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The document examines urban flood challenges in five Sub-Saharan cities, highlighting the transition from traditional grey infrastructure to Integrated Flood Risk Management (IFRM) and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA). It details specific interventions across Accra, Cape Town, Durban, Nairobi, and Mombasa, emphasizing that effective flood governance requires multi-stakeholder collaboration and the integration of social principles to protect vulnerable populations in informal settlements.

The report examines urban flooding in five cities across Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya, highlighting the vulnerability of informal settlements to climate-exacerbated rainfall and poor urban planning. It compares the maturity of South African cities in integrating EbA into policy against the more response-oriented, 'grey' infrastructure bias in Kenyan cities. Key findings emphasize that collaborative, whole-of-society governance and the integration of green and grey infrastructure are most effective for long-term resilience.

Urban air pollution in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) poses a severe risk to children's health and development, with significant burdens found in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Children are more vulnerable due to their developing bodies and higher inhalation rates per unit of body weight. Key pollution sources include inefficient biomass combustion for cooking and heating, vehicle emissions, and waste burning, with residents of informal settlements facing the highest risks. The document advocates for integrating air quality management into climate change commitments (NDCs), investing in monitoring infrastructure—including citizen science—and adopting multi-sectoral interventions that target pollution sources rather than just symptoms.

The report details how COVID-19 disrupted the Ghanaian insurance sector, citing operational challenges due to lockdowns, financial risks from declining premium income and volatile investment assets, and the regulatory response of the National Insurance Commission (NIC). It highlights a shift toward digitalization and the broader economic downturn in Ghana, including a GDP growth estimate reduction from 6.8% to 2.6% for 2020.

The report examines the failure of COVID-19 lockdown measures in Ghana's urban poor communities, specifically in Accra and Kumasi. It finds that 'by-day-earners' in the informal sector could not comply with stay-at-home orders due to a lack of savings and inadequate government food distribution. Furthermore, the study highlights that social distancing was stifled because the urban poor rely on dense informal networks for food, shelter, financial support, and emotional wellbeing. The author argues that existing poverty reduction strategies, such as MASLOC and LEAP, fail to reach the most vulnerable 'bottom' of the informal economy and recommends that future policies strengthen social ties and improve market infrastructure.

The document highlights the critical link between air pollution, human health, and climate change, specifically focusing on short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). It argues that because air pollution has a more immediate and tangible impact on public health than long-term climate change, it can serve as a powerful catalyst for policy action. The brief details the health burdens of PM2.5 and tropospheric ozone, including millions of asthma-related hospital visits and pre-term births. To facilitate this, the Stockholm Environment Institute promotes the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) and Integrated Benefits Calculator (IBC) to help cities and nations model emission projections and quantify health and climate benefits simultaneously.

The report details Ghana's response to COVID-19 up to June 23, 2020, highlighting the tension between public health restrictions and economic survival. It describes the strain on health infrastructure, the government's financial interventions, and the socio-economic hardships faced by vulnerable groups and the informal sector. The text also notes the shift in national spending priorities, the local production of medical supplies, and the challenges of maintaining electoral processes during the pandemic.

As of June 23, 2020, Ghana recorded 14,568 Covid-19 cases and 95 deaths, leading to severe pressure on health infrastructure and the economy. The government responded by implementing partial lockdowns in Accra, Kumasi, and Kasoa, and later announced an ambitious plan to build 88 hospitals in districts currently lacking them. Financial measures included a $100m initial commitment, GHS 600m for SMEs, and utility bill relief. The pandemic disrupted the informal sector, affected road development priorities, and complicated the 2020 general election preparations, specifically the compilation of a new voters' register.

The document examines the causes of annual flooding in Accra, Ghana, and advocates for the integration of nature-based solutions, specifically ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), alongside traditional infrastructure. It highlights the need for coordinated management across municipal and district assemblies to address shared waterways and drainage systems.

The study finds that Ghana's fiscal decentralization is undermined by a heavy reliance on unpredictable central government transfers, fragmented allocation mechanisms, and weak local capacity to mobilize Internally Generated Funds (IGF). It recommends synchronizing fund release cycles with local budget preparation, reviewing laws governing the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) and Stool Lands revenue, and investing in revenue management technology and staff training.

The strategy identifies key climate-vulnerable sectors in Ghana—including agriculture, construction, finance, and mining—and outlines a roadmap for integrating private sector actors into the National Adaptation Plan (NAP). It analyzes barriers such as high interest rates, low awareness, and limited technical capacity, proposing solutions like blended finance, sector-specific training, and the use of business membership organizations (BMOs) as conduits for engagement. The document emphasizes a 'business case' for adaptation, focusing on risk management and new market opportunities, and provides a set of guiding principles to ensure dynamic and efficient public-private collaboration.

