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The document examines youth radicalisation in Africa as a complex phenomenon driven by a combination of 'push' and 'pull' factors. It argues that while religious ideology is often used as a justification, the actual drivers are frequently rooted in political repression, systemic corruption, socio-economic exclusion, and weakened family structures. The paper emphasizes that responses must be nuanced and evidence-based, moving beyond a 'one size fits all' approach to address specific local and structural vulnerabilities.

The document analyzes the dynamics of youth radicalization in Africa, arguing that it is a complex process driven by a combination of 'push' and 'pull' factors rather than a single cause. It highlights how government repression, corruption, high youth unemployment, and social exclusion create vulnerabilities that extremist groups like ISIS, Al-Shabaab, and Boko Haram exploit. The paper emphasizes that while religion is often used as a justification, the root causes are frequently socio-political and economic. It also examines the role of gender, noting that while most recruits are male, women's participation is increasing, often driven by different motivations or forced coercion.

The study examines bioscience innovation in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, focusing on crop improvement, agro-industrial waste conversion, value-added sorghum and millet products, and industrial enzymes. It finds that while R&D knowledge is generally strong, the transition to market is hindered by weak policy guidance, insufficient market creation, and limited resource mobilization. The authors argue that the region's R&D is 'demand-driven, but not business-driven', and recommend strengthening public-private partnerships, establishing business incubators, and creating national bioeconomy strategies to bridge the gap between research and commercialization.

The report examines Ethiopia's high vulnerability to climate change, particularly for pastoralists and smallholder farmers. It analyzes national strategies like the Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) and the Programme of Adaptation on Climate Change (EPACC), noting that while political will is strong, adaptation efforts are heavily skewed toward agriculture and disaster risk management, leaving gaps in health, energy, and transportation. It also details the role of international funding and the lack of robust national knowledge-sharing networks.

The document reviews Tanzania's climate risks, highlighting a high vulnerability due to reliance on climate-dependent livelihoods and poverty. It evaluates the government's progress in establishing institutional structures and strategies, such as the National Climate Change Strategy (2012), while noting gaps in sectoral policy integration and the need for more targeted funding for priority sectors like forestry and infrastructure.

Uganda faces significant climate risks, particularly in its semi-arid northern regions and the 'cattle corridor,' where rising temperatures and rainfall variability threaten agriculture, water, and health. While the government has established a National Climate Change Policy and a coordinating institutional structure, adaptation mainstreaming into sectoral plans and district-level decision-making remains limited. International adaptation finance is heavily concentrated in the agriculture and water sectors, leaving gaps in fisheries, forestry, and health. The country is currently working toward a National Adaptation Plan to better integrate climate resilience into its goal of becoming a middle-income country by 2040.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) provides scientific research and technical support to reduce human vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change. Through its Initiative on Transforming Development and Disaster Risk, SEI works to ensure development does not create new risks but instead enhances resilience. The institute supports global frameworks like the Sendai Framework and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, while providing regional support to ASEAN in Southeast Asia and IGAD in Eastern Africa. SEI's capacity-building efforts include developing analytical tools (such as the BalticClimate Toolkit and RISC-KIT), hosting knowledge platforms like weADAPT.org, and sponsoring 'writeshops' for early-career scientists from developing countries.

The policy brief argues that while modern bioscience is gradually entering Eastern Africa's agricultural sector, structural and policy constraints—rather than technical knowledge—hinder its impact. It advocates for a 'triple helix' model of collaboration between the public R&D sector, private sector, and government, emphasizing that public institutions must move beyond basic research to act as innovation hubs that link technologies to markets.

The document outlines a research initiative to break down barriers between disaster risk reduction (DRR), adaptation, and development. It argues that development processes often create the very risks they seek to mitigate, and proposes a framework based on understanding risk trade-offs, promoting 'equitable resilience' to address social injustice, and implementing adaptive governance. The brief highlights the Sendai Framework as a key opportunity to integrate these transformative practices globally.

The Global Resilience Partnership aims to shift the global approach to development and humanitarian assistance by focusing on root causes and long-term impacts to prevent disasters from trapping vulnerable populations in poverty. The organization emphasizes the necessity of 'smart partnerships' between governments, civil society, and the private sector to build resilience against interrelated challenges including climate change and food insecurity.

