review concludes that the Greenhouse Gas Assessment (GGA) and Climate Resilience Assessment (CRA) are comprehensive and follow international best practices, though it identifies gaps in the quantification of the Social Cost of Carbon and questions the overall project impact rating. While the project's GHG emissions are rated as 'VERY LARGE' and water scarcity risks as 'HIGH', the reviewer notes that the project's justification relies on existing South African energy policy, which remains a point of contention.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) views climate change as a "threat multiplier" that amplifies existing global instabilities such as poverty and political tension. The document outlines critical risks including mass population displacement, water scarcity leading to potential "weaponization of water," and shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Arctic due to sea ice loss. Domestically, climate change threatens the readiness of DOD's vast real estate portfolio, valued at approximately $850 billion. The briefing details adaptation and mitigation efforts across the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, while noting the inconsistent nature of Congressional support for climate-security policies.

The report examines the Berg Water Management Area (WMA) as a 'constrained catchment' where water demand is projected to outstrip supply due to climate change, population growth, and urbanisation. It identifies a misalignment between legislated water allocation processes and economic development planning, noting that water is often treated as an independent variable rather than a co-dependent factor. To address this, the study developed a regional hydro-economic GIS model to forecast water requirements and value the economic opportunity costs of supply deficits, and a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) tool for the Saldanha Bay Local Municipality to prioritise development applications based on socio-economic outcomes rather than a first-come-first-served basis. Findings indicate that while the City of Cape Town dominates regional economic value, the West Coast municipalities of Swartland, Saldanha Bay, and Bergrivier face the most significant constraints to future development. The report recommends the creation of a regional water utility and the use of the provincial government's Sustainable Water Management Plan (SWMP) as a forum for integrated planning.

The Thabametsi Power Company (Pty) Ltd is applying for a Water Use License for a 630 MW coal-fired power plant near Lephalale, Limpopo. The project will use dry-cooled Circulating Fluidised Bed technology to achieve zero liquid effluent discharge. Water will be sourced via a permanent transfer of 720,000 m3/annum from Exxaro Coal (Pty) Ltd's existing allocation. The application covers several water uses under the National Water Act, including taking and storing water, altering watercourses, and disposing of waste. While the project is expected to create 14,348 jobs and support local industry, it faces challenges regarding water scarcity in the Mokolo Dam catchment and potential groundwater pollution from ash dumps and coal stockpiles. Mitigation measures include HDPE liners for pollution control dams and a comprehensive groundwater monitoring program.

The document challenges the narrative that water scarcity directly causes violent conflict, asserting instead that the 'politics of water'—including corruption, marginalization, and poor state management—increases conflict risks. While Africa faces significant physical water stress, with 65% of the population experiencing occasional stress and 82% of the continent being arid or semi-arid, empirical research suggests that scarcity often leads to cooperation rather than violence. Conflict typically emerges when water is treated as a 'club good' distributed based on political weight or social networks rather than need. This is particularly evident in the disparity between urban and rural access, the prioritization of cash crops for irrigation, and the rise of informal service providers, such as gangs and militias, who exploit water needs for profit in weak states.

India has transitioned from a 'custodian' role for the global South, strictly adhering to the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), toward a more proactive and pragmatic leadership style. While professional negotiators have historically maintained rigid positions based on equity and historical emissions, political leadership—notably during the Copenhagen, Cancun, and Durban COPs—has shown a greater willingness to shift toward binding commitments and transparency. India now emphasizes solar power collaboration and the implementation of the Paris Agreement while continuing to demand green technology transfer from developed nations.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) has challenged the Development Bank of Southern Africa's (DBSA) financing of the Thabametsi coal-fired power plant. The CER highlights a March 2017 North Gauteng High Court ruling that suspended the project's environmental authorisation because climate change impacts were not adequately considered. The CER notes that Thabametsi's own assessments indicate it would be one of South Africa's highest greenhouse gas emitters and faces high water availability risks. The document argues that financing new coal projects contradicts the DBSA's stated goals of supporting a low-carbon economy and its status as a UN Green Climate Fund entity, warning that the plant is likely to become a stranded asset given South Africa's commitments under the Paris Agreement.

