Search Climate Insights Directory

The document analyzes the escalation of violence in North Kivu, DRC, linked to the M23 rebel group and alleged Rwandan support, alongside the economic collapse and civil unrest in Sudan following the loss of oil revenues to South Sudan.

The report analyzes the social, environmental, and business performance of 1,337 SMMEs in developing countries, with a focus on the 2011 applicant cohort. It identifies a strong trend toward the adoption of new technologies and a shift in organizational identity from strictly non-profit to hybrid or for-profit models. Key barriers include a lack of financial resources, limited access to technical research partners, and a deficiency in local-level environmental monitoring and enforcement. The study also highlights gender disparities, noting that women-led enterprises often face greater challenges in accessing business management skills and markets.

The report examines the role of small, micro, and medium enterprises (SMMEs) in driving a 'pro-poor' green economy in developing countries. Based on a three-year study of over 1,300 enterprises, it finds that these entities provide critical environmental services and poverty alleviation but face significant barriers, including limited access to finance, technical expertise, and a disconnect between national macro-strategies and local implementation. The document argues for a shift toward hybrid business models and the adoption of Triple Bottom Line planning to ensure financial sustainability and measurable impact.

The document argues that while governance-related intra-state conflicts have become more prevalent than direct inter-state border disputes since the late 1980s, Africa's porous and artificial colonial borders continue to threaten peace and security. These boundaries facilitate the 'regionalisation of conflict' by allowing domestic instability to spill over into neighbouring states, as seen in the Great Lakes region, the Horn of Africa, and West Africa. The author contends that the African Union's (AU) policy of maintaining the colonial status quo (the 'inviolability of national boundaries') has not eliminated tensions. To address this, the AU Border Programme (AUBP) seeks to transform borders from 'barriers' into 'bridges' through proper delimitation and demarcation, which the author identifies as a necessary precondition for successful continental integration and the structural prevention of conflict.

The document lists seven priority projects under Rwanda's National Action Plan for Adaptation (NAPA), focusing on land conservation, early warning systems, irrigation, water storage, improving infrastructure in grouped settlements, food and health distribution, and strategies to substitute woody combustibles to prevent deforestation.

The document examines the multifaceted relationship between China and Kenya, highlighting a trade imbalance where Kenya exports raw materials and imports value-added, often counterfeit, products. It analyzes how Chinese construction firms provide efficiency and quality but create unfair competition for local contractors through government-backed financial advantages. The paper evaluates Kenyan legislative responses, such as the Anti-Counterfeit Act of 2008 and the National Construction Authority Act 2010, and suggests regional coordination within the East African Community (EAC) to mitigate negative effects.

The document examines how National Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plans (NAFSIPs) in 14 African countries can be leveraged for climate-smart agriculture. Using a rapid screening methodology, the study finds that approximately 60% of planned activities in these plans address slow-onset climate change, while 18% address extreme events and 19% focus on mitigation. The paper concludes that all reviewed NAFSIPs have potential for both extreme event adaptation and climate mitigation, and recommends further analysis of cost-effectiveness, financing sources, and the integration of innovative climate financing mechanisms to transform these plans into climate-smart interventions.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) maintains membership in four Regional Economic Communities (RECs)—COMESA, SADC, ECCAS, and CEPGL—but plays a negligible role in all of them. Despite data showing the DRC is more economically integrated with southern and eastern Africa (SADC and COMESA), the government has shown a preference for integration within the central African region (ECCAS-CEMAC). This contradiction is attributed to political drivers, such as regime survival and external pressure from the EU and Belgium, rather than economic logic. The DRC's integration is further hampered by overlapping memberships, political instability, a lack of industrial diversification, and poor internal transport infrastructure that leaves its provinces more integrated with neighbors than with the national economy.

The document analyzes French relations with sub-Saharan Africa under President Nicolas Sarkozy, highlighting a pattern of oscillation between a public discourse of renewal and the practical maintenance of ties with authoritarian leaders. It details reforms in military presence, such as the closure of the Dakar base and the renegotiation of defense agreements, while noting continued interventions in Côte d’Ivoire and Chad. Commercially, France remains dominant in Francophone Africa through the CFA Franc zone and strategic interests in oil and uranium, though it is increasingly competing with new powers like China. The author argues that a lack of transparency continues to fuel conspiracy theories and negative perceptions of French influence across the continent.

