Search Climate Insights Directory

The policy brief contends that international efforts to combat sexual violence in war have focused excessively on victim protection and criminal prosecution, leaving the motivations of perpetrators largely unexamined. To move toward effective prevention, the author proposes three focused approaches: analyzing individual personality traits during military recruitment, holding military leadership accountable to dismantle the perception that sexual violence is a permissible wartime activity, and challenging militarized masculinities that may justify such crimes. The document emphasizes that understanding the intersection of personal traits and the coercive environment of war is essential for identifying preventive remedies.

The document describes a planned conference, 'The APRM +10: Reviewing a Decade of Peer Learning and Projecting a Future of Governance in Africa', to be held in Addis Ababa in May 2013. It seeks to evaluate the APRM's progress since its 2003 establishment, specifically focusing on the implementation of National Programmes of Action (NPoAs) and the role of civil society in holding member states accountable. The briefing highlights the tension between the voluntary nature of the APRM and the compulsory nature of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), while calling for better synergies between the APRM and other AU organs, such as the Pan African Parliament and the Peace and Security Commission.

The document identifies a significant gap between Rwanda's ambitious national sanitation policies, such as Vision 2020, and the reality of toilet construction and usage in rural areas. Field research in the Burera district reveals that most facilities do not meet government hygiene standards due to socio-economic factors, lack of technical support, and ineffective information transfer. The brief argues that current monitoring methods overstate progress by focusing on the presence of technology rather than its functional use, and recommends a function-based monitoring approach alongside improved community coordination and financial schemes.

Kenya is highly vulnerable to climate risks, particularly droughts and floods, which create a long-term fiscal liability estimated at 2.0 to 2.4 per cent of GDP annually. The report identifies critical dependencies in the agricultural, water, and energy sectors, noting that 98 per cent of crop production is rain-fed and over half of electricity is generated by hydropower. While the government has established frameworks like Vision 2030 and the National Climate Change Response Strategy, the report finds that disaster risk management remains largely reactive and uncoordinated, with significant capacity gaps at the subnational level. It recommends deeper research into sector-specific vulnerabilities, the 'climate proofing' of infrastructure and budgets, and the integration of gender-disaggregated data into planning.

The document highlights Ethiopia's significant investment in infrastructure, spending $1.3 billion annually (10% of GDP), with a focus on energy and transport. It notes that Ethiopia requires 8700 megawatts of generating plant over the next decade to double its capacity. While Kenya is often seen as the regional anchor, the author argues that Ethiopia's growth rates since 2005/06 and its strategic importance make it a potential regional powerhouse. However, Ethiopia faces fundamental business challenges including foreign currency regulations, inflation, and a lack of competitiveness in its manufacturing sector, which contributes less than 10 percent of total merchandise exports.

The 2011 elections in the DRC were marked by significant logistical failures, allegations of fraud, and persistent insecurity, particularly in the east. While Joseph Kabila was declared the winner and consolidated power, the process was criticized by international observers and the opposition for lacking transparency. Post-election dynamics have been characterized by continued instability in the Kivu regions, including military mutinies and the emergence of the M23 group, alongside deep-seated socio-economic poverty and ethnic polarization.

The briefing examines food insecurity in Africa, highlighting that sub-Saharan countries are the most food insecure globally. It discusses the role of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), the G-8's New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, and the challenges posed by trade barriers and the Doha Round impasse. The authors argue that while trade is essential, it must be part of a comprehensive policy package including agricultural investment and financial innovation to ensure long-term food security.

The document details the business environment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo through the experience of ALASKA, a company importing goods from South Africa and Mauritius. It highlights systemic failures in the DRC's administration, including a cumbersome investment code requiring travel to Kinshasa for registration, high levels of corruption among agencies like the DGDA and OCC, and a fragmented tax system. Infrastructure deficits, specifically poor roads and lack of electricity, increase transport costs and limit the import of frozen products. Additionally, the company faces financial hurdles due to a lack of trust in Congolese banks, high interest rates (up to 36% per annum for micro-finance), and a lack of harmonization in regional SADC traffic laws regarding truck weight loads.

