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The lifeways of small-scale gold miners : Addressing sustainability transformations
No full textSmall-scale gold mining sustains millions of people’s lives and yet it stimulates environmental harms and social conflicts. Global environmental crises drive calls for fundamental change to how people live on the planet. For small-scale gold mining, this raises questions about whether current dynamics can provide a basis for sustainability transformations. Proposing the notion of gold lifeways to focus on the lived experience of mining and gold resources as relational phenomena, we ask what sustainability looks like from different miners’ perspectives and probe the practice dynamics of current transformation. Our methodology is social science-led and transdisciplinary. From multi-sited and trans-regional research between South America and Africa, we draw cases from Suriname, Guinea Conakry, and Uganda. Our study finds that gold lifeways give expression to different strands of sustainability: sustaining everyday life in mining; discourses framing mining practices; and government repression of mining. Hence, as our empirical data demonstrates, miner perspectives on sustainability gain content not in isolation, but as part of gold lifeways embedded within different contexts and shaped by societal dynamics. Ultimately, the transformative potency of small-scale gold mining is located in personal lives and precarious dynamics rather than glittering promises of a sustainable future.Gold Matter
COVID-19 risk perception and public compliance with preventive measures : Evidence from a multi-wave household survey in the MENA region
No full textThis study investigates the association between individuals’ concern about contracting COVID-19 and their compliance with recommended preventive and mitigation measures, namely wearing face masks, maintaining social distancing and handwashing, in the context of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The empirical analysis is based on a panel dataset from the Combined COVID-19 MENA Monitor Household Survey, which was carried out in Jordan, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and Egypt. Applying a probit estimation technique, a positive and statistically significant association was found between the level of COVID-19 worries and individuals’ compliance with the mitigation measures. Notably, the results revealed that this association followed a “first-up-then-down” trend, showing that compliance with the three mitigation measures rose as individuals’ worries about contracting the virus increased, and then markedly decreased after they had been infected. Socio-demographic characteristics contributing to lower levels of compliance included being male, being over 60, having lower levels of education and having a lower household income. A cross-country analysis revealed remarkable differences between the five countries, with the strongest association between COVID-19 concerns and adherence to mitigation measures observed in Tunisia and Sudan, and the weakest association seen in Jordan and Morocco. Policy implications are outlined for effective risk communication and management during disease outbreaks and public health emergencies to encourage appropriate public health behaviours
Transformative adaptation : from climate-smart to climate-resilient agriculture
No full textIn response to the climate crisis, there has been much focus on climate-smart agriculture (CSA); namely, technologies and practices that enhance adaptation, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to food security; the so-called triple win. Success has tended to be measured in terms of the number of farmers adopting CSA with less focus given to the impacts especially on human development. CSA can inadvertently lead to‘maladaptation’ whereby interventions reinforce existing vulnerabilities either by beneftting powerful elites or by transferring risks and exposure between groups. Such maladaptive outcomes often stem from overly technical adaptation programming that is driven by external objectives and discounts the social and political dynamics of vulnerability. Increasingly a more nuanced picture is emerging. This reveals how a failure to contextualize CSA in relation to the structural socioeconomic dynamics associated with agricultural systems that render some categories of farmer especially vulnerable to climate change, undermines CSA’s contribution to reducing rural poverty and increasing equity. In response, there is a growing focus on transformative orientations that pursue a more deep-seated approach to social, institutional, technological and cultural change in order to address the structural contributors to vulnerability and diferential exposure to climate risk. Addressing these questions requires a robust consideration of the social contexts and power relations through which agriculture is both researched and practiced. For agriculture to be transformative and contribute to broader development goals, a greater emphasis is needed on issues of farmer heterogeneity, the dangers of maladaptation and the importance of social equity. This entails recognizing that resilience encompasses both agroand socio-ecological dimensions. Furthermore, practitioners need to be more cognizant of the dangers of (i) benefting groups of already better of farmers at the expense of the most vulnerable and/or (ii) focusing on farmers for whom agriculture is not a pathway out of poverty. The success of these approaches rests on genuine transdisciplinary partnerships and systems approaches that ensure adaptation and mitigation goals along with more equitable incomes, food security and development. The greater emphasis on social equity and human well-being distinguishes climate-resilient from climate-smart agriculture.CGIAR Climate Resilienc