The document examines climate information services in BRACED countries, noting that while access is increasing, end-users struggle with data quality, inappropriate spatial scales, and poor communication. It details regional weather drivers like the ITCZ in Africa and the monsoon in Asia, and argues for a service-oriented approach that integrates localized, two-way communication into resilience programming to improve decision-making at the community level.

The report examines climate variability and projections for Kampala, finding that while annual rainfall has remained stable, temperatures rose by approximately 1ºC between 1979 and 2005. Future projections suggest temperature increases of 1.5ºC (RCP 4.5) to 3ºC (RCP 8.5) by 2095. The study highlights that flooding is the most significant climate impact, exacerbated by the encroachment of human settlements into wetlands and poor urban drainage. Economic estimates indicate that annual flood damages could rise from US$1.3–7.3 million in 2013 to US$33.2–101.7 million by 2050 under a business-as-usual scenario. The cost of climate-proofing buildings and roads between 2015 and 2050 is estimated at US$3.2 billion (RCP 4.5) to US$3.7 billion (RCP 8.5), with residential buildings accounting for 72% of these costs. A cost-benefit analysis of drainage improvements in four catchments showed mixed results, with only two projects yielding a positive net present value. The report recommends revising building codes and the Kampala Physical Development Plan, strengthening the enforcement of Environmental Impact Assessments to protect wetlands, and integrating informality into climate resilience strategies.

The Olkaria III project, a 110 MW binary geothermal plant, is the first privately funded geothermal project in Africa. It succeeded by utilizing a phased expansion strategy and a mix of public and private financing. Key enablers included the Kenyan government's provision of exploratory data and wells, a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with USD-pegged tariffs, and long-term, low-cost debt from Development Finance Institutions (DFIs). The project achieved a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) 13% lower than the average for similar Kenyan projects, demonstrating that public-private models can be more cost-effective than purely public ones.

The research estimates that 27–34% of woodfuel harvested in the tropics was unsustainable in 2009, contributing 1.0–1.2 Gt CO2e per year to global emissions. It identifies approximately 275 million people living in depletion 'hotspots' primarily in South Asia and East Africa and suggests that the deployment of 100 million improved stoves could reduce these emissions by 11–17%.

The document argues that large-scale hydropower in sub-Saharan Africa is highly vulnerable to climate change, yet planning typically relies on historical data and ignores future projections. It identifies barriers to the adoption of climate services—including short planning horizons, institutional gaps, and the influence of Chinese financing—and recommends adopting flexible designs and catchment-wide planning based on downscaled climate models.

A case study detailing a 2014 capacity-building initiative in Tanzania's capital markets, delivered by FSD Africa and the London Stock Exchange (LSEG) Academy to enhance professional skills and market infrastructure.

The Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) developed a simulation game to communicate the complexities of its productive social safety net (PSSN) program to rural farmers. This tool was designed to help farmers understand conditional cash transfers and how PSSN participation manages rising drought risk. Following tests with over fifty farmers, TASAF adopted the game in 2012 as the primary extension tool for a national rollout targeting 13 million Tanzanians living below the poverty line.

The document examines the tension between the Africa Mining Vision's goals of sustainable development and the legal constraints imposed by Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs). It evaluates ownership-related policies and performance requirements, concluding that while these tools can be effective for creating national champions and local linkages, they often conflict with treaty obligations regarding national treatment and expropriation.

The document examines the tension between the 'Africa Mining Vision'—which seeks to use national champions and performance requirements to drive sustainable development—and the legal constraints imposed by international investment treaties. It evaluates ownership options (such as joint ventures and state-owned enterprises) and performance requirements (such as local content and technology transfer), concluding that while these tools can be effective if integrated into broader strategies, they often conflict with treaty obligations regarding national treatment, fair and equitable treatment, and expropriation. The briefing provides strategic drafting options for states to preserve their 'policy space' in future treaties.

The research examines the potential for a 'resource curse' in four African nations soon to become oil-dependent. Using a game-theoretic model and the concept of 'limited access orders,' the author argues that oil rents typically disrupt political incentives, undermining economic performance and potentially destabilizing the state. While Ghana is identified as a potential exception due to its robust democracy and lower projected oil-to-tax revenue ratio, the other cases show higher risks of repression or predatory behavior. The paper concludes that radical policy interventions like 'cash-to-citizen' transfers are implausible because they ignore the domestic political equilibria and patronage networks that maintain stability.