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The document examines how natural resources—both through abundance and scarcity—fuel social and armed conflicts in Africa. It argues that traditional peace processes often fail by focusing on 'high politics' (like power-sharing) while ignoring the underlying political economy of resource distribution. Using the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (IC/GLR), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) as examples, the author advocates for integrating natural resource management into diplomatic and mediation frameworks to achieve sustainable peace.

The report examines the hydrological constraints and governance regimes of transboundary river basins in the SADC region, arguing that while water is not a primary driver of conflict, robust institutional frameworks and policy harmonisation are essential for economic growth. It highlights the role of the SADC Water Protocol and the evolution of basin-specific regimes, proposing 'Parallel National Action' as a mechanism to align national policies without eroding state sovereignty.

The tropical Andes are a global biodiversity hotspot with high levels of endemism, particularly in cloud forests and high-altitude ecosystems. Climate change, characterized by rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns, threatens these species, especially those at high altitudes with limited migration options. The document emphasizes that anthropogenic habitat fragmentation exacerbates these risks, potentially leading to mass extinctions. It advocates for adaptive management, the creation of connected conservation areas with broad environmental gradients, and the integration of ecosystem services into policy. Significant knowledge gaps remain in taxonomy and regional climate modeling, and the region faces institutional challenges including limited funding and a 'brain drain' of scientists.

The report analyzes the complex relationship between Egypt and the Sudan (North and South) ahead of the 2011 Southern Sudan referendum. It highlights Egypt's strategic interests in Nile water security, regional stability, and trade, while warning that a flawed referendum or failed secession negotiations could lead to renewed civil war or state collapse. The document argues that Egypt must move beyond its preference for Sudanese unity to constructively engage with both Northern and Southern Sudanese entities to ensure a peaceful transition and maintain its influence in the Nile Basin.

The SEI Strategy 2010-2014 establishes a framework for the institute to act as a leading provider of systems understanding and policy solutions for sustainable development. The strategy reorganizes research into four multidisciplinary themes: managing environmental systems, reducing climate risk, transforming governance, and rethinking development. SEI aims to increase its institutional core funding to 40% by 2014 to enhance strategic flexibility and independence. The institute leverages a distributed structure of research centres across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the USA to link global expertise with local implementation, specifically targeting the needs of poor regions and the development of leadership capacities in the South.

The document argues that Africa's vulnerability to climate change is exacerbated by weak environmental information systems and a lack of data-driven policy. It categorizes information needs into three types: responsive (rapid data for early warning and disaster response), proactive (long-term bio-physical projections and sectoral data), and robust (managing uncertainty through regional climate models). The author highlights South Africa's use of the Wide Area Monitoring Information System (WAMIS) and the Disaster Management Act of 2002 as models for integrating disaster risk reduction into local development planning. The paper concludes that African nations must leverage international networks like the Group on Earth Observation (GEO) to overcome technical capacity gaps and avoid 'mal-adaptation' costs.

The document argues that climate change threatens to reverse progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly in rural Asia and Africa. It proposes four principles for adaptation—scale, speed, focus, and integration—and asserts that the developed world has a moral imperative to provide resources and skills to lower-income countries to build resilience and reduce vulnerability.

Egypt faces significant threats to national security and competitiveness due to climate change, specifically regarding energy, water, and food security. The authors present SEKEM, a company using biodynamic agriculture and a Sustainability Balanced Scorecard, as a private-sector model for adaptation and mitigation. The paper advocates for a national 'Green Transformation' in Egypt that integrates technologies and policies across sectors to ensure long-term resilience and job creation.

The author, Dan Bena of PepsiCo, advocates for a 'new collaborative era' where blurred boundaries between public and private sectors enable more effective climate adaptation. The document identifies two primary opportunities for government intervention supported by private sector expertise: instituting systems for efficient natural resource use and creating financial vehicles to provide credit to underserved communities. To illustrate these points, the paper details PepsiCo's initiatives in India, including 'direct seeding' in paddy cultivation to reduce water use and the formation of potato farmer cooperatives to mitigate credit risk. It also describes a partnership in Mexico with FUNDAR to develop sustainable agribusinesses for corn farmers and a project in Ceará, Brazil, where the PepsiCo Foundation supports the Columbia Water Center in integrating climate forecasts into state water allocation decisions via COGERH.

The document examines the intersection of environmental governance and climate change in Africa, highlighting the continent's high vulnerability due to low adaptive capacity and 'multiple stresses'. It analyzes specific case studies on land degradation and gender in Uganda, informal institutions in the Lake Victoria Basin, and renewable energy policies in Nigeria and Uganda. It further critiques the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) from an African perspective, suggesting reforms to increase participation and sustainable development. Finally, it argues for a human rights-based approach to climate mitigation and adaptation to protect the most vulnerable populations.