The document is a 'Comments and Responses Report' addressing objections to the Thabametsi Power Station's climate and palaeontological assessments. The developer, Thabametsi Power Company, defends the project's alignment with the 2010 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and argues that its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while high, are consistent with international standards and comparable to other South African coal plants. It rejects claims that it must calculate the 'social cost of carbon' or assess community-level climate resilience, stating these fall outside the approved Scope of Work. The report also addresses water scarcity risks in the Lephalale region, asserting that Phase 1 will use existing water allocations from the MCWAP-1 scheme and employ dry-cooling technology to minimize consumption.

The paper positions gender equality as a cornerstone of the green economy, asserting that without it, sustainable development and poverty eradication cannot be achieved. It defines a green economy as one that is low carbon, resource efficient, and socially inclusive, and argues that existing gender disparities in economic, political, legal, and environmental spheres must be addressed to prevent the 'brown economy's' inequalities from persisting. The author proposes gender mainstreaming and women's empowerment as key strategies to ensure women are active agents of change rather than marginalized victims. However, the paper warns that without gender-responsive policies and budgeting, the transition to green jobs—estimated at 15–60 million globally—may fail to benefit women, particularly in developing countries where they are often trapped in informal, low-wage agricultural work.

The report identifies that while the total volume of water in the Indus River Basin may not change significantly in the near term, climate change will likely alter the timing and variability of peak flows due to unpredictable monsoon patterns. It highlights a critical lack of hydrological knowledge regarding the Upper Indus Basin and warns that per capita water scarcity will increase due to rising demand, regardless of climate change. Key recommendations include modernizing streamflow monitoring, establishing a water data repository, and promoting sustainable irrigation for smallholder farmers.

The report evaluates the Thabametsi Power Station's impact on climate change and palaeontological heritage. It finds that the plant will have a 'High (Negative)' impact due to 'Very Large' annual GHG emissions of approximately 9.88 million t CO2e. While the plant's emissions intensity is slightly lower than some older Eskom plants slated for decommissioning, it remains high. The climate resilience assessment identifies water shortages and quality as high risks. The palaeontological assessment finds a medium risk of impact in the Swartrant Formation and low risk elsewhere, recommending monitoring by a palaeontologist during excavations.

Friends of the Earth International criticizes the UN Convention on Biodiversity for promoting tourism as a tool for biodiversity conservation. The statement argues that mainstream tourism leads to the eviction of indigenous peoples, destruction of ecosystems like mangrove forests, and excessive resource consumption, including high water usage and food waste. It highlights that 5% of global emissions are linked to tourism and warns that the aviation industry's planned 700% growth by 2050, supported by REDD offsets, is unsustainable. The document calls for a fundamental change in the tourism business model and policies that prioritize the rights and self-determination of local communities over corporate profit.

Friends of the Earth International criticizes the UN Convention on Biological Diversity for promoting tourism to protect biodiversity, arguing that mass tourism leads to ecosystem destruction, water scarcity, and the displacement of indigenous peoples. The statement highlights that while community-based projects exist, the broader industry is characterized by corporate profit, high emissions, and human rights abuses.

The MENA region is identified as a climate hot spot facing extreme heat, drought, and aridity. The agricultural sector, which is 70% rain-fed and a primary employer, is highly exposed; in a 2 °C warming scenario, annual water discharge is projected to drop by 15–45%. These biophysical pressures, combined with a population projected to double by 2070, are expected to deteriorate rural livelihoods, increase migration to urban areas, heighten food import dependency, and potentially exacerbate social unrest in politically unstable areas.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing Earthlife Africa Johannesburg and groundWork, sent a letter to the South African Department of Energy's IPP Office on 6 April 2017. The letter alerts the Department that two preferred bidders under the Coal Baseload Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (CBIPPPP)—Thabametsi Power Company and ACWA Power Khanyisa—appear unable to meet the legal qualification criteria for financial and commercial close due to missing or contested environmental and generation licenses.

The author contends that climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier' that exacerbates global instability, migration, and conflict, yet remains absent from public debate. The text proposes that the EU shift toward a 'geographic climate security policy'—modeled on UNEP's analysis of the Sahel—which assesses how climate factors intersect with political and security risks in specific territories. To implement this, the Greens suggest creating an EU Special Representative on Climate Security, mainstreaming climate security across all external policy funds, and reducing European dependency on fossil fuel imports from autocratic states to limit their ability to finance aggression.

The document outlines strategies for mainstreaming gender into technical modelling, identifying key barriers such as data gaps and lack of awareness, and offering practical frameworks for inclusive project design and data collection.