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The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting for Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, submitted comments on the Background Information Document (BID) for the proposed Mokolo Crocodile (West) Water Augmentation Project Phase 2 (MCWAP-2). The submission expresses significant reservations regarding the project's sustainability and feasibility, citing climate change and water scarcity, and requests further clarity on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process and public consultation.

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 Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, provides recommendations to improve the scope of the Climate Change Impact Assessment (CCIA) and Palaeontological Impact Assessment Report (PIAR) for the proposed 1200MW Thabametsi coal-fired power station near Lephalale, Limpopo. The CER argues that the current scoping report is too narrow and fails to align with international best practices or South Africa's climate commitments under the Paris Agreement and its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC).

The report provides a comprehensive overview of South Africa's water crisis, highlighting the critical role of 'ecological infrastructure' and the need to transition from a reliance on ageing surface-water dams to sustainable groundwater management and water-sensitive urban design. It details the threats to freshwater biodiversity, the systemic failures in wastewater treatment and sanitation, and the necessity of public-private partnerships in water stewardship to mitigate risks to the economy and public health.

The Maldives is implementing a GCF-funded project starting on Sh. Funadhoo and expanding to 48 other islands to combat water scarcity caused by altered monsoon patterns and tsunami contamination. The project focuses on rainwater collection, groundwater quality, and distribution networks to reduce reliance on expensive desalination. This initiative is part of a broader national adaptation plan including zoning and erosion control, while highlighting the gap between current GCF funding and the global climate finance mandate.

South Africa faces a severe water crisis driven by climate change, population growth, and crumbling infrastructure. The report argues that the country must shift its focus from building new infrastructure to managing demand through water efficiency. Key opportunities for savings include improving agricultural irrigation (30-40%), reducing municipal leaks and household waste (12-30%), and increasing industrial efficiency. The document emphasizes the role of the business community in disclosing water use and investing in water-saving technologies to avoid economic instability and social unrest.

This Answering Statement, filed by groundWork through the Centre for Environmental Rights, challenges the environmental authorisation granted to Kuyasa Mining (Pty) Ltd for a 600 MW coal-fired power plant near Delmas, Mpumalanga. The Appellant argues that the Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) lacked independence, the project's location in a Highveld Priority Area hotspot will exacerbate air pollution, and the environmental impact assessment failed to adequately address climate change and water scarcity.

The report identifies that women in northern Namibia face higher vulnerability to climate change due to socially constructed gender roles, limited access to productive resources, and cultural norms that restrict their decision-making power. It highlights significant disparities in land and livestock ownership, where cattle are viewed as 'man's property', and notes that female-headed households experience higher rates of extreme poverty and food insecurity. The assessment argues that climate change is not gender-neutral, as women's roles in water collection and subsistence farming increase their exposure to risks, while their lack of technical skills and limited mobility hinder their adaptive capacity compared to men.

The report finds significant misalignments and information asymmetries between India's corporate and government water reporting frameworks, concluding that existing mechanisms are ill-equipped to monitor progress toward water-related SDGs. While government reporting focuses on community risk and access, corporate reporting emphasizes business risk and non-consumptive impacts. The study highlights a critical lack of reporting on water infrastructure and compliance across both sectors. Furthermore, analysis of India's top 200 businesses reveals low overall sustainability disclosure, with a stark divide between private sector firms and state-owned enterprises, and a significant 'black box' of data due to the large informal economy.

The report highlights the Western Cape's status as a water-stressed region where demand is projected to surpass supply by 2019 in the Western Cape Water Supply System (WCWSS). It identifies diverse business opportunities in the green economy, including precision irrigation, desalination, water reclamation, and the reduction of non-revenue water. The document details the institutional structure of South African water management and outlines specific funding incentives and grants available for greentech manufacturers and infrastructure projects.

The report argues that rising input costs, water scarcity, and international market pressure are driving a transition toward green agriculture in South Africa. It highlights specific opportunities in energy efficiency, solar PV, conservation agriculture, precision agriculture, biological control, and biogas, while noting barriers such as high import costs, regulatory delays, and a lack of technical skills.

