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The research argues that both economic and political horizontal inequalities (HIs) are significant drivers of ethno-nationalist civil war. Using a novel combination of geo-coded ethnic settlement data and spatial wealth measures, the authors find that ethnic groups whose wealth deviates significantly from the national average—whether they are relatively affluent or impoverished—are more prone to conflict. This effect persists even when controlling for political exclusion from executive power, which itself is a strong predictor of conflict. The findings challenge contemporary 'opportunity-based' theories of civil war that dismiss grievances, suggesting instead that structural asymmetries act as mobilizational resources for collective violence.

The report analyzes women's political participation in post-conflict Burundi and Nepal, finding that while affirmative action quotas significantly increased numerical representation in legislatures, entrenched patriarchal norms and party cultures continue to limit women's actual influence. It highlights the critical role of women's civil society organizations in advocating for rights and legal reforms, while noting that these organizations are often hampered by fragmented coordination and a heavy dependence on short-term international funding.

The research paper analyzes Germany's engagement with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) up to July 2009, arguing that both the global mechanism and German state policy prioritize the quantity of Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) over the quality of sustainable development. The author finds that German projects are heavily concentrated in Asia, particularly China and India, and are dominated by large-scale industrial 'end-of-pipe' projects that offer minimal sustainable development benefits. The document concludes that the German government uses the CDM primarily as a tool for economic and export promotion rather than as a means to achieve genuine climate and development goals, thereby 'abusing' the mechanism's original purpose.

The document examines the complex relationship between protected areas and conflict, noting that conservation efforts can either fuel social tensions or be exploited by military groups. It specifically analyzes transboundary protected areas (TBPAs), which are often established in conflict-prone regions with the intent of promoting peace, but may introduce complexities related to national sovereignty and border inequities. The authors propose the use of Peace and Conflict Impact Assessments (PCIAs)—tools derived from the humanitarian sector—to systematically evaluate how conservation interventions affect local and regional peace dynamics. The paper concludes that because TBPAs are often self-described as peacebuilding projects, they require rigorous, ground-tested measurement tools like PCIAs to ensure they 'do no harm' and actually support stability.

The SEI Strategy 2010-2014 establishes a framework for the institute to act as a leading provider of systems understanding and policy solutions for sustainable development. The strategy reorganizes research into four multidisciplinary themes: managing environmental systems, reducing climate risk, transforming governance, and rethinking development. SEI aims to increase its institutional core funding to 40% by 2014 to enhance strategic flexibility and independence. The institute leverages a distributed structure of research centres across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the USA to link global expertise with local implementation, specifically targeting the needs of poor regions and the development of leadership capacities in the South.

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 document examines climate change in Nepal, highlighting the region's high vulnerability due to diverse topography and reliance on rain-fed agriculture. It analyzes the risks of rapid-onset disasters like floods and slow-onset disasters like drought and forest fires, while advocating for a shift from rigid structural controls to flexible, community-based adaptive capacities.

A global coalition of civil society organizations, including Friends of the Earth International, issued a statement on December 7, 2009, condemning the Danish government's conduct as President of the UNFCCC Conference of Parties. The groups argue that the Danish Prime Minister undermined democratic UN processes by convening exclusive groups of countries and drafting "Copenhagen Accords" before the meeting began, effectively excluding most nations and ignoring the demands of developing countries. The statement asserts that these actions shift the burden of climate change from developed to developing nations and threaten the potential for a fair and effective agreement in Copenhagen.

The report argues that current UNFCCC reporting, which focuses primarily on greenhouse gas emission outcomes, is insufficient for managing the implementation of mitigation programmes. It advocates for a comprehensive 'basket of indicators'—including input, process, output, and outcome measures—to identify barriers, foster international learning, and ensure accountability. The authors suggest a hybrid reporting model where a small set of internationally harmonised indicators is complemented by tailored, domestically defined indicators to balance global comparability with local ownership.

The report assesses the risk of earthquakes, floods, tropical cyclones, landslides, droughts, tsunamis, and civil conflict in the Asia-Pacific region. It employs a semi-quantitative approach to map hazard hotspots and estimate exposed populations, using the latter as a proxy for risk due to data limitations on mortality. The study introduces a 'coping capacity' index to evaluate national institutional ability to manage disasters. Key findings highlight that Bangladesh and the Philippines face the highest overall risk, while the region's high population density in hazard-prone areas exacerbates potential losses. The report also notes a strong correlation between natural disasters and armed conflict, suggesting that improving disaster preparedness can simultaneously mitigate conflict hazards by enhancing state service delivery in marginalized areas.

