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The paper examines Tanzania's strategic potential as a maritime hub, focusing on the Dar es Salaam Port and the Central and Dar es Salaam corridors. It highlights significant infrastructure deficits, particularly in the rail sector, and evaluates the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) and foreign direct investment (FDI) in bridging the finance gap. The author argues that while port upgrades are progressing, the dilapidated state of railways undermines regional competitiveness. The document concludes with recommendations to prioritise the repair of existing narrow-gauge railways, improve PPP management, and implement targeted strategies to ensure that infrastructure investments translate into local skills transfer and employment.

The document examines the DRC's energy crisis, characterized by an 11% electricity access rate and a heavy reliance on traditional biomass. It analyzes the complexities of the Grand Inga hydropower project, including financial hurdles, governance failures within the state utility SNEL, and socio-environmental concerns. The author argues for a 'two-track strategy' that combines large-scale hydro with diversified, small-scale renewable energy sources (RES) such as solar, wind, and geothermal, supported by the 2014 electricity law to attract private investment. Regionally, the paper highlights the role of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and the potential for the DRC to act as a strategic energy hub for Southern, Central, and Eastern Africa.

The document analyzes Rwanda's unique position as a global leader in female parliamentary representation, attributing this to post-genocide demographic shifts and the 2003 constitutional quota system. While noting significant progress in education and gender-responsive legislation, the authors argue that the impact of female MPs is limited by an increasingly authoritarian executive branch and persistent cultural barriers. The paper highlights a disconnect between Rwanda's top ranking in gender promotion and its low rankings in general human rights and political participation within Africa.

The briefing outlines three core areas of challenge and opportunity for national monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of adaptation: stakeholder engagement, methods and tools, and resources. It emphasizes that effective M&E is essential for accountability, adaptive management, and climate-resilient development. Key recommendations include involving diverse stakeholders in system design to foster ownership, utilizing SMART indicators and existing baseline data, and mobilizing diverse funding sources such as the GCF readiness program to address capacity and financial gaps.

The African Union (AU) has developed comprehensive maritime strategies, most notably the 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy (2050 AIMS), but implementation has stalled due to a lack of resources, expertise, and a clear conceptual definition of the 'blue economy'. The document highlights the failure of the 2050 AIMS Strategic Task Force (STF) to meet quorum or produce a road map, and the marginalisation of the interdepartmental task force within the Office of the Legal Counsel. To resolve this, the author recommends establishing a dedicated AU department of maritime affairs—potentially within the Department of Trade and Industry or Transport—and convening a conference in 2017 to align the AU's vision of the blue economy with Agenda 2063.

The report analyzes development trajectories for 14 Southern African countries, forecasting that while GDP is expected to grow, extreme poverty will persist due to rapid population growth and governance challenges. It uses scenario modeling to demonstrate that integrated policy interventions in governance, health, education, and infrastructure can significantly improve regional outcomes, with governance capacity identified as the primary catalyst for economic growth.

The 2015/16 El Niño caused the worst drought in Southern Africa in at least 35 years, leading to widespread food insecurity and agricultural losses. While regional coordination mechanisms like SADC and UN agencies provided frameworks for response, the document finds that national implementation capacity remains low across the region. Even in South Africa, the highest-capacity state, coordination challenges and resource gaps hampered effectiveness. The paper argues for a shift from reactive 'response' to proactive 'prevention' and the scaling of local, science-guided adaptation strategies to improve long-term climate readiness.

The document analyzes electoral trends in Africa between 2015 and early 2016, identifying four negative trends: constitutional alterations to extend term limits, manipulation of electoral calendars, harassment of opposition candidates, and low voter turnout. It highlights a gap between the existence of continental democratic frameworks, such as the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), and the political will of governing elites to implement them. The authors recommend structural reforms, respect for electoral calendars, and the adoption of social media codes of conduct to protect freedom of expression.

The report examines arms brokering practices and national legislation in 12 Southern African countries, including Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. It finds that most of these states lack specific domestic laws to regulate brokers, leaving them vulnerable to illicit trafficking and sanctions-busting. While South Africa and Mauritius have established comprehensive brokering controls, others rely on outdated laws or general criminal codes. The document emphasizes the role of regional frameworks like the SADC Protocol and international treaties such as the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and the UN Programme of Action (UNPoA) in closing legislative loopholes and improving cross-border cooperation.

As of 31 October 2016, the GCF pipeline consists of 46 funding proposals requesting USD 3.2 billion and 169 concept notes requesting USD 7.9 billion. The portfolio includes 27 approved projects, with varying levels of progress in fulfilling conditions for the execution of Funded Activity Agreements (FAAs). The document also tracks the progress of direct access entities and a pilot programme for micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which has shortlisted 7 concept notes for funding up to USD 100 million.

