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 …
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is a market mechanism that was created by an international regime, but its successful implementation relies on effective CDM governance within its host countries. What kinds of carbon governance patterns are appropriate for reaching the goals of the Kyoto Protocol? Taking China
A speedy transition to low or zero carbon energy systems is necessary to reach the ambitious goals for reducing carbon emissions set for 2050. Governing such a transition without recession or upheaval presents a challenge to society which is unprecedented. This report is about governing transitions toward a low-carbon society. …
Recently established carbon governance systems are quite different in Brazil, China, and India. Such divergence is surprising as emerging economies are primarily involved in carbon governance through the clean development mechanism (CDM). One would expect similar institutional and policy outcomes in the major host countries in response to the CDM, …
Specialized environmental courts and tribunals (ECTs) are making major contributions to access to justice, environmental governance, and protection of the environment around the world. Their growth is spectacular
Water governance in the Narmada river basin has been in the eye of a controversial storm from the time of independence. While initially the dispute had been between the riparian states over the apportionment of the use of the waters of the river for large dam centered canal irrigation and …
Cities represent a challenge and an opportunity for climate change policy. As the hubs of economic activity, cities generate the bulk of GHG emissions and are thus important to mitigation strategies. Urban planning will shape future trends and the concentration of population, socio-economic activity, poverty and infrastructure in urban areas …
This paper analyses the relationship between water management and poverty reduction. All aspects of poverty are considered: this is reflected in the analysis of water
International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have published a policy brief summarizing the main findings of five workshops that aimed to promote a multi-sectoral dialogue among countries on improving forest law compliance. The brief highlights lessons learned from experiences on the ground and …
Election studies (which are here defined as scholarly work focusing on the major phases of the electoral process, i.e. the campaign, the vote, the announcement of results and subsequent government formation) constitute a distinct sub-genre of studies on democracy, which focuses, so to speak, on the ‘mechanics’ more than on …
One of the major barriers to addressing complex social–ecological issues through integrated coastal management (ICM) is a lack of intergovernmental coordination and cooperation (horizontal and vertical fragmentation). This article describes an effort to overcome the barriers to ICM in Sri Lanka by fostering intergovernmental collaboration and initiating adaptive governance to …
The paper locates the genesis of the Naxalite movement on the failure of governance to eliminate structural violence inflicted on the Dalits and Adivasis, changes policies which are extremely detrimental to their interests, makes implementing bureaucracy sensitive and accountable, and establish a system for delivery of justice and grievance redressal …
Report: Capital Failed To Introduce E-Governance, Community Participation Law New Delhi: The Capital has failed to show the way as Delhi is lagging way behind other metros when it comes to execution of path-breaking reforms under Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), aimed at revamping infrastructure and urban governance in …
This SEI Working Paper explores social learning about climate adaptation in relation to the architecture of climate governance. It compares the potential for social learning at the international level with a local perspective based on preliminary results from a case study of climate adaptation in the Stockholm region, Sweden. It …
Public interest litigation has historically been an innovative judicial procedure for enhancing the social and economic rights of disadvantaged and marginalized groups in India. In recent years, however, a number of criticisms of public interest litigation have emerged, including concerns related to separation of powers, judicial capacity, and inequality. These …
Human-induced climate change, in conjunction with environmental degradation, will have unavoidable effects on cities. UN-Habitat estimates that 70% of the world
This article provides a critical missing piece to the global climate change governance puzzle: how to create incentives for the major developing countries to reduce carbon emissions. The major developing countries are projected to account for 80 percent of global emissions growth over the next several decades, and substantial reductions …
The urbanisation of the state has thrown up a number of challenges. The re-distribution of political power away from the villages, the migration of large numbers of people to cities (including from other states), the changing nature of the new economy, the threats to the environment and the character of …
