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Theoretical and Practical Considerations of New Security Thinking
This monograph examines the transition from traditional military-focused national security to 'new security thinking,' which prioritises human security and incorporates political, economic, social, and environmental dimensions. It argues that security in Africa must be reconceptualised through gender-sensitive lenses and an integrated approach to development, while addressing the practical challenges of institutionalising these concepts within regional bodies like SADC.
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Document type: Report
TOWARDS OTTAWA: A TOTAL BAN TREATY ON ANTI-PERSONNEL LANDMINES
The document analyzes the shift from security-focused disarmament forums, such as the Conference on Disarmament (CD) and the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), toward the humanitarian-led Ottawa Process. It details the progression of meetings from Ottawa in 1996 through Brussels and Oslo in 1997, culminating in a treaty for a total ban on anti-personnel landmines (APMs). The paper highlights the role of smaller states and NGOs, the specific challenges posed by US security exemptions, and the acute impact of landmines in Africa.
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Document type: Research paper
SGR Position Statement on Climate Change
Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) advocates for a minimum 20% reduction in CO2 emissions by industrialised countries by 2010, based on IPCC evidence of human influence on the climate. The document warns of catastrophic consequences, including sea-level rise affecting small island states and the potential disruption of the North Atlantic Current. SGR rejects geo-engineering and cost-benefit analysis as inappropriate tools for climate assessment, instead proposing ecological tax reform, renewable energy investment, and a long-term global goal of equal per capita emissions.
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Document type: Statement
Water, Resource Security and State Co-operation
The document examines how dwindling fresh water resources and population growth in Southern Africa increase the risk of resource-based conflict. It advocates for redefining security to include 'soft' non-military threats, such as ecological degradation and poverty, and suggests that regional co-operation through SADC and free trade can mitigate water insecurity. The text provides a detailed synoptic view of major river basins in the region, noting a paradox where the most economically developed areas (the south) have the scarcest water, while the north possesses abundant but under-utilised resources.
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Document type: Report
HIGH FOOD PRICES IN AFRICA: causes, consequences and agenda for action
The report argues that high food prices in Africa are driven by a combination of climate change, global shocks like the Russia-Ukraine war, and systemic market failures. It highlights extreme corporate concentration in seeds, agrochemicals, and trading, which allows a few firms to capture excess margins at the expense of small-scale farmers and urban consumers. Using maize and soybean markets in East and Southern Africa as case studies, the authors demonstrate how poor regional trade and market power lead to price spikes and reduced production. The document proposes an agenda for action centered on real-time market monitoring via the African Market Observatory, strengthened competition enforcement, and investments in climate-resilient infrastructure.
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Document type: Report
escalating-20debt-20burden-20in-20africa-20and-20its-20human-20rights-20implications-aafc74d78102e85a.pdf
The document examines how rising debt burdens in Africa lead to austerity measures that compromise basic human rights, such as health and education. It highlights the success of previous debt relief initiatives like HIPC and MDRI while calling for a human rights-based approach to current debt management and the revamping of the G20 Common Framework.
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Document type: Research paper
DEBT RESTRUCTURING UNDER THE G20 COMMON FRAMEWORK AND ALTERNATIVE POLICY SOLUTIONS
The document critiques the G20 Common Framework and prior initiatives like HIPC, MDRI, and DSSI, claiming they provide minimal relief while encouraging new borrowing. It highlights the negative impact of credit rating agency biases and the lack of private creditor participation. The authors propose a shift toward an African-led financial system, including a gold-backed currency called the African Financial Asset (AfA), and call for unconditional debt cancellation.
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Document type: Research paper
The Legal Foundations Of The African Public Debt
The document examines how African public debt is rooted in colonial constructs and enforced through contract law, often perpetuating economic dependency. It analyzes the legal architecture at national and international levels, the various debt instruments used, and the systemic failures in transparency and accountability that lead to debt crises. The paper advocates for constitutional reforms, independent debt management offices, and a multilateral sovereign debt restructuring mechanism to ensure sustainable development and protect human rights.
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Document type: Research paper
ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL ECONOMY OF FOSSIL FUEL FINANCING AND DEBT IN AFRICA
The document examines the tension between Africa's fossil fuel endowments and the global push for decarbonization, highlighting the risks of stranded assets and the dominance of Global North financing. It argues for a Just Transition that ensures energy access while moving toward low-carbon sources.
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Document type: Research paper
Reforming the Global Financial Architecture as a Pre-Requisite for Debt Sustainabili in Africa
The document examines how the Global Financial Architecture (GFA) disadvantages African nations through high borrowing costs, biased credit ratings, and a reliance on foreign currency debt. It critiques incremental reforms as insufficient and proposes radical shifts, including the creation of a resource-backed regional currency (African Financial Asset), the use of blockchain-based Decentralised Finance (DeFi), and the implementation of Land Value Taxation to fund development independently of predatory international markets.
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Document type: Research paper
DENY, DECEIVE, DELAY
The report identifies a resurgence of climate denial and the rise of 'delayism' during COP27, highlighting how fossil fuel-linked entities used Meta's advertising tools for greenwashing and how Twitter's algorithms surfaced the #ClimateScam hashtag despite lower engagement than pro-climate terms. It details a 'narrative playbook' where climate action is framed as an elitist plot or a 'culture war' issue, often overlapping with anti-vaccine and right-wing conspiracy communities.
