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SADC should sweat the small stuff
This report details a study based on interviews with approximately 50 companies to identify trade barriers within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. It highlights a divide in perceived constraints between Southern African Customs Union (SACU) members and non-member states, emphasizing that while large-scale infrastructure projects are necessary, smaller regulatory and bureaucratic interventions are critical for fostering business growth, particularly for small-scale entrepreneurs.
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Document type: Report
Rice Milling Company (Pvt.) Limited (RMC)
This case study examines the operational challenges faced by Rice Milling Company (Pvt.) Limited (RMC), a company that processes and exports rice and other food products from Malawi. It details barriers related to government pricing regulations, bureaucratic export permits, infrastructure inefficiencies, and a lack of technical skills in the local labor market.
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Document type: Case study
Lobatse Clay Works
This case study examines the trade barriers faced by Lobatse Clay Works, a brick producer exporting from Botswana into Southern Africa, highlighting systemic inconsistencies in regulations, taxation, and infrastructure.
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Document type: Case study
Climate risk and vulnerability: a handbook for southern Africa
This handbook examines the effects of climate change and variability in southern Africa, utilizing case studies to analyze historical changes, sectoral impacts, and adaptation strategies. It highlights the human influence on surface air temperature and projects continued temperature increases throughout the 21st century.
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Document type: Guide
Bioenergy for Sustainable Development and International Competitiveness: The Role of Sugar Cane in Africa
A report describing the potential for sugar cane bioenergy to enhance rural livelihoods, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve energy security and economic competitiveness in Southern and Eastern Africa.
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Document type: Report
Climate change vulnerability and adaptation preparedness in Southern Africa
This report evaluates climate change adaptation preparedness in southern Africa, specifically focusing on a desk study of Zimbabwe's current state of knowledge and policy framework.
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Document type: Report
DRAFT AMENDMENT TO THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: AIR QUALITY ACT, 2004’S LIST OF ACTIVITIES WHICH RESULT IN ATMOSPHERIC EMISSIONS WHICH HAVE OR MAY HAVE A SIGNFICANT DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING HEALTH, SOCIAL CONDITIONS, ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OR CULTURAL HERITAGE
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting for groundWork and the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA), submitted a statement to the Department of Environmental Affairs on 31 January 2012. The document objects to proposed amendments to the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004’s list of activities resulting in atmospheric emissions, arguing that the changes generally relax emission limits, extend compliance time-frames, and were developed through a non-transparent process that favored industry representatives over affected communities.
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Document type: Statement
STRENGTHENING OF THE WORK OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN WEATHER SERVICE THROUGH THE SOUTH AFRICAN WEATHER SERVICE AMENDMENT BILL, 2011
The Centre for Environmental Rights, representing groundWork, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), and the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA), submitted a statement to the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs regarding the South African Weather Service Amendment Bill, 2011. The submission expresses grave concerns that the Bill's proposed criminalization of issuing air pollution-related warnings without permission would undermine public health, freedom of speech, and existing environmental governance frameworks under the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA).
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Document type: Statement
les enseignements du rapport SREX rédigé par le GIEC et des catastrophes en Afrique : Gestion des extrêmes climatiques
This report, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network in 2012, synthesizes the findings of the IPCC's SREX report specifically for African policymakers. It examines the interaction between climate extremes, human vulnerability, and disaster risk management (DRM), emphasizing that disaster risks in Africa are increasing due to both climate change and socio-economic factors such as rapid urbanization and poor governance. The document provides regional observations and projections for temperature and precipitation extremes across Africa and advocates for the integration of DRM and climate change adaptation into national development planning to build long-term resilience.
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Document type: Report
Managing Climate Extremes and Disasters in Africa: Lessons from the SREX report
This 2012 report synthesizes the IPCC SREX findings for Africa, highlighting that disaster risk is increasing due to higher exposure of vulnerable populations. It details observed and projected increases in temperature and dryness across various sub-regions, warns that current extremes will become the 'new normal' by 2100, and emphasizes the high vulnerability of the agricultural sector and coastal cities. The document advocates for a shift from reactive to proactive, transformational disaster risk management that integrates local knowledge, high-level political leadership, and international financial support.