In a keynote address at a 2009 roundtable conference, Minister Okello Oryem Henry identifies key drivers of African security, including conflict management, economic integration, and the governance of natural resources. He advocates for a gradual process of African integration toward a 'United States of Africa' to enhance the continent's collective ability to face endogenous and exogenous threats. The Minister highlights specific risks such as water disputes over the Nile, border demarcation conflicts, and the need for sustainable funding for African-led peace support operations like the Africa Standby Force.

The report details a seminar on climate risk in Southern Africa, highlighting the vulnerability of agriculture, water, and health sectors. It emphasizes that while the region is least responsible for emissions, it is highly susceptible to climate-induced instability due to weak governance and reliance on rain-fed agriculture. Proposed solutions include multi-sectoral adaptation strategies, improved urban management, and strengthening governance capacities across the SADC region and the broader African continent.

The report examines the rise of foreign land and water acquisitions driven by food, energy, and water security concerns. It highlights a shift from market-driven comparative advantage to 'long-distance farming' to meet home-state needs. The authors analyze how the interaction between domestic law, international investment contracts, and international investment agreements (IIAs) often prioritizes foreign investor rights over local users and sustainable development goals, potentially limiting host governments' ability to regulate for public health, environment, or food security.

The paper examines socio-economic challenges in Algeria, Benin, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Africa. It highlights systemic issues such as poverty, gender inequality, and poor infrastructure, while noting that a lack of reliable data and political will often hinder the implementation of solutions. The author argues that many visible problems are offshoots of unstable economies and historical political dysfunction.

The 3rd GIBSA Partners' Meeting, held in April 2009 in Tshwane, South Africa, brought together representatives from Germany, India, Brazil, and South Africa to discuss the emerging global political and economic order. Key discussions focused on the transition of power from West to East, the role of 'smart power' in international relations, and the challenges facing African states in exerting influence globally. The meeting also analyzed the rise of 'club governance' (such as the G20 and Heiligendamm Process) as a flexible alternative to traditional multilateral institutions like the IMF and World Bank, while emphasizing that Africa remains more of a 'field of action' than a proactive actor in international relations.

The Mpumalanga Protected Area Expansion Strategy sets a 20-year target to protect 6,320 km² of land by 2028, with a primary focus on the Grassland Biome. The document also contains a series of legal objections from the Centre for Environmental Rights and a coalition of NGOs against a proposed underground coal mine by Atha-Africa Ventures on the Yzermyn farm. Objectors argue the mine would cause irreparable harm to the Mabola Protected Environment, a strategic water source area, through aquifer dewatering and acid mine drainage, and that the application process violated the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA).

The document evaluates the South African Army's role in the evolving African security architecture, focusing on the African Standby Force (ASF) and SADC Brigade. It analyzes the nature of African conflict, the necessity of rapid deployment capabilities, and the impact of cultural intelligence and professionalization on mission success. The report highlights significant challenges for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), including budget constraints, human resource crises due to HIV/AIDS and aging personnel, and the risks associated with the privatization of security. It concludes that while the SANDF possesses high technical capabilities, its effectiveness as a lead nation is hindered by structural deficiencies and a lack of political prioritization of defense funding.

The document examines the long-term conflict in Sudan, focusing on the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) as a framework for governance and peace. It details the interests of the Government of Sudan (GOS), the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), and international mediators like IGAD. The paper analyzes the CPA's protocols on power-sharing, wealth-sharing, and security, while highlighting the critical role of the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) process in post-conflict reconstruction.

The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) operates the Global Classrooms programme in Johannesburg, funded by the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) and Merrill Lynch. The programme uses Model United Nations (MUN) simulations of the UN Security Council to teach students research, negotiation, and diplomacy. Students are paired with tutors from the University of the Witwatersrand for four months of preparation before participating in simulated crises. In 2006, the programme involved 75 schools and addressed hypothetical crises including Mediterranean water quality, nuclear proliferation in Zimbabwe, polio containment in Nigeria, piracy in Somalia, and water rights in Lake Victoria.

This fact sheet outlines the evolution of sustainable development from the 1960s through 2002. It tracks the transition from early environmental warnings, such as Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, to the establishment of major international frameworks like the 1992 Earth Summit and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The timeline highlights the increasing integration of social equity, economic development, and environmental protection, noting the roles of NGOs, intergovernmental bodies, and scientific discoveries in driving global policy.