Search Climate Insights Directory

This fact sheet describes the COMPACT Local Government Collaboration Model, a tool designed to facilitate cooperation between municipal administrations, councillors, and the local community to solve complex challenges. The model was developed based on action research in 12 partner municipalities and consists of a five-step process: Purpose, Making Sense of the Challenge, Vision and Hope, Implementing and Adapting, and Reflection and Learning.

This report by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) examines the failure of South Africa to provide equitable and affordable access to sufficient water, despite constitutional guarantees. It argues that the state has substituted a comprehensive human-rights definition of access with a narrow focus on physical infrastructure, while ignoring affordability and water quality. The report highlights the inadequacy of the Free Basic Water (FBW) policy and the systemic contradiction between municipal financial sustainability and the human right to water.

This report by the Public Affairs Research Institute analyzes the financial and operational crisis facing South African municipal electricity distribution and proposes integrating existing rooftop solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) as a pathway to reduce bulk costs and improve reliability.

This 2006 report examines the prospects for aerospace co-operation among India, Brazil, and South Africa (IBSA). It identifies South Africa's role as a 'second-tier' supplier and highlights the government's Aerospace Industry Support Initiative (AISI) to integrate the sector into global supply chains. While identifying potential for collaboration in regional aircraft, strategic defence systems, and small satellites, the report notes significant hurdles, including corruption allegations involving Denel and the Indian government, and the challenge of balancing South-South co-operation with existing partnerships with 'first-tier' Northern contractors.

The 'Air Aware: A Journey of Youth-Led Action for Clean Air and Environmental Justice in Johannesburg' guide documents a campaign by Youth@SAIIA, part of the global Breathe Cities initiative. The program empowers young people aged 13–25 in South Africa to transition from awareness to advocacy through capacity-building workshops, the creation of 'Youth Air Champions' (YACs), and community-led campaigns. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between youth lived experiences and formal air quality governance, culminating in a Youth-Led Conference on Air Pollution Policy and Implementation to influence the City of Johannesburg's air quality policies.

This June 2011 report by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) provides a civil society perspective on the implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in South Africa. It evaluates progress against the Country Review Report (CRR) and National Programme of Action (NPoA) across eight governance themes, including the justice system, party-state relations, and service delivery. The report generally finds that while some legislative progress has been made, implementation is often lacking, and there is a significant disconnect between official government reporting and the experiences of civil society.

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 research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) proposes a strategic framework to transition Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) skills toward a green hydrogen economy in South Africa by 2050. Using foresight tools like the Three Horizons framework and scenario planning, the document identifies systemic failures in the current TVET system and outlines a vision for a 'just and inclusive' ecosystem that prioritizes economic wellbeing and ecological resilience over a narrow focus on job placement.

The Sustainable Landscape Finance Coalition Survey 1 results indicate that a plurality of conservation stakeholders face significant funding shortages, with 44.44% reporting insufficient financing. Key barriers include a reliance on short-term donor cycles and limited access to diverse funding streams. Respondents emphasized the importance of stakeholder collaboration and the integration of community needs to achieve long-term financial and environmental sustainability.

This fact sheet describes the Northern Drakensberg Collaborative (NDC), a multistakeholder partnership formalised in May 2023 to improve the stewardship of water and natural resources in the Northern Drakensberg Strategic Water Source Area. The NDC focuses on addressing water insecurity, unequal water access, food security, and climate change resilience in a region critical for water supply to multiple South African provinces.

This fact sheet describes the water stewardship partnership between Mondi and WWF in South Africa, specifically focusing on the uMhlathuze river catchment. It details the role of Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs), the establishment of the uMhlathuze Water Stewardship Partnership (uWASP), and various initiatives to improve water governance, monitoring, and resource management to address rising demand and climate change.