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The document outlines the value added by diaspora engagement, such as context-specific knowledge and access to high-risk areas, while addressing challenges like community fragmentation and politicization. It provides a framework for capacity-building, funding, and recruitment to better integrate diasporas into mainstream development and peacebuilding efforts.

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 study finds that carbon emissions from smallholder irrigation pumps in five Sub-Saharan African countries are currently a negligible fraction of national agricultural emissions and are unlikely to become significant even under high-adoption scenarios. However, the study warns that increased pump uptake may pose a more immediate threat to local water resources, particularly in semi-arid regions like Burkina Faso.

The document outlines the nutrient composition, economic value, and safe application of human urine as a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. It details a multi-barrier approach to manage health risks, provides evidence from global field trials showing yields comparable to mineral fertilizers, and offers a framework for developing local guidelines and large-scale collection systems.

The document outlines the UNDP's strategy to integrate climate change adaptation into national development priorities, emphasizing the need to move beyond technical climate modeling toward strengthening political leadership, financial management, and accountability systems. It identifies four primary barriers to effective national decision-making: sporadic political commitment, fragmented technical knowledge, limited institutional capacity for direct fund access, and weak reporting systems. To address these, the UNDP implements initiatives such as the Africa Adaptation Programme and the Adaptation Learning Mechanism, while promoting the use of National Multi-Donor Climate Funds to shift from agency-led to nationally-led financial management.

The author proposes a 'no-regrets' framework for development agencies to help vulnerable countries adapt to climate change. This approach integrates disaster risk management (DRM), climate change adaptation (CCA), and social protection (SP) into 'adaptive social protection'. The author emphasizes the use of 'spatially enabled governance'—utilizing GIS, spatial data infrastructure (SDI), and ICT—to implement territorial planning, such as watershed management, to protect assets and livelihoods. The paper also advocates for a 'risk-adjusted Social Protection Floor' that guarantees basic needs while incorporating climate-related hazard triggers and innovative finance like weather-index insurance.

The document examines how participatory communication tools, specifically video and games, can bridge the information gap for the most vulnerable people affected by climate change. It highlights that treating end-users as partners in co-learning rather than target audiences improves the adoption of adaptation strategies. Case studies demonstrate that participatory video in Malawi, Nepal, and Ethiopia helped farmers and children advocate for and implement adaptation measures. Additionally, the paper discusses how games can simplify complex systems, such as probabilistic forecasts for humanitarian action in Senegal or micro-insurance concepts for farmers in Ethiopia and Malawi, to build trust and facilitate better decision-making.

The author proposes a new green revolution focused on sustainable land management and water harvesting to meet development goals and climate risks. He argues that investing in small-scale rainfed agriculture and conservation agriculture can double or triple crop yields while sequestering carbon. The document identifies systemic barriers, such as the policy fixation on large-scale irrigation and the administrative split between 'wet' water ministries and 'dry' agriculture ministries, and calls for integrated national strategies in Africa to scale these solutions.

The briefing assesses the failure of the Djibouti reconciliation process and the subsequent dysfunction of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) under President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. It critiques the international community for relying on a simplistic 'moderates versus extremists' binary and a counter-terrorist framework that ignores Somali factionalism and the complexities of groups like Shabaab. The author contends that the TFG is perceived as a tool of foreign interests and is plagued by internal corruption and leadership weaknesses. The document recommends moving away from military solutions and instead engaging the broader armed opposition and all sectors of Somali society to achieve lasting peace.

The report details a seminar featuring leaders from the Dinka Ngok and Missiriya groups to discuss the conflict over the Abyie boundary. Key points of contention include differing historical border claims (1905 vs 1956), the perceived unfairness of the Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling, and the complicating influence of oil fields and political agendas of the National Congress Party and the Sudan People Liberation Movement. Despite current tensions and fears of a 'showdown', participants agreed that traditional conflict management mechanisms could be used to resolve the dispute.

The document examines the 'double incarnation' of Libyan foreign policy under Muammar Qaddafi. From 1970 to the mid-1990s, Libya focused on pan-Arabism and frequently destabilized African nations by supporting rebel groups in Chad, Sudan, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Since the late 1990s, Tripoli shifted toward pan-Africanism, playing a central role in the establishment of the African Union (AU) and the Community of Sahel and Saharan States (CEN-SAD). The paper details Libya's efforts to act as a peace broker, specifically in the Chad-Sudan conflict, and its use of 'chequebook diplomacy' through development aid and capital investments via companies like LAAICO and LAFICO.