Legalizing illegalities? : Land titling and land tenure security in informal settlements
No full textThis study investigated how land rights formalization had affected land tenure security among landowners in two informal settlements of Lusaka and Chongwe districts, Zambia. It explored how social norms on land inheritance, decision making over land, marital trust and land related conflicts had been affected by the changed nature of land rights. Data was collected through a questionnaire survey of all the 302 households that had obtained title deeds at the time of the survey, two 3-in-1 focus group discussions and four key informant interviews. Results suggest that land tenure security is now a reality for residents that hitherto lived under constant threat of eviction. Landowners have benefitted from the formalization initiative through land laws and local norms that allow equitable access to land. Land rights formalization has curtailed land rights for secondary claimants such as extended family members, in preference for man, spouse and biological children. A sense of ownership undisputedly increased for men and women in the two study sites. About 50% of the respondents in both study sites indicated that formalization of land rights had not resulted in family conflicts. At least one-third from both sites reported an increase in love and trust between spouses after land rights formalization. About half of the respondents reported that no change in decision-making authority had occurred for men while 42% reported an increase. Formalizing land rights in informal settlements has entailed legalizing illegalities as regulations on plot boundaries are set aside by the state to achieve its aspirations of providing land tenure security to poor urbanites who would not otherwise have recourse to legal or regularized land. We recommend that caution be taken in promoting what is unarguably a pro-poor initiative to ensure that such initiatives should not incentivize future land encroachments
Unlocking Africa's trade potential : promises and pitfalls of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement
No full textAfrica’s countries have agreed to form the world's largest free trade area, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The purpose is to create a single market by eliminating trade and labour barriers. This is expected to increase trade both within Africa and with other regions. However, past trade reforms have not been very successful. Moreover, the effects of the AfCFTA may vary greatly from country to country due to differences in political will, capacity and economic structure. The key to making it work is to facilitate trade and reduce non-tariff trade barriers, while taking into account the diversified political and economic context
Aligning European migration policies with African priorities : policy advice on African migration for Nordic decision makers
No full textBridging European and African perspectives on migration governance will result in more sustainable migration policies. Under Sweden's EU presidency, Nordic decision makers have an opportunity to lead the way. They should adopt a holistic and long-term approach, informed by a research-based understanding of the dynamics of African migration that takes the aspirations of African migrants and the perspectives of policymakers more seriously
Preserving heritage, nurturing progress, raising social equity : policy advice on how indigenous peoples can advance sustainable agriculture in Kenya
No full textRecognising and including the knowledge and leadership of indigenous peoples in building resilient food systems is crucial for equitable transformation. Kenyan decision makers must empower indigenous peoples to engage in local climate adaptation and agricultural sector planning, and at the same time protect those peoples’ rights.This policy brief is based on a collaboration between the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI), the Centre for Minority Rights Development (CEMIRIDE), and the CGIAR Research Initiative on Climate Resilience (ClimBeR).</p
Climate adaptation in Kenya : narratives and frames shaping policy and practice
