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U.S. Water Infrastructure: Diving Into Needs And Recent Policy Developments, Joseph Kane

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presents a lecture titled, "U.S. Water Infrastructure: Diving Into Needs and Recent Policy Developments" by Brookings fellow in Brookings Metro, Joseph Kane. Whether providing drinking water, treating wastewater, or managing stormwater, water infrastructure in the United States spans a wide range of human-made and natural systems. In turn, the enormous scale and variety of these systems is leading to an array of challenges: aging and vulnerable infrastructure; fragmented governance and siloed planning across different geographies; a lack of financial, technical, and managerial capacity; difficulties adapting to new industrial and …

Combatting Road Accidents And Fatalities : The Colonial State, Voluntary Organisations, And Road Safety In Northern Rhodesia, 1940s-1964, Mbozi Santebe

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) experienced an increase in the use of motor vehicles from the late 1920s. Consequently, there was a rapid increase in the occurrence of road accidents from the 1940s onwards. The rise in cases of accidents attracted attention of the colonial state and other stakeholders that embarked on measures to improve road safety. Using a corpus of archival sources, this article examines the measures that the colonial state and voluntary organisations undertook to improve road safety in Northern Rhodesia from the 1940s to 1964. It contributes to scholarly works on the use of motor vehicles in Africa …

Dynamics Of Infanticides Among The Ngoni Of Tanzania, 1850s-1916, Andrew S. Kasambala, Oswald J. Masebo

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

Infanticide is one of the key factors in explaining changes in human populations since the antiquity. This paper examines dynamics of infanticide practices among the Ngoni of Tanzania from the late pre- colonial to the end of German colonial rule in 1916. Relying on primary and secondary sources, it argues that while infanticide remained a critical problem in Songea from the 19th century to the end of German colonialism in 1916, the context in which it was practiced and the interventions devised to alleviate it changed over time. While it was primarily practiced in Songea by pre-Ngoni communal based clans …

Criteria For Rejecting Ideas In African Philosophy : A Historical And Epistemological Analysis, Eric C. Mgalula

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

The rejection of African ideas remains a pivotal debate in African philosophy, centring on tensions between universalist epistemologies and culturally specific criteria. This study synthesizes fragmented discussions into a cohesive framework, interrogating when and why African ideas may be deemed inadequate. It critiques contemporary African scholarship that rigidly adheres to indigenous traditions under decolonial and nationalist imperatives, advocating instead for a balanced approach that harmonizes intellectual rigor with cultural authenticity. Through a historical analysis of key thinkers—from Tempels and Hountondji to Wiredu and Oyewumí—this article historicizes the evolution of evaluative criteria in African philosophy, challenging colonial legacies and romanticized traditionalism. …

Mediation Partiality And The East African Community’S ‘Quiet Diplomacy’ In The Kenyan Post-Election Crisis Of 2007/2008, Rasul A. Minja

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

This article examines the role of East African Community (EAC) in mediating the 2007/2008 Kenyan post-election crisis, analysing its engagement in regional conflict resolution. Despite its mandate to promote peace, the EAC's response was constrained by institutional weaknesses, political dynamics, and reliance on quiet diplomacy. The African Union-backed Panel of Eminent African Personalities, led by Kofi Annan, ultimately led the mediation, sidelining the EAC. Through the analysis of primary and secondary sources, the article indicates that EAC lacked a binding conflict management framework and faced decision-making delays that hindered swift intervention. The partiality of key figures, particularly President Yoweri Museveni …

Jonathan M Jackson, Visions For An African Valley: Histories Of Development In Kilombero, Tanzania Since 1877., Emanuel L. Mchome

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

Research on the history of colonial development and future-making in Tanzania has focused on the racial and class politics that influenced development visions and practices. Studies of postcolonial development history have demonstrated how state leaders and their ideologies shaped nation-building trajectories. Notwithstanding of the temporal dynamics, scholars have analysed how the flow of finance and technical assistance reveals intertwined global forces such as nationalism and the Cold War, and how foreign development assistance shaped development in Tanzania. Visions for an African Valley moves beyond this conventional analysis. Instead of employing ideological lenses in analysis, it specifically examines how colonial and …

