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The 2011-2012 CDKN Partner Survey reveals high satisfaction with the network's information products, particularly its publications and newsletter, with higher approval ratings from partners in the South. While over 83% of respondents found CDKN effective at facilitating knowledge sharing, there were significant criticisms regarding its procurement processes and the administrative burden placed on partners, especially smaller organisations and individual consultants. Partners suggested a greater focus on grassroots support in developing countries and the creation of more practical, field-based partnerships.

The report examines seven transboundary river basins—Congo, Okavango, Red, La Plata, Danube, Mekong, and Jordan—to evaluate how ecosystem services (ES) are integrated into Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). It finds that while IWRM planning is common, actual implementation is weak and often focuses on traditional services like hydropower and navigation, neglecting critical ES such as carbon sequestration and flood regulation. The authors argue that moving toward an ES-based 'benefit-sharing' model, supported by economic instruments like Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES), can overcome political, institutional, and financial barriers to sustainable transboundary water management.

The document examines Rwanda's post-genocide trajectory, noting significant achievements in economic growth, gender parity in parliament, and progress toward Millennium Development Goals. However, it argues these gains are offset by a lack of political freedom, citing the 2010 elections, the suppression of independent media, and the intimidation of opposition voices under President Paul Kagame's administration. The author warns that the suppression of civil society could lead to instability similar to the pro-democracy uprisings then occurring in the Middle East and North Africa.

The report analyzes the trend of states integrating transparency rules directly into investment treaties to overcome the confidentiality typical of private commercial arbitration. It evaluates best practices across various stages of the dispute process, including public notice of proceedings, access to documents, open hearings, amicus curiae briefs, and the publication of final awards, while detailing how confidential business information is protected.

The paper argues that since 2000, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has shifted from a border struggle back to an ethnic conflict, characterized by a 'status quo' regime of Israeli control. This regime utilizes settlement expansion, the Separation Barrier, and the strategic division of Palestinians to maintain Jewish ethnic superiority. The author contends that the two-state solution is currently unachievable due to deep-seated religious radicalization within the settler movement and the IDF, as well as a US policy focused on process over structural change. The document concludes that Israel will only move toward a two-state accommodation when the international costs of maintaining the current regime outweigh the domestic costs of dismantling it.

The document argues that conventional 'siloed' policy-making is insufficient to address the interconnected pressures of population growth, urbanization, and climate change on water, energy, and food security. It proposes a 'nexus approach' that integrates management across sectors to identify synergies and minimize negative externalities. The paper details the specific interactions between these sectors—such as the high water intensity of biofuels and the energy requirements of water desalination—and provides case studies from Jordan, Ethiopia, India, and Brazil to illustrate both the risks of non-integrated development and the potential for sustainable, pro-poor intensification.

The report examines the environmental, social, and economic impacts of unconventional oil extraction, focusing on tar sands and oil shale. It highlights that these resources produce significantly higher greenhouse gas emissions than conventional oil and cause severe local ecological damage, such as boreal forest destruction in Canada. The document criticizes the EU's Fuel Quality Directive for potentially underestimating the carbon intensity of these fuels and urges the EU to discourage their import and investment. It also details the involvement of European companies in projects across Venezuela, Madagascar, Congo, Russia, Jordan, and Morocco, warning that such developments in countries with weak governance risk exacerbating the 'resource curse' and undermining Millennium Development Goals.

Concentrated solar power (CSP) uses mirrors to focus sunlight to generate electricity, primarily for utility-scale use. While the U.S. led in installed capacity as of 2009 with 429 MW, Spain followed with 182 MW. The technology varies from parabolic troughs and linear Fresnel reflectors to dish/engines and power towers. CSP is noted for its ability to provide power during peak late-afternoon demand and its potential for baseload generation via thermal storage or natural gas hybridization. Economic challenges include high initial construction costs, though operational costs are lower than fossil fuel plants. Policy mechanisms like feed-in tariffs in Spain and Israel, and investment tax credits in the U.S., are identified as key drivers for deployment.

The report argues that climate change in the Middle East—predicted to be hotter, drier, and less predictable—threatens to reduce water availability and increase food insecurity, which may lead to violent conflict. It highlights that the region's history of hostility undermines the ability of countries to collaborate on adaptation and shared resources. Potential security risks include increased competition for water, destabilizing forced migration, and the militarization of strategic natural resources. However, the report suggests that promoting conservation, fostering cooperation on shared resources, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions can mitigate these threats to regional peace.

The report claims Shell is the most carbon-intensive oil company globally, with its production intensity projected to rise by 85% due to a shift toward oil sands, oil shale, and liquefied natural gas (LNG). It documents a history of gas flaring in Nigeria, alleging that internal documents show Shell prioritized profit over ending the practice. The report further asserts that Shell engages in 'greenwashing' by promoting limited renewable initiatives while lobbying against fuel quality directives and emissions trading reforms in the European Union and climate legislation in the United States.

