Search Climate Insights Directory

The briefing identifies six critical challenges to connecting climate action and sustainable development: creating a unified national narrative, developing integrated planning and policies, ensuring institutional coherence, adopting a whole-of-society approach, reforming finance, and aligning monitoring and reporting systems. It emphasizes that because climate change impacts development and the sectors driving development are the same as those critical for mitigation, treating these agendas as separate risks undermining both. The document highlights examples of integrated strategies in Ethiopia, Colombia, France, Gabon, and Bangladesh, while calling for a shift from fragmented bureaucratic silos toward systemic transformation and inclusive governance.

Ethiopia has established a comprehensive framework for a climate-resilient green economy, led by the Prime Minister's Office and integrated into national development plans. The country has invested significantly from its own budget—approximately 14.5% between 2008 and 2012—and established the Climate Resilient Green Economy Facility to attract international finance, securing US$40 million from bilateral partners by 2015. Key achievements include the 2015 submission of an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution and the development of green infrastructure like the Addis Ababa light rail. However, barriers remain, including the need for deeper integration into operational budgeting, technical capacity gaps, and the challenge of replicating federal success at the regional level.

The report examines the 2015 crisis in Burundi, arguing that while President Pierre Nkurunziza's attempt to secure an unconstitutional third term was the immediate trigger, the situation was underpinned by a long history of government intransigence, systemic repression of the opposition, and corruption. It details the CNDD-FDD's strategy of consolidating power through the 'nyakurisation' method of dividing opposition parties and the use of legislative tools to restrict civil liberties. The document also analyzes the internal fractures within the ruling party, the failure of the Arusha Agreement's power-sharing framework, and the subsequent violent crackdown on protestors, the media, and civil society following a failed coup attempt in May 2015.

The report argues that Burundi's post-transition period has been marked by cyclical patterns of state-led repression and political violence. While early post-transition violence was primarily intra-ethnic among Hutu, the 2015 crisis began as a crackdown on peaceful protesters and evolved into an insurgency involving diverse armed groups. The authors highlight the failure of the Arusha Agreement to establish a separation of powers and transitional justice, which allowed the ruling CNDD-FDD to centralise power and maintain impunity for security forces.

The policy brief examines how domestic xenophobia contradicts South Africa's 'diplomacy of ubuntu' and its aspirations for African leadership. It highlights specific incidents of violence and government failures, suggesting that South Africa must address the root causes of intolerance domestically and regionalise its policy responses to reclaim its international standing.

The East African region has discovered vast oil and gas reserves, but social and economic benefits remain unrealised due to regulatory disputes, infrastructure hurdles, and poor governance. Uganda has opted for a pipeline route through Tanzania over Kenya due to cost and security concerns. Mozambique faces severe financial instability and debt crises that threaten its LNG projects. Across the region, a lack of transparency and limited civil liberties hinder the effective implementation of accountability frameworks like the EITI.

The report investigates how gender relations influence vulnerability to climate risks and the ability to adapt in urban settings, specifically focusing on the People’s Plans into Practice (PPP) project in Kisumu, Kenya. It explores the meaning of gender-sensitive approaches in this context, their impact on empowerment, and the associated constraints and opportunities for achieving climate compatible development outcomes.

The document argues that gender-sensitive approaches lead to more sustainable climate and development outcomes by recognizing different needs and addressing power imbalances. It notes that while international frameworks are improving, women's views and leadership are often excluded, and they are frequently viewed only as victims. Based on case studies from Peru, India, and Kenya, the guide emphasizes that gender inequalities exacerbate vulnerability to urban risks and that promoting gender equality must be an explicit goal from the start of any project.

The brief examines gender-sensitive approaches to climate compatible development in urban Kenya, focusing on the 'People’s Plans into Practice (PPP)' project in Kisumu. It finds that including vulnerable groups and women in decision-making improves the addressing of practical needs and enables women to assume leadership roles, although cultural attitudes continue to allow men to dominate planning processes.

The document outlines systemic obstacles to Tanzania's agricultural potential, including poor infrastructure, credit shortages, and unclear land laws. It notes that domestic agro-processing struggles to compete with higher-quality imports from South Africa and Kenya. To improve, the document argues for better synergy between government departments and a nuanced approach to public-private partnerships that prioritizes food security, environmental protection, and transparent contracting for smallholder farmers.