The document details the obstacles Shenimed encounters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including systemic corruption in customs and certification processes, high tax burdens, and poor transport infrastructure. It highlights how a lack of reliable electricity forced the company to cease local production in Bukavu and shift to imports from Tanzania. Financial challenges are noted, specifically currency instability of the Congolese franc and a shortage of loans leading to cash flow difficulties. The company advocates for reduced customs procedures, the removal of non-tariff barriers, and better state-private sector consultation to improve the business environment.

The document examines the flow of tropical timber from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into Uganda and the wider East African region. It highlights the challenges of regulating this trade due to its informal nature and the influence of powerful middlemen. The authors argue that regional cooperation, improved infrastructure, and the promotion of plantation forestry in Uganda are essential to reduce illegal trade and pressure on natural forests. Key recommendations include utilizing the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) for coordination and aligning timber certification standards across the DRC and East African Community (EAC) members.

The report examines the trade of tropical timber from the eastern DRC through Uganda to regional and international markets. It finds that approximately 80% of timber leaving the eastern DRC enters Uganda, where it is either consumed locally or transited to Kenya and South Sudan. The trade is characterized by high levels of informality, significant revenue loss for the DRC, and a profit structure that heavily favors middlemen and politically connected traders over primary producers and transporters. While international markets are increasingly regulated by frameworks like EU FLEGT and the US Lacey Act, regional trade remains largely unregulated due to timber shortages in East Africa. The report highlights the role of the Northern Transit Corridor in facilitating these flows and suggests that bottom-up regional cooperation, similar to the Albertine Rift Strategic Planning Process, could improve sustainability and governance.

The authors find substantial support for the existence of democratic waves, arguing that they are driven by a combination of economic development, democratic diffusion from neighboring countries, the 'stickiness' of consistent institutional configurations, and systemic shocks such as world wars and the creation of new states.

The 2011 elections in the DRC were marked by logistical failures, allegations of fraud, and political radicalization. While Joseph Kabila was declared the winner and maintained a parliamentary majority, the process was criticized by international observers and the domestic opposition. Post-election stability has been undermined by renewed insecurity in the east, specifically army mutinies and tensions with Rwanda, alongside persistent socioeconomic hardship and a lack of national reconciliation.

The document outlines the baseline survey results from a three-week mission to Rwanda (November 14 to December 5, 2011) intended to support the monitoring and evaluation of two climate adaptation initiatives. These initiatives include the Africa Adaptation Programme (AAP), which focuses on integrated and comprehensive adaptation approaches, and the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) project, which targets early warning systems, disaster preparedness, and integrated watershed management in flood-prone areas. The report specifically includes the creation of a vulnerability index for local communities at the project sites.

The guidelines outline a framework for the health sector to conduct vulnerability assessments and integrate climate change mitigation and adaptation (CCMA) into policy and financing at national, local, and community levels, specifically to enhance the resilience of Rwanda's health care delivery system.

The Baseline Report provides a current snapshot of Rwanda and its planned initiatives within the context of climate change to support the future creation of a National Strategy on Climate Change and Low Carbon Development. It covers a broad range of sectors including climate policy, economy, trade, industry, energy, mining, transport, cities, the built environment, agriculture, land, water, and forestry.

The document argues that integrating Social Protection (SP) with Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) in Rwanda can increase the capacity of poor and vulnerable households and lower their vulnerability. While these three fields share the goal of managing risks to protect assets and livelihoods to promote sustainable growth, they have historically operated within separate institutions and conceptual frameworks.

The report 'Economics of Climate Change in Rwanda' provides a comprehensive economic analysis of climate change impacts, adaptation costs, and low carbon growth strategies for Rwanda, utilizing both top-down aggregated economic models and sector-specific case studies.

The study focuses on evaluating and costing climate change adaptation measures for coffee and banana farming systems in Rwanda. It aligns with the Rwandan Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) 2008-2012, which prioritizes addressing climate change impacts through secure settlements in hazard-exposed areas and the implementation of early warning systems for drought and food security. The research analyzes climate-related shocks from the perspectives of both farmers and policymakers and discusses strategies for implementation.

The Government of Rwanda implemented watershed restoration in the Rugezi-Bulera-Ruhondo area to protect hydroelectric generation capacity against future climate-driven precipitation changes. To mitigate the loss of resource access for rural households caused by bans on drainage, agriculture, and pastoral activities, the government introduced agricultural and watershed management measures to ensure long-term livelihood sustainability.