The IMF’s April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa presents a clear warning: regional growth is slowing, debt pressures are mounting, and donor assistance is declining. Yet the report outlines critical opportunities particularly in domestic revenue mobilization, structural reform, and private sector activation that can shape a more resilient …
Climate change governance is in a state of enormous flux. New and more dynamic forms of governing are appearing around the international climate regime centred on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They appear to be emerging spontaneously from the bottom up, producing a more dispersed pattern …
African Governance Report V examines efforts to improve the governance of Africa’s abundant natural resources, with particular emphasis on strengthening natural resource governance institutions and frameworks for the enhancement of domestic revenue mobilization and engendering economic diversification and structural transformation on the continent. Case studies from eight African countries (Botswana, …
Inequality between the richest and the rest in Malawi continues to rise, with poverty remaining extreme and endemic. Climate change is compounding the challenges, with recent droughts and floods likely to have worsened poverty, resulting in one in three Malawians relying on humanitarian assistance in 2016. Economic inequality threatens to …
Each year, CIVICUS publishes the State of Civil Society Report, which chronicles major global developments and key trends impacting civil society. The report draws from interviews with civil society leaders at the forefront of social change from around the world and CIVICUS’ ongoing research initiatives. This year it reaches an …
Tribunals form an important parallel structure for dispute resolution alongside regular courts. By involving expert members, administrative and logistical support from the executive, and specialised procedures, tribunals promise a speedy and more technical resolution of disputes under certain statutes. Unfortunately, despite its intentions, tribunals have often replicated some of the …
This report by the African Natural Resources Centre examines the progress made by African countries to enforce forest law and governance, under the Forest Law Enforcement and Governance programme. The report, which was based on an extensive qualitative research, examines national strategies and looks at how African countries are carrying …
With two thirds of the world’s population projected to live in urban areas by the middle of this century, the accelerating pace of urbanisation generates crucial opportunities and challenges for sustainable development that reach far beyond city boundaries. Many global processes have recognised the importance of urbanisation as well as …
Civil society organizations have launched a report that identifies best practices and recommendations for improving SDG implementation and strengthening accountability on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The report, published by the Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC), shows that “the majority of countries reporting in 2017 appear to have …
The Annual Survey of India's City-Systems (ASICS) 2017 evaluates quality of governance in cities, covering 23 major cities in India across 20 states based on 89 questions. Indian cities scored between 3.0 and 5.1 on 10, with Pune topping the charts for the first time. Other cities that came in …
A High Level Panel on Water consisting of 11 Heads of State and a Special Advisor has issued a New Agenda for Water Action calling for a fundamental shift in the way the world manages water so that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in particular SDG6, can be achieved. …
First came the forest, followed by the people, and then the government. Does this chronology allow the newest entrant in the scheme to determine the relationship between the two older entities? In other words, does the new regime of Community Forest Resource (CFR) bequeath rights or is it merely a …
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) announced the beginning of an historic effort to collect comprehensive data on disaster losses as UN Member States implement the global plan for reducing such losses, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The newly appointed UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General …
This report contains ideas and case studies from around the world that showcase best practices in sustainable design for arid cities. At the heart of the report sit three key recommendations to shape the next century of city building in arid regions: Learning from the past. Build upon locally adapted …
This study examines the political economy of road safety in India, with a focus on Mumbai. The idea is to identify the underlying factors embedded in the political, economic and social framework of the city which influence road safety. This case study is part of a broader project that analyses …
The Government of Andhra Pradesh publishes ‘Socio-Economic Survey’ report every year and places it in both Houses of the State Legislature along with the budget documents. The report is a unique volume that captures the socio-economic changes took place in the state since the beginning of the financial year. The …
The World Water Council released the publication titled, ‘Start with Water: Putting Water on Local Action Agendas to Support Global Change.’ It aims to help Local and Regional Authorities preserve water security and sanitation in cities, given future competing challenges. The report provides a background on relevant frameworks, including the: …
This report presents the findings of the impact evaluation of the project 'African Climate Change and Resilience Alliance (ACCRA) in Ethiopia (phase 2)', which ran from 1 November 2011 to 31 December 2016 as part of the Oxfam GB's global CHASE Programme Partnership Arrangement (PPA4) portfolio. The project aimed to …
Equity is gaining increasing attention in international conservation policy. Specifically, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Aichi Target 11 calls for “effectively and equitably managed … protected areas”. Yet unlike effective protected area (PA) management, equitable PA management has not been defined, and there are few examples of a comprehensive …
Responsible, effective wastewater management is needed to address global water crises. This requires careful balance of the often-competing interests of stakeholders, as what poses a risk to the environment and public health may be a valuable resource to farmers and industry. How do we manage these different interests from a …
The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) of the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania conducts research on the role policy institutes play in governments and civil societies around the world. Often referred to as the “think tanks’ think tank,” TTCSP examines the evolving role and character of …