The document provides a guide on Global Climate Models (GCMs), distinguishing them from weather forecasts and explaining how they use socio-economic scenarios to project long-term climate trends. It emphasizes that while GCMs have coarse resolution and struggle with localized rainfall patterns—especially in Africa due to data gaps and complex features like the Congo Basin—they are sufficient for strategic planning over 5 to 40 years. The brief warns against the 'myth' that downscaled projections are inherently better, noting that additional manipulation can increase uncertainty.

The report assesses climate variability and future projections across central, eastern, western, and southern Africa, highlighting a critical gap in observational data and a lack of consensus among climate models. It details regional risks—such as the 'east African climate change paradox' and the vulnerability of the Congo rainforest—while providing country-specific analysis for Malawi, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. The document emphasizes the need for improved high-resolution modelling and better communication of scientific uncertainty to support adaptation in agriculture, water, energy, and urban infrastructure.

The document examines the impacts of coal, oil, gas, and megadams across Africa, highlighting how these 'dirty energy' sources drive climate change and cause severe social and health crises. It details specific cases, such as South Africa's coal reliance, Uganda's oil expansion, and Mozambique's megadams, while warning against the 'extreme energy' frontier of fracking and tar sands. The briefing concludes that African governments must reject these outdated pathways in favor of decentralized, sustainable energy systems supported by climate finance from developed nations.

The document examines the impacts of 'dirty energy' (coal, oil, gas, nuclear, industrial biomass, mega-dams, and waste incineration) across Africa. It highlights how these technologies drive climate change, cause severe health and environmental damage, and often benefit elites and multinational corporations over local populations. The report provides case studies on coal in South Africa, oil in Nigeria and Uganda, mega-dams in Mozambique, and the risks of 'extreme energy' like fracking and bitumen extraction in the Maghreb and Nigeria. It concludes by calling for 'energy sovereignty' and a just transition to decentralized, renewable energy systems.

The document examines the impacts of 'polluting energy'—including fossil fuels, industrial biomass, and large dams—across Africa. It highlights how these systems often benefit elites and corporations while leaving local populations to face health crises, land grabbing, and climate vulnerability. Specific case studies focus on South Africa's coal dependency, oil extraction in Nigeria and Uganda, the influence of European energy policies in the Maghreb, and the social and environmental costs of large dams in Mozambique. The report concludes that African nations must avoid 'locking in' obsolete polluting technologies and instead pursue energy sovereignty through decentralized renewables.

The document examines the vulnerability of Southern Africa's livestock sector to increasing temperatures and erratic rainfall, highlighting the severe impact of the 2015/2016 drought. It argues that while regional frameworks like the SADC Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan exist, implementation remains sporadic and donor-driven. The author advocates for a shift toward indigenous, drought-tolerant breeds—such as Nguni cattle—and the implementation of dedicated support systems for small-scale farmers to ensure food security and sustainable production.

The document analyzes the implementation and impact of FinScope, a nationally representative survey in South Africa designed to make financial markets work for the poor. It details how the survey moved from a 2002 pilot to a sustainable, syndicate-funded model that provided essential data for the South Africa Financial Sector Charter. The study highlights a significant increase in financial inclusion from 61% to 86% between 2004 and 2014, though it notes the difficulty of attributing this change solely to the survey. It also discusses the replication of the FinScope model in 23 other countries and the emergence of similar tools like the World Bank's Global FinDex.

The report estimates that ending world hunger by 2030 will require an average of USD 11 billion in additional annual public spending, with USD 4 billion provided by donors and USD 7 billion by poor countries. This investment is projected to trigger an additional USD 5 billion in annual private investment. The analysis focuses on three intervention categories: social safety nets, farm support, and rural development. Using a sample of seven African countries to extrapolate global costs, the report identifies that Africa, particularly Central and South East Africa, will require the highest level of support, with some countries depending on donors for over 90 per cent of their budgets.

The document analyzes Africa's epidemiological transition, noting that while communicable diseases currently cause a disproportionate share of deaths, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are rising. Using scenario modeling, it argues that achieving SDG 3.3 (eradicating communicable diseases) would significantly boost GDP and life expectancy but accelerate the shift toward NCDs, potentially stressing health systems. Conversely, achieving SDG 3.4 (reducing premature NCD deaths) improves productivity through reduced disability but offers smaller overall economic gains than the eradication of infectious diseases.

The document examines Mozambique's reliance on FDI and overseas development assistance (ODA) for post-war reconstruction. While megaprojects in extractives and infrastructure have driven GDP growth, the paper highlights a disconnect between this growth and human development indicators. It analyzes the legal frameworks governing mining and hydrocarbons, the impact of coal and natural gas projects, and the challenges of agricultural development through initiatives like ProSAVANA. The author argues for leveraging the technology and infrastructure of the extractive sector to support agriculture and local community prosperity.