DevDispatch Recommends: November 2022 Publications
We are excited to dedicate this month’s recommendations to brand new publications related to climate change as a nod to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP27 that took place this month.
Enjoy!
Climate Change and Select Financial Instruments: An Overview of Opportunities and Challenges for Sub-Saharan Africa
By The International Monetary Fund (IMF)
The report is part of the IMF Staff Notes series designed to disseminate succinct IMF analysis on critical economic issues to member countries and the broader policy community. This edition explores possible instruments of financing for climate adaptation and mitigation in Sub-Saharan Africa which is the region most vulnerable to climate change. These include concessional financing, particularly through climate funds; debt instruments that are considerably linked to climate change; international carbon credit schemes; and climate-related insurance schemes.
The report shares some opportunities and challenges associated with these financial instruments cautioning that choice in financial instruments should be aligned with a country’s current macroeconomic situation, policy objectives, the broader mix of financing options and government policies.
The 44 paged brief is recommended for African finance ministries, climate change policymakers and financiers.
The Least Developed Countries Report 2022: The low-carbon transition and its daunting implications for structural transformation
By the United Nations Conference On Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
On the backdrop of a clean, healthy and sustainable environment being declared a universal human right, inclusive action against climate change is non negotiable. The report centers low-carbon development and structural transformation as it pertains to Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which are home to about 1.1 billion people, and 14% of the world population. It argues that LDCs produce only 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions but have suffered 69% of deaths caused by climate change.
The report proposes building resilience through a green structural transformation as key for the development agenda of LDCs, as well as making growth sustainable by generating decent jobs, domestic savings, diversification of the economy and exports, and shifting away from dependence on primary commodities. It argues that international assistance is important to complement the efforts and commitment by LDCs to meet emission-reduction targets, committing to climate-resilient development pathways by 2030 and delivery on net-zero emissions by 2050.
The report is 152 pages long and is a key resource for climate change practitioners and policy makers in LDCs
Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2022: Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action
By The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
This yearbook presents an overview of the state and scope of global climate action in 2022. Its analysis highlights the state of sectoral climate action in 2022 which includes Climate Action Pathways, a set of living documents which are updated as climate action is taken. This covers the Marrakech Partnership thematic areas (land use, water, oceans and coastal zones, energy, industry, human settlements and transport). It also gives an overview of regional climate action efforts including regional climate weeks, highlights some key global climate action topics and breaks down what needs to be achieved in 2023, particularly with regard to the Global Stocktake (GST) and the implementation of the improved Marrakech Partnership.
This publication which is 102 pages long is a recommended resource for climate change practitioners looking to track the progress made in 2022.
From Reference Levels to Results: REDD+ reporting by countries
By the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
The report is centred around the significance of REDD+ as a climate mitigation framework monitoring activities that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. It provides an overview of different achievements including UNFCCC REDD+ reporting milestones as of September 2022. These state that:
- Since 2014, 56 countries had submitted 75 reference levels to the UNFCCC, and these reference level submissions collectively cover a forest area of approximately 1.35 billion hectares (ha) (33% of the global forest area); the countries that submitted a REDD+ reference level to the UNFCCC are responsible for approximately 75% of global deforestation.
- Since 2014, 18 countries had reported REDD+ results to the UNFCCC through 27 results submissions (in the REDD+ technical annex of their biennial update reports [BURs]).
- The combined reported REDD+ results are in total 11.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide achieved between 2006 and 2020, which correspond to on average 765 million. The majority 82% of Emission Reductions were reported by Brazil.
The report is 84 pages long and is recommended for environmental specialists working within the land and forests sphere.
Transit Oriented Development in practice.
A powerful example of impact on the ground in the area of Housing by our Brazil Cities team – and a story of how interventions in one city led to an approach that was scaled up and adopted as part of a Brazilian national law that set the standards for better quality social housing.
Three Challenges to Safe and Affordable Urban Housing
The blog raises three critical challenges: (i) importance of core services in informal settlements and slums, (ii) need to support housing rental markets, and (iii) making better use of underutilized land in city centers.
Can Housing Be Affordable Without Being Efficient?
The blog highlights the importance of giving due attention to building efficiency in affordable housing projects, both location efficiency and on-site energy and water efficiency. The key message: over their lifetimes, efficient homes are more affordable, healthier and provide better opportunities for residents than conventional buildings.
Advancing a rights-based approach to climate change resilience and migration in the Sahel
By The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
For quick reads, check out these blog posts
The report spells out the climate change related threats affecting the SAHEL region in Africa, which unfortunately encompass a broad range of human rights hazards including land degradation, declining agricultural production, depletion of natural resources and different health conditions. As a result, these challenges drive migration within these communities.
On this background, the 46 paged publication draws a connection between climate change and migration, and the role of international human rights law in addressing this issue. The recommendations made in the publication serve to ensure that:
- All laws, policies and programs aimed at addressing climate change-related migration are human rights-based, participatory, and inclusive;
- Adequate resources are devoted to addressing the human rights risks associated with climate change-related migration;
- Safe, regular and human rights-based migration is available as an adaptation response to climate change;
- Sustainable development and climate resilience planning meaningfully incorporate the human rights of those migrating in the context of climate change.
This report is recommended for legal and human rights practitioners working at the intersection of climate change and migration in Africa.
Transit Oriented Development in practice.
A powerful example of impact on the ground in the area of Housing by our Brazil Cities team – and a story of how interventions in one city led to an approach that was scaled up and adopted as part of a Brazilian national law that set the standards for better quality social housing.
Three Challenges to Safe and Affordable Urban Housing
The blog raises three critical challenges: (i) importance of core services in informal settlements and slums, (ii) need to support housing rental markets, and (iii) making better use of underutilized land in city centers.