The document analyzes the trajectory of the Islamic Front of Salvation (FIS) in Algeria, from its emergence as a mass political party during the liberalisation of 1989 to its ban in 1992 and subsequent role in armed rebellion. It argues that the FIS's success was driven by social grievances and the failure of the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN), while its radicalisation was partly a response to state repression. The paper further assesses the current Algerian party system, noting a trend of public apathy and the continued dominance of the military and executive branch despite the inclusion of moderate Islamist parties in governing coalitions.

The report examines the relationship between the global al-Qaida network and the Palestinian polity, focusing on the Gaza Strip. It argues that al-Qaida has used an offensive propaganda campaign to criticize Hamas for political moderation and has attempted to establish an operational foothold in the region. While the report finds no hard evidence of a formal al-Qaida organization in the Palestinian territories, it notes the emergence of various salafi-jihadi groups that have engaged in violence against 'non-Islamic' targets, Christians, and foreigners. Hamas has generally responded defensively to these challenges, fearing that radical elements within its own movement may be receptive to al-Qaida's message, especially under the pressure of international isolation.

The report argues that while climate change is not the sole cause of conflict, it acts as a 'threat multiplier' in the Levant. It identifies six primary security threats, including increased competition for water, intensified food insecurity, and destabilizing forced migration. The authors emphasize that the region's history of conflict and deep distrust undermine its adaptive capacity, making it more vulnerable to environmental shocks. To mitigate these risks, the report proposes four strategies: fostering a culture of conservation, implementing community-level adaptation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enabling regional cooperation through shared resource management.

The review finds that AWM interventions generally produce positive impacts across five capitals—financial, natural, social, physical, and human—with projects employing multiple interventions yielding more positive results. However, it highlights a critical lack of systematic monitoring and evaluation, particularly regarding negative externalities and long-term sustainability.

The document details various German-led research initiatives focused on the intersection of climate change and water. It covers regional climate modeling for Germany, the impact of extreme weather on biogeochemical cycles, global water scarcity, and specific case studies such as the GLOWA projects in the Elbe and Jordan River basins. Additionally, it discusses aquatic ecosystem vulnerabilities through the AQUASHIFT program and proposes a risk-management approach for coastal flood protection in Hamburg.

The report investigates how ISO 26000 is perceived by SMEs, consultants, and National Cleaner Production Centres. It finds that while the ISO brand adds legitimacy to social responsibility, the standard's broad and generic nature makes it a poor management tool for SMEs, who often operate via informal processes and are driven by the personal values of owner-managers. The study highlights significant barriers for SMEs, including a lack of expertise, financial constraints, and low negotiating power within global value chains, which can lead to 'mock compliance'. It concludes that ISO 26000 is most relevant to a specific profile of SMEs—those that are export-oriented, networked into international supply chains, or led by sustainability-aware entrepreneurs.

The document examines the trend of 'TRIPS-plus' provisions in bilateral trade agreements, particularly those involving the United States, which extend copyright terms to 70 years and implement strict Technological Protection Measures (TPMs) based on the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). It argues these measures undermine the public domain and impede access to knowledge in developing countries. Additionally, the report tracks Q1 2005 developments in the WTO, WIPO, CBD, WHO, and UNESCO, highlighting stalemates over pharmaceutical compulsory licensing, disclosure requirements for genetic resources, and the future work program of the Standing Committee on the Law of Patents.

The report assesses IUCN's current knowledge management (KM) capacities and proposes four strategic moves for 2005-2010: shifting from knowledge production to influencing change, expanding the roles of its 'triple helix' (Commissions, Members, and Secretariat) to include partners and young professionals, implementing interconnected internal and external communication strategies, and upgrading its ICT infrastructure. It emphasizes 'knowledge mobilization'—combining internal and external knowledge to meet user needs—and suggests 'rapid-results initiatives' to achieve measurable short-term gains.

The study finds that youth bulges significantly increase the risk of domestic armed conflict, particularly when combined with economic stagnation. Using a dataset of sovereign states and dependent areas from 1950 to 2000, the author argues that the risk is heightened in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab world where youth bulges coexist with poor economic performance and unstable political regimes. The research rejects Samuel P. Huntington's theory of a specific 'critical level' threshold for conflict and suggests that previous World Bank studies failed to find these effects due to flawed measurement methods. Additionally, the author identifies migration as a critical 'safety valve' that can mitigate youth discontent.

The document analyzes the intersection of intellectual property and development, highlighting the risks of fragmented negotiations across different international bodies. It focuses on three critical issues for the September 2004 WIPO General Assembly: the interrelation between the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and IP disclosure requirements, the proposed treaty on the protection of broadcasting organizations, and the future of the Substantive Patent Law Treaty (SPLT). Additionally, it tracks IP-related activities in the WTO, WHO, UNCTAD, and various bilateral 'TRIPS-plus' trade agreements, arguing that developed countries often use bilateral fora to circumvent multilateral flexibilities.