The SEI Research Forum Book of Abstracts compiles 60 research summaries from the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) staff. The research spans four primary themes: Managing Environmental Systems, Reducing Climate Risk, Transforming Governance, and Rethinking Development. Key areas of investigation include the 'planetary boundaries' framework, the socio-economic drivers of clean cooking and sanitation in India and Africa, the effectiveness of climate adaptation policies in the UK and Sweden, and the geopolitical dynamics of climate negotiations involving BASIC countries. The document highlights a mix of completed research, ongoing projects, and future research ideas aimed at bridging science and policy for sustainable development.

The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) is a demand-led alliance of NGOs, a think tank, and a private sector firm that provides research, advisory services, and knowledge sharing to help developing countries achieve low-carbon, climate-resilient futures. Operating in over 40 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, CDKN focuses on four strategic themes: development strategies, access to climate finance, disaster risk management, and support for climate negotiators from vulnerable nations. The network has supported policy changes in 23 countries and manages an annual disbursement of £20 million.

The document highlights that the agriculture sector is exceptionally vulnerable to climate extremes due to its dependence on natural resources. It argues that disaster risk is increasing not only due to climate change but also because more vulnerable people and assets are exposed to these events. The brief advocates for a shift from short-term coping mechanisms to long-term transformational approaches, such as 'climate-smart agriculture', and emphasizes the need for integrated national disaster risk management systems that combine local knowledge with scientific data.

The document examines the tension between international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL), identifying four primary legal logics—co-applicationist, separatist, sceptic, and operational—that shape how these frameworks interact during armed conflict. It highlights that while convergence is often viewed as a positive development in Norwegian policy, it creates significant practical and legal dilemmas regarding extraterritoriality, the principle of proportionality, and the operational clarity required by military forces.

The report argues that gender equality and women's rights have been historically excluded from the Cyprus peace negotiations, which have focused almost exclusively on ethnic divides. To remedy this, the Gender Advisory Team (GAT) provides a framework of recommendations based on UNSCR 1325 to ensure that a future federal state incorporates non-discrimination, gender-balanced power-sharing, and protected economic and property rights for women. The document details specific legal and institutional changes needed in the constitution and legislation to prevent the perpetuation of patriarchal structures in a post-conflict society.

The report analyzes the challenges of the Afghan conflict, emphasizing the need for a proactive, inclusive peace process. It suggests that successful negotiations require third-party facilitation, a structured negotiating framework, and transitional arrangements to manage security and governance. The authors argue against narrow power-sharing between elites, proposing instead a multidimensional approach involving power-sharing, power-dividing, power-creating, and power-diffusing mechanisms across political, military, territorial, and economic dimensions to ensure long-term stability and legitimacy.

The document details a high-level policy dialogue in Johannesburg focused on the complementary roles of traditional and emerging powers in Africa's development. It highlights the different priorities of the EU (governance and human rights) versus China, India, and Brazil (infrastructure and equipment), while emphasizing that Africa requires a coordinated engagement policy to avoid a 'new scramble for Africa'. The report explores triangular cooperation, sustainable natural resource management through initiatives like the ICGLR, and the challenges of regional integration and infrastructure funding, noting an annual infrastructure shortfall of US$43 billion.

The document provides a framework for integrating green growth into national development planning, emphasizing that environmental and economic goals are not mutually exclusive. It outlines a planning process involving vision setting, baseline assessment, option development, and impact analysis. The guide details various economic models—ranging from macro-level computable general equilibrium models to spatial mapping—while highlighting challenges such as data scarcity in least developed countries and the 'black box' nature of complex models. Case studies from Rwanda and the 'Heart of Borneo' illustrate the practical application of these strategies to balance economic growth with climate resilience and natural capital preservation.

The document outlines a framework for 'green growth' that integrates economic development with climate resilience and environmental preservation. It argues that while green growth planning follows conventional economic steps, it requires additional considerations regarding social and environmental dimensions, a diverse range of economic modeling tools, and a pragmatic, iterative approach to accommodate local contexts and data limitations in developing nations.

The document reports on a regional workshop organized by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), the UN Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA), and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Nairobi. The workshop focused on the regional dimensions of conflicts in the Great Lakes Region, specifically addressing the roles of clandestine armed groups, illegal resource exploitation, and cross-border ethnicity in prolonging violence. Participants from Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Kenya committed to developing initiatives for inclusive democracy, good governance, and the sustainable use of natural resources. The ISS was mandated to coordinate a partners' meeting to create a regional roadmap for sustainable peace.

The document outlines a framework for integrating green growth into national development planning, emphasizing the need for iterative processes and the application of specific economic models to balance economic growth with environmental and social objectives.