The document examines the financing gap for Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs), noting that demand for implementation funding far exceeds available dedicated supply. It identifies several barriers to investment, including a narrow focus on specific donor requirements, a lack of financial planning expertise in project design, and misalignment with the investment logic of multilateral development banks. The paper argues that NAMAs must diversify their funding sources and integrate with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to achieve transformational impact, while recommending early engagement with finance ministries and the private sector to improve project bankability.

The document analyzes the 2012 and 2013 riots in Mtwara, Tanzania, arguing that violent mobilization was fueled by 'dashed expectations' and perceptions of unfair treatment by the government. While the Mtwara and Lindi regions have been objectively marginalized since independence, the study finds that the feeling of being 'robbed' and the decision to pipe gas to Dar es Salaam were primary drivers of unrest. The authors suggest that providing basic public goods and realistic information via local radio can mitigate conflict risks in other emerging petro-states in Africa.

The document investigates whether health-based messaging can drive the adoption of clean cookstoves in Cambodia and Kenya. Findings from both studies indicate that health messaging has a minimal effect on actual purchases, with price and the efficacy of sales agents being more significant drivers. While the campaign in Cambodia increased awareness of health risks, awareness in Kenya was already high at the baseline. The research suggests that for health messaging to be effective, it must be combined with innovative financing to overcome affordability barriers and be better aligned with end-user needs.

The GCF Board's twelfth meeting resulted in the endorsement of the initial Strategic Plan (2015-2018) and the accreditation of 13 entities, including HSBC and the African Development Bank. Key operational milestones included the adoption of a Comprehensive Information Disclosure Policy, the establishment of a Budget Committee, and the approval of a risk register. The Board also addressed resource mobilization, noting a USD 3 billion contribution arrangement from the United States and approving a budget increase for Secretariat staffing to approximately 100 members by the end of 2016. Additionally, the Board initiated the process for appointing a new Executive Director and approved a USD 1.5 million grant for project preparation in Rwanda.

The paper pilots the use of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to understand why some research projects achieve policy uptake while others do not. Analyzing 20 completed projects, the study identifies three causal pathways to success, with research credibility emerging as a necessary 'gatekeeper' condition. The authors conclude that while QCA is a resource-intensive method that reduces causal complexity, it is a valuable tool for challenging and refining a Theory of Change in complex international development settings.

The report examines how gender relations influence vulnerability to climate risks in urban Kisumu, Kenya. Using the People’s Plans into Practice (PPP) project (2008–2013) as a case study, it finds that while gender-sensitive programming—such as participatory design of water and sanitation facilities—can improve outcomes and empower women, deep-seated cultural biases and structural barriers like male-dominated land ownership persist. The study argues that for climate compatible development to be effective, it must move beyond 'gender-blind' or 'gender-aware' approaches toward 'gender-transformative' strategies that address the root causes of vulnerability and are supported by coordinated county-level policies.

The document argues that gender-sensitive approaches are essential for the sustainability and impact of climate resilience efforts in urban India, noting that urban vulnerabilities differ significantly from rural ones due to complex social dimensions of caste, class, and gender.

The brief examines how gender-sensitive programming in urban Kisumu, Kenya, can improve climate compatible development outcomes by addressing the distinct vulnerabilities of men and women. While the PPP project demonstrated that inclusive decision-making allows for better addressing of practical needs and enables women to take leadership roles, significant barriers remain, including entrenched cultural attitudes and insufficient institutional capacity. The document recommends gender audits, the appointment of gender focal persons in county departments, and a focus on structural barriers to ensure more equitable and effective climate interventions.

The document examines the role of gender in urban climate-compatible development in Peru, using the GRIDES networks in Cajamarca and Huaraz as case studies. It finds that while women's participation has led to implicit gender considerations in local government plans, gender is often narrowly viewed as a 'women's issue' rather than a structural power dynamic. The brief identifies significant political, socioeconomic, and cultural barriers—including a lack of political will and patriarchal beliefs—that hinder the implementation of transformative gender approaches. It recommends 'de-womenizing' the gender approach, strengthening institutional capacities, and aligning local actions with Peru's National Gender and Climate Change Action Plan.

The brief finds that while women's participation in GRIDES has led to an implicit gender approach in local government plans, gender is often narrowly perceived as a 'women's issue' rather than a transformative process. It identifies political, socioeconomic, and cultural barriers—including a lack of political will and patriarchal beliefs—that hinder the implementation of concrete measures to tackle gender inequality in climate adaptation. The document recommends 'de-womanising' the gender approach, strengthening civil servant capacity, and aligning local initiatives with Peru's National Gender and Climate Change Plan.