Can Housing Be Affordable Without Being Efficient?
The blog highlights the importance of giving due attention to building efficiency in affordable housing projects, both location efficiency and on-site energy and water efficiency. The key message: over their lifetimes, efficient homes are more affordable, healthier and provide better opportunities for residents than conventional buildings.
Malawi Economic Monitor, December 2020 : Doing More with Less - Improving Service Delivery in Energy and Water
By the World Bank
The pandemic has induced a sharp recession in many countries across the globe. Malawi’s economy has been heavily affected, with growth projected at 1.0 percent in 2020, down from earlier projections of 4.8 percent. With population growth around 3.0 percent, this represents a 2.0 percent contraction in per capita GDP. Political stability has returned following the June 2020 Presidential elections, which should support investment. However, global and domestic factors emanating from the pandemic are affecting Malawi’s economy, including: 1) disruption in global value chains and trade and logistics; 2) decrease in tourism; and 3) decrease in remittances. This has combined with social distancing policies and behavior to also reduce domestic demand. The Malawi Economic Monitor (MEM) provides an analysis of economic and structural development issues in Malawi. The publication intends to foster better-informed policy analysis and debate regarding the key challenges that Malawi faces in its endeavor to achieve high rates of inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Climate Finance in Africa: Needs, challenges and opportunities to deliver the financial resources required to drive low-carbon and climate- resilient development
By Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI)
Climate finance is a contentious issue globally, owing to distributional conflicts, and procedural and recognitional legitimation questions such as “Who gets what?” and how? The report underscores climate finance as a policy issue and investigates the emerging climate policy arena and maps actors, coalitions and contestations associated with implementing nationally determined contributions (NDCs) in Africa. It focuses on the global narratives on climate change and climate finance and its application to Africa through three case studies on Ghana, South Africa and Zambia.
Some of the key findings are that climate financing inflows into the region have fallen short of what is required; Constraints to securing such financing at the national and sub-national levels encompass governance and regulation, infrastructure/technical, and financial risks; The taxing funding approval process also drives the limited capacity to access climate funds; and African countries are calling for an equitable transition and are already closely scrutinizing volumes of climate finance flows this year, given the inadequacy of funds and a significant proportion of loans offered at commercial rather than concessional rates.
The report is 108 pages long and we recommend this for professionals and policymakers vested in African climate finance .
Who is Financing Fossil Fuel Expansion in Africa?
By Heffa Schücking, Katrin Ganswindt, Tohid Khaleghi, Mateusz Pietrzela and Sarah Wenzel
The brief 27 paged report looks at the expansion of the fossil fuel landscape in Africa and questions the driving force behind it, at a time when the continent is in the midst of a climate emergency.
Upon exploration of fossil fuel companies in Africa, the report finds that:
- In 48 out of 55 African nations, oil, gas and coal companies are either exploring or developing new fossil reserves, building new fossil infrastructure such as pipelines or liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals or developing new gas- and coal- fired power plants.
- The majority of these projects are geared towards exports and foreign companies often play an outsized role.
It concludes that financial flows, especially from Europe and the US, are shaping a fossil future for Africa and that “Multi Billion-dollar investments in fossil infrastructure and the development of new hydrocarbon reserves are blocking a just transition to energy systems that are clean, renewable and actually serve Africa’s people.”
This is a recommended read for climate change researchers and activists.
Global progress report on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, 2021
By WHO
This report looks into how effective the strategies planned for 2016-2021 have been in the fight against HIV, viral hepatitis and STIs. Progress has indeed been made despite the disruption of the global pandemic but in the same breath, there are still many targets that have not been reached. The number of new HIV infections has fallen by 23% to its lowest rate since 2010 with 1.7 million new infections in 2019 however this is far from the target of only 500 000 new infections.
Stigma and lack of resources to implement people-centred policies and services still remain the largest hindrance. COVID-19 severely affected the ability for people to get tested easily. This report analyses the success and shortfalls of each WHO region. The report recommends that the only way to try and get back on track is for governments to collaborate their efforts into universal health care systems beneficial for the most vulnerable.
This report is targeted at anyone who works with marginalised communities of people infected by HIV, hepatitis or any STIs and is also a good read for health care workers and policy makers. It is moderately long at 108 pages.
Mainstreaming gender in urban public transport
By Stockholm Environment Institute
Africa is the fastest urbanizing continent, yet walking still remains the most affordable mode of transport in urban areas. This is due to a lack of service provision. There is also a large gender inequality problem when it comes to transport both in operation and in use. This report seeks to shed light on the under researched matter of women’s participation in transport decision making and their use of public transport systems.
The report uses the case studies of Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Kampala by interviewing all members of society from taxi drivers to policy makers in the ministries of transport and transport planners. The report identifies accessibility and safety of public transport systems, sexual assault and harassment, lack of integrated and gender sensitive urban planning and underrepresentation as larger barriers towards gene=der mainstreaming in transport.
This report is the perfect short read for city and transport planners at only 40 pages.
Terrorism in the Sahel Facts and Figures
By NATO Strategic Direction- South, ACSRT
The fight against terrorism in the Sahel is still a major issue that deserves attention as the number of terrorist attacks has increased by 18.5% in 2020. This report analyses current and past data to show a conclusive analysis on the rate of terrorism. The largest threats come from the following terrorist groups Boko Haram, ISGS, JNIM and ISWAP and the most affected countries are Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad.
This analysis is taken in the form of quantitative analysis with a lot of informative graphs and infographics as well as qualitatively by looking at the types of attacks. The report concludes that 2020 has been the most intense year in terms of terrorism in the Sahel.
This report is target to all members defence ministries and counter-terrorism organisations. It is a very brief read with only 37 pages.