The study applies microenvironmental modelling in Accra, Ghana, to determine personal PM2.5 exposure. It finds that charcoal cooking significantly increases exposure for women and children compared to LPG, with residential cooking accounting for over 60% of total exposure in charcoal-using households.

The paper outlines three primary areas where South Africa can exert leadership as AU chair: 'Silencing the Guns' by mediating conflicts in Libya and South Sudan; ensuring the timely implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) by July 1, 2020; and revitalizing the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to improve continental governance.

The Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE), in collaboration with AMDA, Smart Power India, and Swedfund, launched the Consumer Protection Principles for Clean Energy Mini-Grids in October 2019. These principles establish minimum standards of practice across six key areas: quality consumer care, supply quality and safety, fair contracting and billing, data privacy, professional organisation, and social measures. The framework allows mini-grid companies, investors, and governments to either 'endorse' the principles as a goal for alignment or 'commit' to them as an embodiment of their daily operations.

The document examines the proliferation of slums in Ghana, identifying drivers such as rapid urbanization, poverty, and the failure to implement national housing and environmental policies. Based on research in Accra and Sekondi-Takoradi, it highlights the severe lack of sanitation, healthcare, and secure housing, as well as the negative impacts on children and the environment. It argues that current housing policies are deficient because they ignore the needs of the poor and the role of social networks. The brief recommends against forced evictions, calling instead for slum upgrading, strategic private-sector partnerships for affordable housing, and the integration of slum dwellers' perspectives into urban planning.

The report examines the development of slums in Ghana, specifically within the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA). It identifies key drivers such as rural-urban migration, poverty, and systemic policy failures in housing. The study highlights the negative impacts of slums on child development, public health, and urban security, while also noting the potential for economic contributions through informal recycling and food services. It argues that the Ghana National Housing Policy is weak and fails to specifically address slums or cultural norms. The report recommends against forced evictions, calling instead for coordinated stakeholder collaboration, the upgrading of existing settlements, and a comprehensive revision of national housing policy to foster urban resilience.

The document examines the African Union's (AU) efforts to integrate youth into democratic governance, highlighting the African Governance Architecture-Youth Engagement Strategy (AGA-YES) and the African Youth Charter. It argues that despite these frameworks, young people remain largely alienated and marginalised, facing significant barriers such as unemployment and restrictive legislation. The brief details findings from 2016 regional consultations, noting that youth often lack knowledge of the AU human rights system and face systemic hurdles like prohibitive age requirements for political office. It recommends that member states domesticate AU shared values, repeal discriminatory laws, and move beyond tokenistic engagement to harness the potential of Africa's youth demographic.

The report identifies a 'cusp group' comprising 23% of sub-Saharan Africa's population who earn $2-$5 per day and straddle formal and informal economies. It analyzes three distinct credit market 'faces': South Africa is 'Stuck' due to aggressive formal lending and high indebtedness; Kenya is 'Uncertain' as it transitions from traditional loans to rapid, short-term digital lending; and Ghana is 'Squeezed' by macroeconomic instability and high costs that limit formal credit access. The document argues that 'healthy' credit markets must be accessible, robust, diverse, and value-adding to prevent over-indebtedness while enabling asset accumulation. It recommends that regulators improve market monitoring, invest in digital identification, and introduce mechanisms like 'learner's licenses' for credit to protect vulnerable borrowers.

A pilot study in Accra and Maputo found that future climate information is not directly used in city planning, as socioeconomic vulnerabilities and governance issues currently outweigh climate concerns. The authors propose a 'co-exploration' approach that prioritises non-climatic stressors before integrating climate data to avoid over-weighting climate sensitivity in decision-making. Key barriers to science uptake include sparse and unverified historical observational data. Proposed adaptation options for both cities include upgrading drainage systems and improving urban planning and building code enforcement.

The Future Climate For Africa (FCFA) programme, funded by DFID and NERC, aims to improve the scientific understanding of sub-Saharan African climate on decadal timescales and enhance the uptake of this information in long-term development planning. The programme's 18-month scoping phase evaluates user needs against current scientific capabilities through case studies in Malawi, Zambia, Rwanda, Accra, and Maputo. FCFA posits that technical accuracy alone is insufficient for better decision-making; instead, success depends on understanding the political economy, institutional settings, and social processes that influence how climate science is communicated and used.