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This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) advocates for the scaling of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in the marine and coastal environments of Southern Africa. It highlights the vulnerability of SADC coastal communities to climate risks and identifies key barriers to EbA implementation, including policy silos, funding gaps, and lack of community inclusion. The document proposes the creation of a regional community of practice and a coordinated SADC strategy to enhance climate resilience and biodiversity conservation.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs analyzes the political economy of peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), arguing that regional peace agreements are shaped by the shifting economic power between the eastern Kivus and the southern Katanga province.

This policy briefing, published by the South African Institute of International Affairs in October 2015, compares the Open Government Partnership (OGP) with other international peer-review mechanisms, including the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), the UN's Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and the OECD's Anti-Bribery Convention Review (OECDA). It argues that the OGP's flexible, civil-society-led approach offers unique benefits for transparency and governance, and suggests that African nations should seek OGP membership and harmonise it with existing review obligations.

This policy briefing examines South Africa's role as the host and president of the 17th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 17) to the UNFCCC in November and December 2011. It analyzes the geopolitical challenges of the climate negotiations, South Africa's efforts to coordinate a common African voice, its participation in the BASIC alliance, and the necessity of aligning its domestic climate policies with its international leadership ambitions.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the potential for biofuel technology transfer from Brazil to South Africa and other African nations through the India–Brazil–South Africa (IBSA) Forum. It highlights Brazil's leadership in bioethanol and suggests that while biofuels offer a path toward climate change mitigation and rural development, South Africa must first establish a coherent national strategy that balances energy needs with food security and land reform.

This 2014 policy briefing outlines a path to finalize the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It identifies four critical obstacles: export taxes, the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) clause, agricultural safeguards, and rules of origin. The author argues that the EU should drop demands for export tax bans, adopt a percentage-based MFN clause, allow for immediate agricultural safeguards, and provide technical and financial support for the implementation of rules of origin to ensure the agreement's success and political viability.

This research paper examines the risk of stranded assets in Africa's extractives sectors as the global economy transitions toward low-carbon energy and a circular economy. It analyzes the economic threats to fossil-fuel-dependent nations, the potential for 'premature deindustrialisation', and the opportunities presented by the rising demand for critical minerals. The author argues for a 'just transition' that prioritizes social and developmental goals through economic diversification and improved governance to avoid the 'resource curse'.

This policy brief provides an overview of local procurement regulations for the mining and petroleum sectors across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. It distinguishes between demand-side policies, which encourage companies to buy locally, and supply-side policies, which support local supplier capacity. The document highlights a regional trend toward state intervention to create backward linkages from extractive activities to the wider economy, noting that while most SADC countries have some form of local procurement language, the depth of regulation varies significantly, ranging from vague 'best effort obligations' to specific, measurable targets.

This case study examines the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG), a hybrid public-private partnership established in 2000 to facilitate trade and infrastructure development in Namibia and neighboring SADC countries. The WBCG coordinates a network of roads and rail—including the Trans-Kalahari, Trans-Caprivi, Trans-Cunene, and Trans-Oranje corridors—to connect the Port of Walvis Bay and the Port of Lüderitz to landlocked markets.

This case study by Mike Muller examines the political economy of water resource development and management within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It argues that a disconnect exists between local/national priorities and regional agendas, largely because the latter have been driven by donor preferences for environmental conservation over infrastructure development. The author highlights that while some bilateral projects have succeeded, the broader region has suffered from 'economic water scarcity' due to a lack of long-term finance for infrastructure, a gap recently being filled by new financiers like China and Brazil.

This April 2018 briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute, IDDRI, and ODI argues that climate adaptation is currently undervalued in international negotiations because it is viewed as a local problem. The authors advocate for a 'transboundary' framing of climate risk to address the interconnections between people, ecosystems, and economies in a globalised world, suggesting that the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement provide the necessary tools to move toward a coordinated global adaptation response.