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This policy brief by the Global Resilience Partnership assesses how 15 local communities in the Global South utilized six social domains of resilience to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis emphasizes that resilience depends not only on assets but also on flexibility, social organization, learning, behavioral factors, and agency, highlighting the critical role of community-based organizations in mobilizing these responses.

This report synthesises 50 'Voices from the Frontline' stories from June 2020 to October 2021, documenting how local communities in Asia and the Pacific, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean coped with the compounding effects of Covid-19, climate change, and socioeconomic vulnerability. It examines these experiences through the lens of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting grassroots resilience and the need for external actors to support locally-led solutions.

The COP26 Resilience Hub Synthesis Report outlines key messages and future directions for climate adaptation and resilience, emphasizing the need for locally led action, diversified finance, and the integration of nature-based solutions. It synthesizes findings from the Resilience Hub's activities at COP26, focusing on three pillars (urban, coastal, and rural) and ten thematic areas to guide action toward COP27.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the divergent approaches to migration between Africa and Europe, arguing for a shift from securitised responses toward a collaborative partnership focused on development, legal labour pathways, and the regularisation of remittances.

The African Environmental Defenders Fund (AED Fund), launched in 2019 by Natural Justice and the International Land Coalition, provides emergency financial assistance to land and environmental defenders across Africa facing imminent threats. Between March 2020 and October 2021, the fund processed 45 applications, approving 27 for support including legal representation, relocation, and medical aid. The report highlights a significant volume of applications from Uganda and a particular vulnerability of female defenders to gender-based violence.

Zimbabwe's 2021 Revised NDC increases its conditional GHG emission reduction target to 40% per capita by 2030 (up from 33%) and expands its scope to cover all IPCC sectors: Energy, IPPU, Waste, and AFOLU. The report emphasizes Zimbabwe's high vulnerability to climate change, particularly in its rainfed agriculture sector, and outlines a mitigation cost of US$4,834.47 million. It introduces the National Climate Change Fund and a National Climate Finance Facility to mobilize public and private investment.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs assesses the economic policy responses of low-income countries (LICs) in Africa to the COVID-19 pandemic. It finds that while these countries employed expansionary fiscal and monetary tools, the scale and quality of their responses were modest compared to developed and middle-income nations due to pre-existing structural bottlenecks, high debt, and limited fiscal space. The document emphasizes the need for a data-driven recovery approach, increased digital and financial inclusion, and the continued importance of official development assistance, particularly for fragile states.

The FSD Africa Impact Report documents the organization's efforts since 2012 to reduce poverty in sub-Saharan Africa by strengthening financial markets. It details achievements in financial inclusion, capital market development, and institutional capacity building, while outlining a strategic shift toward 'FSD 2.0' to focus on jobs, basic services, and sustainable futures in response to challenges like Covid-19 and climate change.

This policy brief examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, highlighting the challenges of providing health support and maintaining supply chains in remote, informal settings. It discusses the role of the informal sector as an economic safety net and suggests that the recovery phase offers an opportunity for governments to build trust and advance sector formalization through public-private cooperation.

This report examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, highlighting the challenges of government regulation, the economic hardships faced by miners, and the role of the informal sector as a social safety net.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines youth climate advocacy in Africa, focusing on the roles of civil society, government, and international networks. It documents how young people are transitioning from symbolic participants to active agents of change through networking, social media, and policy engagement, while highlighting the systemic barriers—such as the digital divide and tokenism—that hinder meaningful intergenerational equity in climate governance.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing groundWork, Earthlife Africa (ELA), and MEJCON-SA, submitted formal objections on 22 October 2020 to the Draft Environmental Impact Assessment Report (DEIR) for the proposed Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ), also known as the Energy Metallurgical Special Economic Zone (EMSEZ). The CER argues that the project's negative environmental and social impacts far outweigh its potential benefits and that the environmental authorisation (EA) should be refused due to severe flaws in the assessment process, conflict of interest in the decision-making authority, and significant threats to climate, water, and health.

This briefing from the World Resources Institute argues for a holistic 'water-energy-food nexus' approach to resource management, highlighting how climate change, population growth, and economic development create interconnected crises. Using examples from India, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, and Pakistan, the author demonstrates how water scarcity triggers failures in energy production and food security, and proposes a management framework based on knowledge, governance, and cooperation.

This briefing provides notes from a three-part webinar series organized by Natural Justice in October 2020. The sessions focused on the development, application, and legal recognition of community protocols within the framework of Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS), emphasizing community-led processes to protect traditional knowledge and biological resources.

This research paper examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced South Africa's leadership and relations within Africa. While the author praises South Africa's multilateral coordination of the continental health response as AU chair, they argue that domestic failures—specifically institutionalised xenophobia and corruption—undermine the country's soft power and long-term leadership potential on the continent.

This report by FSD Africa examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Zimbabwean insurance sector as of October 2020. It details the operational disruptions caused by national lockdowns, the challenges of transitioning to remote work, and the resulting pressures on insurance revenues, liquidity, and the regulatory environment managed by the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC).

This policy brief analyzes the insurgency in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, arguing that while the conflict is framed as religious extremism, it is rooted in systemic neglect, regional inequality, and a 'resource scramble' involving rubies and natural gas. The authors suggest that the Mozambican government's security response and the marginalization of local communities have exacerbated structural problems, drawing parallels to the Niger Delta in Nigeria.

This policy brief examines the implications of large-scale electric vehicle (EV) adoption for the mining sectors of Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states. It argues that while the region possesses vast reserves of EV-related minerals and metals (EVMM), it primarily exports raw materials. The author advocates for regional cooperation, the establishment of a public-private EVMM working group and coalition, and the adoption of a circular economy approach to ensure a just mining transition and the development of local value chains.

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the intersection of skills transfer, gender equality, and the green energy transition in Africa. It highlights the systemic under-representation of women in energy value chains and the need for a 'just transition' that addresses unemployment risks in fossil fuel-dependent economies through reskilling and targeted AU-EU strategic partnerships.

This policy brief examines the rights of landlocked states to access the sea and marine resources under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), emphasizing the necessity of bilateral, sub-regional, or regional agreements to operationalize these rights. It highlights the role of transit states and provides examples of successful transport corridors in Africa.