This study sought to understand the extent of digital technology usage across Zambezi riparian countries and analyze whether there is a conducive enabling environment for digital technology upscaling for climate adaptation. The study thus, examined the relationship between having a better enabling environment and the use of digital technologies in agriculture.

Generative large language models (LLMs), while widely accessible and capable of simulating policy recommendations, pose challenges in the assessment of their accuracy. Users, including policy analysts and decision-makers, bear the responsibility of evaluating the outcomes from these models. A significant limitation of LLMs is their potential to overlook critical, context-specific factors. For example, in formulating food policies, it is vital to consider regional climate and environmental variables that influence water and resource availability.

The report highlights challenges faced by the agricultural sector in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Zambia, including productivity issues and food security concerns due to factors such as limited inputs, market access, and climate-related vulnerabilities. Post-harvest losses (PHL) are identified as a major obstacle for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) processors, stemming from inadequate infrastructure and poor handling methods.

Energy plays a key role in human activities, driving economies and societies worldwide. Notably, 85 percent of the 800 million people without energy access live in fragile states. With the growing climate crisis and the need to move away from fossil fuels, investments in renewable energy are increasing, especially in Africa due to its vast renewable energy potential. However, there are challenges in introducing renewable energy projects in Fragile and Conflict-affected States (FCS).

Springs are the most important source of water for the people in the mid-hills of the Himalaya. Emerging evidence shows that they are increasingly drying up, causing numerous hardships for people, with those impacts being felt more acutely by women and members of vulnerable communities like lower castes (Dalits). Climate change, land-use and land cover changes, including haphazard infrastructure (hydropower, road construction), and other socio-economic changes such as urbanization and tourism are the leading causes of the drying up of springs.

Small water infrastructure in Nigeria needs to be utilized more efficiently. There are over 900 small reservoirs across the country. Many of these have yet to be put to productive use within the Ogun watershed in the Ogun Osun River Basin. This study investigates the challenges and opportunities for improving the use of small reservoirs for farmer-led irrigation in a sustainable way.

A rapid assessment of the Green Leave Vegetables (GLV) value chain in the Kiambu Living Landscape shows that huge potential exists for agroecological transition in this region. At the farm level, farmers are already applying selected agroecological principles, such as a decrease in the use of external inputs, crop and economic diversification, biodiversification, and soil management techniques, among others.

Efficient water resources management is essential for the sustainable development of nations, and large dams are an important tool for achieving this endeavor. Here, we present an integrated approach to simulating the impacts of large dams, integrating river systems infrastructure, hydrodynamic, and economywide models. We apply the framework to examine the biophysical, GDP, and distributional impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Sudan.

The 2010s were a decade of strong economic development in Kenya. Gross domestic product (GDP)—an indicator of the economy’s size—expanded by an average of 5 percent per year (KNBS 2022). This exceeded population growth and helped raise household incomes, leading to a decline in poverty rates and, more importantly, in the number of poor people, for the first time in at least three decades (World Bank 2022). Agriculture played an important role in this. The sector grew alongside the rest of the economy, despite facing many challenges, including climate variability (Ochieng et al.

The mid-hills of Nepal account for 68% of the country’s total area[1] and 56% of its arable land. Ranging in altitude from 610m to 4,876m, there are many small pockets of micro-irrigation that have the potential for high-value crop cultivation. However, almost a third of irrigable land here remains rainfed[2] and studies indicate an increase in fallow land due to a lack of year-round irrigation infrastructure and decrease in agricultural workforce.

Climate change presents significant challenges to countries worldwide, and Ethiopia is not exceptional (Simane et al., 2016). The nation confronts a wide array of climate risks that pose substantial obstacles to its sustainable development and the well-being of its people. Ethiopia is particularly vulnerable to climaterelated hazards due to its predominantly agricultural economy and large population reliant on rain-fed farming.

Digital innovation continues to offer opportunities for a transformative shift in the Global South's agrifood sector, but it also faces significant challenges. Known for its diverse agricultural practices and smallscale farming, the Global South requires customized solutions to enhance productivity and sustainability and ensure scaling. Obstacles like the increasing digital divide, weak information systems and infrastructure, and limited digital capabilities, particularly among marginalized rural populations, hinder progress.