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Document type: Report
COP28 Pre-Summit Report
The report identifies three primary ecosystems driving climate mis- and disinformation: the 'attention economy' of online influencers, state-affiliated networks (specifically Russia), and the fossil fuel lobby. It details how the #ClimateScam hashtag has gained prominence on X, how ad tech companies monetise websites hosting climate denial, how Russian state media instrumentalises climate topics for geopolitical influence, and how fossil fuel companies use Facebook advertising for greenwashing. The document argues that these efforts undermine the public mandate for Net Zero and calls for structural changes to digital platform incentives and greater transparency in ad tech.
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Document type: Report
The Impacts of Climate Disinformation on Public Perception
The report finds that climate disinformation is widespread across Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, the UK, and the USA, with between 55% and 85% of surveyed populations believing at least one misinformation statement. Significant gaps exist between public perception and scientific consensus regarding the human cause of climate change and the role of natural gas. The study highlights that regular news consumption does not necessarily correlate with better scientific understanding and, in some cases, is linked to higher belief in misinformation narratives. Additionally, a substantial portion of respondents in all six countries believe their nations cannot afford to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
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Document type: Executive summary
THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE DISINFORMATION ON PUBLIC PERCEPTION
The report finds that between 55% and 85% of surveyed populations in six countries believe at least one piece of climate misinformation, with the highest prevalence in India and the lowest in the UK. Significant portions of the public hold beliefs contrary to scientific consensus, such as the idea that natural gas is a climate-friendly energy source or that net-zero targets are unaffordable. The study identifies a strong correlation between high-frequency news consumption and a higher likelihood of believing misinformation, highlighting specific media outlets like Fox News in the US and the Daily Mail in the UK as being associated with higher rates of misinformation belief.
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Document type: Report
Superhot Rock Geothermal in Egypt
The document highlights that just 1% of Egypt's superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 740 GW of energy capacity, potentially meeting the country's projected 2050 electricity demand of 590,070 GWh. It argues that this technology could replace fossil fuel imports, significantly reduce CO2 emissions from the electricity sector, and require far less land than solar or wind power.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Superhot Rock Geothermal in Jordan
The document highlights that just 1% of Jordan's estimated superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 128 GW of energy capacity, far exceeding the country's 2021 electricity consumption of 21,354 GWh. This resource could theoretically replace all fossil fuels used for electricity production, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 8 megatonnes, which represents 59% of Jordan's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goal. Additionally, the technology is noted for its low land footprint, requiring roughly 12 km² per 1 GW, and its ability to provide 24/7 power, reducing reliance on energy imports from the United States and Egypt.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Leadership on flaring in Egypt: Recent successes and future opportunities in the lead-up to COP27
Egypt has reduced gas flaring by 26% since 2016 through targeted capture projects, yet it remains the world's 12th largest flarer. The report identifies a theoretical opportunity to recover up to 3.7 BCM of gas annually, which could add $7 billion to the economy and reduce emissions by 88 million CO2-equivalent tonnes. It highlights specific 'gas to pipeline' and 'gas to power' projects as commercially viable models that can be deployed within 9-18 months. The authors advocate for a data-led approach using satellite tracking to prioritise interventions and call for increased international investment and government coordination to eliminate routine flaring.
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Document type: Research paper
Methane Abatement in the Oil and Gas Sector: Leak Detection and Repair
The document examines the implementation of Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) programs to reduce fugitive methane emissions, focusing on ground-based Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) surveys. It analyzes the relationship between inspection frequency and emission reductions, providing cost estimates for in-house versus outsourced detection models. The analysis highlights that abatement costs vary by country based on the value of salable gas and local market constraints, with some regions achieving negative marginal abatement costs. Key barriers to deployment include a lack of local technical capacity, logistical constraints in remote areas, and high costs associated with imported equipment.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Methane Abatement in the Oil and Gas Sector: Install Vapor Recovery Units
The document evaluates the installation of Vapor Recovery Units (VRUs) to capture hydrocarbon vapors from storage tanks, finding that while they typically reduce emissions by 95%, high upfront capital costs and infrastructure gaps limit adoption. Across the studied countries in Africa and Latin America, VRUs remain below a low-cost threshold of 596 USD/tCH4, though cost-effectiveness varies based on the volume of methane emitted per site.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Investing in water security for growth and development
The Strategic Framework for Water Security and Climate Resilient Development, developed by AMCOW and GWP, outlines a four-phase approach to identify and implement 'no/low regrets' investments in Africa. It emphasizes the critical link between water security and macroeconomic stability, noting that hydrological variability can significantly reduce GDP growth in several African nations. The framework advocates for a shift from isolated adaptation projects toward mainstreaming climate resilience within national budgeting and planning systems, such as Medium-Term Expenditure Frameworks. It highlights the importance of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and the use of Robust Decision Making (RDM) to ensure investments perform well across multiple climate scenarios. The document also addresses the need for diverse financing strategies, leveraging both traditional development funds and specialized climate finance like the Green Climate Fund, while promoting a transition toward a Green Economy and the inclusion of gender equality in water management.
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Document type: Guide