Botswana faces significant climate risks, primarily driven by water scarcity and rising temperatures, which threaten its water, health, agriculture, livestock, and forestry sectors. While the country possesses higher adaptive capacity than its neighbors due to its development status and governance, the government has not yet made climate change a national priority. Consequently, there is a lack of guiding legislation, strategy, and dedicated adaptation funding. Most current adaptation efforts are integrated into larger regional projects rather than national initiatives, and civil society engagement remains limited.

Namibia is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its extreme aridity and reliance on climate-dependent livelihoods, particularly in agriculture. While the government has established a National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) and a National Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (NCCSAP), adaptation is not yet meaningfully integrated into sectoral policies for water, health, and agriculture. Current adaptation projects are limited in number and primarily focus on agriculture and capacity building, with a significant gap in programming for health, tourism, and coastal zones. Adaptation finance is heavily dependent on international donors, with minimal domestic budget allocation.

The document provides a comprehensive review of Kenya's climate adaptation landscape, highlighting the high vulnerability of its arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) and the dependence of its economy on rain-fed agriculture. It details the national policy framework, including the National Climate Change Response Strategy and Action Plan, and evaluates the role of the 2010 constitution in devolving adaptation responsibilities to 47 counties. The report identifies a strong focus on agriculture and livestock in international adaptation projects but notes significant gaps in addressing the needs of the tourism sector, coastal zones, and urban areas.

The Stockholm Environment Institute has developed Resource Value Mapping (REVAMP), a tool designed to help urban planners and investors identify the economic and material value of resources recoverable from sewage sludge, faecal sludge, and organic solid waste. Unlike previous tools, REVAMP operates at a city-wide scale and is specifically tailored for the Global South by incorporating on-site sanitation data. A 2016 trial in Kampala, Uganda, demonstrated that 100% collection of the city's organic waste could generate significant daily revenues and substitutes for firewood and chemical fertilizers, with solid combustion fuel offering the highest potential daily revenue of US$225,500.

The AgWater Challenge, launched in October 2016 by WWF and Ceres, engages food and beverage companies in reducing water risks in their supply chains. The inaugural cohort of seven companies committed to measurable goals across five stewardship 'ingredients': risk assessment, sustainable policies, time-bound goals, watershed collaboration, and farmer support. While companies showed progress in risk assessment and policy setting, supporting growers remains a significant challenge. Key participants like PepsiCo, Diageo, and Kellogg have implemented specific targets for water efficiency and sustainable sourcing, emphasizing the need for senior management buy-in and holistic risk management.

The UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative provides global guidance on harmonizing LCIA indicators to improve the comparability and accuracy of environmental assessments. The document recommends specific metrics for climate change (GWP100 and GTP100), human health impacts from PM2.5, water scarcity (AWARE approach), and biodiversity loss from land use, while proposing an updated LCIA framework that distinguishes between intrinsic, instrumental, and cultural values.

The report argues that the cost of inaction regarding climate change in Uganda is significantly higher than the cost of adaptation, estimating annual losses between US$3.1 bn and 5.9 bn by 2025 compared to an adaptation cost of US$406 m over five years. It identifies critical vulnerabilities in water availability, agricultural exports (particularly coffee), biomass energy supply, and infrastructure resilience, while highlighting that many proposed adaptation measures are 'no regrets' investments that provide immediate development benefits.

The paper evaluates Namibia's progress toward Vision 2030 and NDP4 targets using the International Futures (IFs) model. It identifies physical capital—specifically electricity, sanitation, and transportation—as the primary constraint on economic growth. Through three scenarios (Current Path, Infrastructure Access, and Leave No Namibian Out), the author demonstrates that while heavy infrastructure investment improves health and GDP, it can detract from education spending. The analysis concludes that Namibia is unlikely to meet its aggressive GDP growth and infant mortality targets by 2030, and that deep-seated structural issues like inequality and extreme poverty will persist across all modeled paths.

The report assesses climate change risks for the Mpanga River catchment, focusing on the AEMS-Mpanga hydroelectric plant and water supply for domestic, industrial, and agricultural use. It finds that energy production is more vulnerable than water supply, with potential annual welfare costs from electricity shortages reaching US$98 million by 2035-2040. While water shortages in the Rushango area could cause annual losses up to US$188,000, the energy sector's losses dominate. Adaptation measures, such as improved water resource regulation and catchment protection, are deemed cost-effective, requiring only marginal reductions in losses to yield positive returns. However, implementation is hindered by funding gaps, lack of political will, and poor river flow data.