Beyond Christianity : German Missionaries’ Heritage In Colonial Mbeya, Tanzania, 1880s-1918, Ashura Jackson Ngoya, Edward Simon Mgaya

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

This article examines the history of German missionaries in the colonial Mbeya, a southwest region of Tanzania, from the 1880s to 1918. It explores how missionaries influenced political, social, and economic changes that had a profound impact on the lives of the local population. The article investigates the secular roles of missionaries, which, although they supported evangelisation, they were not directly non- secular aspects. In doing so, the article considers missionaries' efforts in education, health, agriculture, trade, and tax collection, which sometimes led to them working as colonial intermediaries in certain areas of Mbeya. Based on primary and secondary sources, …

Engineering Inefficiencies And Technical Dependency : A Vital Lens In Understanding Power Outages In Postcolonial Tanzania, 1960s-1990s, Emanuel L. Mchome

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

This article examines how the construction of power infrastructure in the 1960s-1980s shaped the future functioning of the Tanzanian power grid from the 1990s. The article is based on oral sources and archival material collected from the Swedish National Archives in Stockholm, the Tanzania National Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO), the East Africana Section of the Wilbert Chagula Library at University of Dar es Salaam, the Rufiji Basin Development Authority (RUBADA) and the World Bank online sources. The article argues that engineering inefficiencies of some Western planners and builders of TANESCO’s power grid who failed to consider local ecological issues …

The Reciprocity Of Misfortune: The Little Tradition Of Disasters In The Philippines, Greg Bankoff, Bianca Angelien Aban Claveria, David Lozada Iii, Camille L. Silva

History Department Faculty Publications

Just as there is a great and little tradition in religion and civilization, there is a great and little tradition in disaster. This article explores the origins of community resilience in rural areas of the Philippines based on local reciprocity and cooperation and how ­ these customary practices form the basis of national disaster risk-­reduction policies. The endless strug­gle to feed and shelter a family and contend with repeated hazards, whether natu­ral or human-­induced, promotes collective action. There is a need to cooperate with neighbors, a web of dyadic and community relationships born out of necessity that constitutes a “reciprocity …

Urban Heat Islands In Mountain West Cities, 2024, Mia Tschan, Krish Sharma, Olivia K. Cheche, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet presents data on Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) in six cities across five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The data are derived from the 2024 Climate Central report, “Urban Heat Hot Spots in 65 Cities,” which includes data on how UHIs boost temperatures in 65 major cities across the United States. This fact sheet focuses on UHIs in six Mountain West cities: Albuquerque, NM; Denver, CO; Las Vegas, NV; Phoenix, AZ; Salt Lake City, UT; and Tucson, AZ.

Frameworks And Life Cycle Assessment For Reinforced Concrete Bridges For Sustainability In Transportation, Yu-Fu Ko, Jessica Gonzalez

Mineta Transportation Institute

Bridge structures are critical components of California’s transportation network, with reinforced concrete (RC) bridges being among the most widely used. Extending the lifespan of these structures can lead to significant reductions in environmental impacts. However, California’s frequent seismic activity has repeatedly exposed the vulnerability of existing RC bridges, highlighting the urgent need for seismic retrofitting and maintenance to improve infrastructure resilience against earthquakes and to increase sustainability. This research used detailed computer simulations known as nonlinear finite element models, which are highly detailed computer models, incorporating section damage indices to predict damage and assess structural deficiencies in RC bridges during …

Examining The City Of Philadelphia’S Proposition Bill #250768 “Stop Trashing Our Air Act” By Addressing Waste Management And Environmental Justice Challenges In Chester City, Pennsylvania And The Philadelphia Region, Dylan Wascavage

Student Publications

This paper offers a policy analysis of the City of Philadelphia’s "Stop Trashing Our Air Act" by summarizing the reasoning for the bill's call to action, its legislative background, identifying key players and their strategies, and how these strategies reflect philosophies of environmental governance and the policy cycle. It seeks to inform local community members and policymakers of the implications of this bill, to highlight the lack of state and federal intervention on this issue, and to address the environmental justice and pollution concerns of the Covanta waste incinerator in Chester City and its neighboring communities. It also aims to …