The seminar, co-organized by the Institute for Security Studies and the Ethiopian International Institute for Peace and Development, highlighted Africa's vulnerability to climate change and the necessity of a united African position for the Copenhagen talks. Key discussions centered on the EU's commitment to a 30% emission reduction by 2020 and a pledge of 100 billion Euros for developing countries, as well as the need for technology transfer and financial compensation for Africa. The event also detailed the institutional framework of the African Union's common position, including the role of a ten-country committee headed by Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

The document examines the historical and political drivers of violence in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan, specifically contrasting the conflict formation of the 1980s with the post-2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) era. It argues that while resource scarcity is often cited as a cause of Sahelian conflict, the violence in the Nuba Mountains is rooted in a long history of systemic marginalisation by an Arab-Muslim dominated state hierarchy. The author details the role of the National Islamic Front (NIF) in launching a 'jihad' against the Nuba in the 1990s, involving forced Islamisation and the use of 'murahaleen' militias. The paper concludes that the CPA has failed to address Nuba demands for self-determination, leaving the region volatile ahead of the 2010 elections.

The document serves as a framework for a workshop hosted by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Mombasa, Kenya, in September 2009. It argues that climate change, water scarcity, and energy deficits are critical drivers of conflict and underdevelopment in Africa. The paper highlights the Nile River Basin as a primary area of concern due to the lack of a comprehensive agreement binding all riparian states and the increasing competition for water resources among growing populations. It identifies the vulnerability of pastoralist communities to drought and the inadequacy of the African Union's response to climate change. The workshop aims to develop strategies for the joint management of water resources, assess the 'Helsinki Rules' for international water utilization, and explore the role of international actors and civil society in preventing water-related conflicts.

The speech highlights the devastating effects of climate change on water resources in Kenya and Africa, noting increased droughts and water rationing. It discusses the drivers of water scarcity, including population growth and pollution, and addresses the resulting conflicts between pastoralists and agrarian communities. Regarding transboundary waters, the speaker emphasizes the need for a fair framework in the Nile Basin, criticizing colonial-era agreements and calling for cooperation between upstream and downstream states to ensure sustainable development.

The report evaluates development financing experiences to provide evidence on how climate change mitigation finance can be effectively channelled to developing countries. It finds that donor guidelines, rather than sector or country, primarily determine the nature of financial assistance and reporting. The authors argue that programme-based funding is generally preferable to project-based funding for achieving large-scale change, and suggest that a multi-donor trust fund could facilitate the necessary harmonisation of reporting and verification standards.

The document analyzes the protracted conflict in Somalia, tracing its origins to colonial divisions and the subsequent collapse of the state in 1991. It examines the role of clan politics, the rise of religious fundamentalism through groups like al Shaabab, and the influence of regional actors, particularly Ethiopia. The author argues that the current Transitional Federal Government (TFG) remains militarily weak and lacks internal legitimacy, while the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is under-resourced. The paper recommends a comprehensive approach to peace that includes expanding the Djibouti process to include al Shaabab, addressing the security concerns of neighboring states, and deploying a robust UN peacekeeping force to replace AMISOM.

The document examines the crisis facing higher education in Africa, characterized by overcrowding and resource scarcity, and argues that governance education is neglected in favor of technical training. It presents findings from a 2008-2009 study of eight universities, highlighting severe constraints in staffing, funding, and infrastructure. The author proposes regional cooperation and the use of ICT to overcome these barriers and better align university output with the goals of the African Union and the African Peer Review Mechanism.

The document examines China's role in Botswana's infrastructure development, noting a shift from government-led aid to competitive public tenders. It highlights the competitive advantages of Chinese firms—such as low-cost bidding and hands-on management—while addressing challenges regarding quality standards and skilled labour shortages. It also introduces a new commercial financing model involving the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Standard Bank for the Morupule B Power Station project.

The document examines the governance of Angola's artisanal fisheries, where approximately two-thirds of the country's fishers operate. It argues that co-operatives can bridge the gap between the state and local users, facilitating a transition from an informal to a formal sector. The author highlights the challenges posed by a legacy of top-down, socialist co-operative models and recommends a shift toward voluntary, 'bottom-up' enterprises. The paper also discusses the importance of fish for food security in Angola and the role of the Institute for the Development of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IPA) in implementing development plans.