No full textClimate change poses one of the greatest challenges of our time with the impact severely distressing lives and livelihoods particularly in countries of the Global South. In Kenya, climate-related disasters and extreme events have plagued the most vulnerable communities with the most affected as marginalized communities. Through the institutionalization of the Kenya Climate Change Act (2016), the government provides guidance for the climate change response, proposing measures to build resilience and enhance adaptation. Efforts to promote adaption and resilience of communities and households often involve multi-pronged approaches promoted through multi-actor and multi-level action. Besides the provisions of the Act., climate adaptation discourse in the country is shaped through particular narratives which have both international and national contexts. The narratives have developed over time and often overlap, with institutions and individuals working across the different frames. In this paper, we review literature on climate adaptation in Kenya and use it to discuss four of the dominant narratives that shape climate change adaption in the country. The narratives discussed in this paper relate to adaptive capacities, technological and technical, gender and feminist, and climate justice framings. We argue that some narratives have been dominant in shaping adaptation discourse and practice towards certain solutions, and in turn may have obscured and/or subsumed other plausible solutions. The working paper was undertaken as part of the gender and social equity research work under ClimBeR – Building Systemic Resilience Against Climate Variability and Extremes. ClimBeR is an initiative of the CGIAR which aims to transform climate adaptation capacity of food and agricultural systems Guatemala, Kenya, Morocco, Philippines, Senegal and Zambia. Its goal is to tackle vulnerability to climate change at its roots and support countries as they adapt and build equitable and sustainable futures.The research presented in this working paper is drawn from a research project at the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) in partnership with CGIAR, a research alliance funded by among others the United Nations and the World Bank.ClimBe
Pax Africana and Africa’s Post-Cold War Security Architecture : Peacemaking, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding
No full textThe University of Pretoria’s Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship (CAS) in South Africa; the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) in Uppsala, Sweden; and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, convened a high-level policy dialogue on "Pax Africana and Africa’s Post-Cold War Security Architecture: Peacemaking, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding." The meeting was held on 19 and 20 May 2023 in Addis Ababa. Representatives of the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), as well as key policymakers from the United Nations (UN)and the European Union (EU); joined by leading academics, diplomats, and civil society activists, participated in the policy dialogue. The meeting addressed the role of key domestic, regional, and external actors in strengthening Africa’s post-Cold War security architecture across the continent’s five sub-regions. This report is based largely on key discussions and policy recommendations from the policy dialogue. Published by: Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship (CAS), University of Pretoria, South Africa; The Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) in Uppsala, Sweden; and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Nordic Africa Institute's Projects on the UN Security Council and the Elected Te
Power and Informality in Urban Africa : Ethnographic Perspectives
No full textUrban Africa is undergoing a transformation unlike anywhere else in the world, as unprecedented numbers of people migrate to rapidly expanding cities. But despite the growing body of work on urban Africa, the lives of these new city dwellers have received relatively little attention, particularly when it comes to crucial issues of power and inequality. This interdisciplinary collection brings together contributions from urban studies, geography, and anthropology to provide new insights into the social and political dynamics of African cities, as well as uncovering the causes and consequences of urban inequality. Featuring rich new ethnographic research data and case studies drawn from across the continent, the collection shows that Africa’s new urbanites have adapted to their environs in ways which often defy the assumptions of urban planners. By examining the experiences of these urban residents in confronting issues of power and agency, the contributors consider how such insights can inform more effective approaches to research, city planning and development both in Africa and beyond.Contents: 1. Examining Power and Informality in Urban Africa / Laura Stark & Annika Teppo -- PART I: Gold fever. 2. Hybrid governance in an impermanent mining settlement in Burkina Faso / Cristiano Lanzano -- 3. Artisanal gold mining and rapid urbanisation in Mali / Sidylamine Bagayoko -- PART II: Goods, services, needs: actors in the market. 4. Migratory youth porters and metal scrap dealers in Accra / Esther Danso-Wiredu and Adjoa Afriyie -- 5. Women's neighbourhood vending as a survival strategy in Dar es Salaam / Tiina-Riitta Lappi -- 6. “If only they would see us as honest workers”: Motorcycle taxi drivers' rights to livelihood in Kampala / Caroline Wamala-Larsson -- 7. Mobile phone theft, resale and violence in Dar es Salaam / Laura Stark -- PART III: Urban renewal: planning versus implementation. 8. Youth, shelter, and liminal urbanism in Addis Ababa / Susanna Myllylä -- 9. Neighborhood Open Spaces: Co-production and spatial transformation in Addis Ababa / Segen Tesfamarian, Elias Yitbarek Alemayehu and Laura Stark -- 10. From musseque to high-rise: Luanda's renewal in times of abundance and crisis / Cristina Udelsmann Rodrigues.Published in association with the Nordic Africa Institute.</p