The research paper examines the marginal role of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and evaluates whether preferential access to the EU ETS can increase their participation. It finds that such access is insufficient unless underlying barriers—including limited institutional capacity, lack of financing, and high transaction costs—are addressed. The authors use supply-demand scenarios for 2013-2020 and a comparison with the Lomé Conventions in agricultural trade to argue that financial incentives for high-value projects and reduced access costs are more critical than market access alone.

The authors argue that traditional country-level conflict analysis fails to account for spatial and temporal variations, as conflicts often occur in peripheral regions and are triggered by sudden events. By combining a global logit regression model with a subnational risk index—incorporating population, socioeconomic status, ethno-political exclusion, distance from the capital, and conflict history—the study maps latent conflict risk across twelve Asian countries. The results demonstrate significant internal variation, highlighting high-risk areas in India, Nepal, and the Philippines, while suggesting that irregular regime changes and previous conflict history are powerful predictors of future violence.

The proceedings detail a two-day workshop in Sweden where experts from various global 'knowledge nodes' discussed the barriers and drivers for implementing nutrient reuse in sanitation. Key findings highlight a persistent gap between national legislation and local enforcement, the necessity of 'champions' to drive policy change, and the importance of technology-neutral policies that prioritize actual reuse over the mere possibility of recycling. Case studies from Sweden, the Philippines, Uganda, Colombia, South Africa, and China illustrate diverse regional challenges, including urban transport costs for nutrients and the social stigma associated with excreta reuse.

The document identifies fine particulate matter (PM2.5), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and benzene as primary pollutants of concern in the Kathmandu Valley, with PM10 and PM2.5 levels exceeding WHO guidelines by 2 to 10 times. Road transport and re-suspended dust are the dominant sources of PM10, contributing approximately 63 percent of emissions. The brief estimates that PM10 exposure causes about 1,600 premature deaths annually, while benzene and PAH exposure increase risks of leukaemia and lung cancer. To combat this, the document recommends the implementation of the Programme for Rapid Evaluation of air Pollution (PREPair) and specific interventions including the transition to Vertical Shaft Brick Kilns, the introduction of Bus Rapid Transport, and the use of low sulphur fuels.

The 28th SAC meeting in Miami reviewed the status of IAI's Cooperative Research Networks (CRN II) and Small Grants Programme for Human Dimensions (SGP-HD), emphasizing the need for better scientific integration across projects and increased institutional visibility. Key discussions included the development of a Latin American optical phenology network, the creation of science-society interaction proposals, and the importance of translating scientific achievements into policy briefs.

The document analyzes the strenuous WTO accession processes of Nepal and Cambodia, noting that both countries faced complex requirements and stringent commitments despite their LDC status. While initial technical assistance was vital for documentation and capacity building, post-accession support has been inadequate, leading to struggles with implementing obligations. The brief recommends simplifying the accession process for LDCs, limiting commitment levels to those of founding LDC members, and institutionalizing stakeholder participation and technical assistance to ensure effective implementation and human development.

The document examines the accession of Nepal and Cambodia to the WTO in 2004, highlighting that the process remained strenuous and lacked promised simplifications for LDCs. It finds that both countries made extensive commitments on tariffs and services that often exceeded their developmental capacities. While accession provided a lever for some domestic reform and increased foreign direct investment in Cambodia, implementation of legislative requirements has been slow due to capacity constraints and a lack of monitoring. The brief recommends streamlining accession by removing bilateral market access negotiations for LDCs and linking the implementation of commitments to the receipt of effective technical assistance.

The document examines power-sharing in Burundi, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, concluding that while such arrangements are effective for establishing peace and preventing escalation, they provide less clear support for improving long-term good governance.

The report examines Nepal's 2004 accession to the WTO, noting that despite promises of a streamlined process, Nepal faced strenuous bilateral negotiations and commitments more stringent than those of many developing country members. While technical assistance was vital during the accession phase, it has been inadequate post-membership, particularly in addressing supply-side constraints. The document recommends that the WTO eliminate bilateral market access negotiations for LDCs, prohibit commitments on tariffs for LDCs to protect agriculture, and make the implementation of commitments conditional on receiving effective technical assistance.

The report identifies eight critical success factors and fourteen performance indicators for start-up social and environmental enterprises in developing countries. These tools are designed to help entrepreneurs and investors assess the likelihood of success and monitor progress across a 'triple bottom line' of economic, social, and environmental goals. The findings are based on a literature review and empirical research with ten SEED-supported enterprises.