Since the formation of the Government of National Unity in 1994, there have been significant strides towards the transformation of the lives of ordinary South Africans. Set within a macroeconomic policy, which is focused on stimulating economic growth, there has been significant delivery in respect of the provision of housing, engineering services such as water and electricity and social services such as education, health and social safety nets for the most vulnerable.

Small Scale Landlords make a significant contribution to the South African economy. They provide a range of accommodation types for approximately 15% of all South African households (1,85 million households). 60% of this stock (1,1 million households) comprises Household Rental including both formal and informal units located in backyards.

Conflicts over control of and access to natural resources are common among pastoral communities living in arid and semi-arid environments of Kenya. This study investigates conflicts and conflict resolution strategies in West Pokot County, Kenya. The objectives were to: identify the sources of conflict; examine conflict resolution initiatives; and evaluate the effectiveness of peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes to reduce emissions from deforestation and ecosystem degradation, including REDD+ and Payment for Environmental Services (PES), could represent an opportunity to strengthen processes of conservation, sustainable usage and poverty reduction in the Mesoamerican region, particularly in indigenous territories and communities. This report draws on case studies from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama to demonstrate how land tenure rights are linked to incentive mechanisms for good forestry management.

This briefing note has been produced Forests and Climate Change Programme (FORCLIME), which is bilateral initiative implemented jointly by Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry. It outlines the concept of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) and makes the case for the use of PES on Borneo island.

Structural adjustment, liberalisation and the pressures of technological change are having major impact on the institutional organisation of the agro-industrial sector. In industrialised countries, the private sector is positioned to play the vanguard role in the next generation of agricultural technologies. Thus, the ability to promote and sustain new patterns of co-operation in research and development between the private and the public sectors will be a key determinant of future patterns of competitiveness.

This fact sheet describes lessons learnt from the development of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) benefit distribution systems (BDSs) in Viet Nam. The fact sheet is a clear and concise resource for policymakers and REDD+ stakeholders.

Climate change is set to have a significant impact on climate-sensitive sectors of national economies, such as agriculture. This report, published by the World Agroforestry Centre, discusses the challenges that climate change brings to smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia, and outlines adaptive measures that can be taken. It begins with a brief general discussion of climate change and moves on to describe the likely impacts for farmers. The following section highlights adaptive strategies available to small-scale farmers in the region.

This policy brief discusses the issue of food security in relation to trade and the anticipated impacts of climate change within Southeast Asia. It begins by contextualizing the debate before examining the manner in which trade, climate change and food security are interlinked within the Mekong region. The brief goes onto examine Cambodia as a case study in order to establish lessons for other countries in the region.

Although it is not possible to state with confidence how climate change may alter precipitation patterns in Rwanda, it is clear that this process will affect the management and generation capacity of its hydroelectric sector in the future. The Government of Rwanda sought to restore the degraded Rugezi-Bulera- Ruhondo watershed by halting on-going drainage activities in the Rugezi Wetlands and banning agricultural and pastoral activities within and along its shores, as well as along the shores of Lakes Bulera and Ruhondo.

This regional report by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) highlights that, although urban slums are decreasing and urban innovations are being introduced, the Arab region still faces major challenges, including high youth unemployment rates and climate change. The report argues that climate change can increase competition over scarce resources, decrease food security, increase poverty and social instability, and accelerate environmental migration and militarisation over natural resources in the area.

The Asia-Pacific Regional Human Development Report (APHDR) focuses on the need for the region to find ways to continue to grow economically, while reducing poverty and tackling climate change and environmental concerns. The report addresses climate challenges facing small island developing states (SIDS) in the region with special attention given to the least developed countries (LDCs), including Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.