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Document type: Report
Managing Climate Extremes and Disasters in the Agriculture Sector: Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report
This briefing synthesises the IPCC SREX report's findings on climate extremes and the agriculture sector. It highlights that disaster risk is increasing due to higher exposure and vulnerability, particularly in developing countries. Key threats include intensified droughts, heatwaves, and flooding, which cause significant economic losses and threaten food security. The document advocates for 'climate-smart' agriculture, improved disaster risk management, and a combination of short-term coping strategies and long-term structural adaptations to build resilience.
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Document type: Briefing
Working for Development in Southern Africa: Bridging the Gap Between Government and Business
This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines the relationship between the South African government and the private sector regarding economic activity and development in Southern Africa. It argues that while both parties share an interest in regional stability and growth, their efforts are hindered by a domestic legacy of mistrust and ideological differences. The author explores the role of 'economic diplomacy' and the proposal for a business code of conduct to align corporate behavior with national developmental goals.
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Document type: Research paper
Alterações climáticas e a redução da pobreza
This policy brief by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) examines the intersection of climate change and poverty reduction. It argues that climate variability hinders the ability of poor populations to escape poverty and threatens the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly in Africa. The document advocates for the integration of climate adaptation into national development strategies, the collection of more conclusive data on climate-poverty links, and a cautious approach to mitigation projects to ensure they provide tangible co-benefits for the poor.
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Document type: Policy brief
Energy Security in South America and Southern Africa: Synthesis Report
This briefing synthesizes a project on electricity supply and trade in Southern Africa and South America, focusing on the role of anchor states (South Africa and Brazil) in balancing energy security with climate change mitigation. It identifies technological lock-in and outdated institutional frameworks as primary barriers to transitioning to cleaner energy sources.
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Document type: Briefing
Gender, Peace and Security in Southern Africa
This workshop report, compiled by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the SADC Gender Alliance, documents a seminar held in November 2010 in Pretoria, South Africa. The event focused on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 and the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, examining the gendered dimensions of peace, security, and peacekeeping across Southern and East Africa.
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Document type: Report
Workshop Report
This 2011 workshop report by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) evaluates the ten-year implementation of the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (SARPCCO) Code of Conduct. The document details the challenges of institutionalising ethical policing standards across Southern Africa, presents monitoring indicators developed by the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF), and provides country-specific case studies on police reform and human rights compliance.
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Document type: Report
Trading Food: Food security policies in Latin America, Southeast Asia and Southern Africa and their implications for trade and regional integration
This synthesis report analyzes policy responses to the 2006-2008 food prices crisis in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Southern Africa, evaluating their economic sustainability and impact on trade and regional integration.
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Document type: Report
South Africa's Energy Security in the Context of Climate Change Mitigation
This research paper examines the challenges South Africa faces in diversifying its energy sources away from coal to ensure energy security and meet climate change mitigation goals, emphasizing the need for institutional reform and a coordinated government vision.
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Document type: Research paper
Trading Food
This synthesis report analyzes the policy responses of countries and regional organizations in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Southern Africa to the 2006–08 global food prices crisis. It assesses these responses in terms of economic sustainability and their impact on trade and regional integration, arguing that short-term emergency measures often conflicted with long-term food security and production goals.
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Document type: Report
Trading Food: Food Security Policies in Latin America, Southeast Asia and Southern Africa and Their Implications for Trade and Regional Integration
This policy brief examines the responses of developing countries in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Southern Africa to the 200608 food prices crisis. It analyzes the tension between short-term emergency measures and long-term food security goals, the differing strategies of food self-sufficiency versus food self-reliance, and the failure of regional integration agreements to provide collective economic security during the crisis.
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Document type: Policy brief