The Role Of Modern Costing Techniques (Green Target Costing, Total Quality Management) In Reducing Production Costs And Achieving Sustainable Development Goals: “An Exploratory Study In The Iraqi Stock Market”, Mawj Abbas Jasim Alhchaimi, Ali Mahdi Hameed, Fatimah Flayyih Oudah, Adnan Kadhum Matrood

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

Costing techniques, such as Green Target Costing and Total Quality Management, play a crucial role in achieving sustainable development goals. These techniques assist organizations in achieving integration between economy, environment, and society, leading to sustainable development. Green Target Costing helps identify and reduce environmental costs, encouraging companies to use resources efficiently, and contributing to sustainable development goals. Additionally, Total Quality Management improves quality, reduces costs, and promotes a quality culture within the organization, ultimately contributing to sustainable development through enhanced institutional performance. The use of these costing techniques, Green Target Costing and Total Quality Management, enables organizations to achieve sustainable …

Bridging The Mitigation Gaps : Technology And Climate Finance In An Equitable Global Transition, Iten Hassan

COP30

Mitigation has been the scope of all international climate negotiations ; nevertheless, COP30 Agenda highlights the urgency in scaling up the ambition in reducing CO2 emissions , shifting towards renewable energy sources, mitigating for the 1.5°C and the Net-Zero target. This Policy Paper aim is bridging the gaps between The Global North (Developed) countries and The Global South (Developing) countries by exploring the main challenges that face both developed and developing countries when mitigating , using London and Egypt as prime examples, respectively; nevertheless, it proposes solutions for both countries in terms of the key pillars for the implementation techniques …

The Mediterreanean We Share: Enhancing The Eu-Mediterranean Cooperation In Education And Capacity Building For A Resilient Climate Action, Achref Ininou

COP30

The Euro-Mediterranean region is facing growing inequalities, and regional resilience is being put to the test as we deal with escalating climate challenges. Although the significance of education and capacity building is emphasized by frameworks like SDG 4 and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, regional efforts are still dispersed, short-term, and frequently not monitored and evaluated. Through inclusive education, the development of green skills, and regional cross-border collaboration, this policy paper highlights that people, especially youth, must be at the center of climate strategies. Strong monitoring and evaluation systems are necessary, though, to guarantee the long-term viability of these …

Young Indigenous Women And The Low-Carbon Future: Female Political Representation And Knowledge In The Energy Sector In Brazil, Fernando Da Gama

COP30

The transition to a low-carbon economy is an ethical imperative in the face of the climate crisis, demanding actions that encompass social justice, gender equity, and Indigenous leadership. It is therefore urgent to include young Indigenous women in the design and implementation of sustainable energy solutions, as demonstrated by case studies in the Brazilian Amazon. Despite the central role of Indigenous peoples in environmental protection, international climate finance still overlooks community-based initiatives, allocating less than 1% of global resources directly to these populations. Indigenous women face additional challenges due to gender and technical access barriers. There is a clear need …

"From Global Stocktake To Global Delivery: A Policy Roadmap For Cop30 Implementation" How Can We Hold Stakeholders Accountable And Foster Global Collaboration?, Joshua Underhill

COP30

The Earth is facing a climate catastrophe. According to NASA (2024), the Earth's average surface temperature in 2024 was the warmest on record. The same article outlines that the Earth is about 1.47 degrees Celsius warmer than the preindustrial period1. A core mechanism designed to address this challenge, and other key concerns, is the Global Stocktake GST, which is a process within the Paris Agreement assessing collective progress towards key goals.

This policy paper will primarily focus on the history of the global stocktake, before delving into the future of the GST, the NDC, and global mutirao, all with the …

From Dialogue To Delivery: Engaging Non-State Actors In Gst Follow-Up, Aya Mohamed

COP30

Climate action is falling short where it matters most, on the ground, because those doing the work are often excluded from the system's tracking progress. The Global Stocktake (GST), meant to assess global climate efforts, remains focused on national governments, leaving out non-state actors (NSAs) who lead much of the real-world delivery. This exclusion stems from structural gaps in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the lack of formal ways for NSAs to engage meaningfully. Existing tools, like voluntary platforms and consultations, are not enough, they lack enforcement and true integration. This paper proposes two practical solutions: AI-powered Nested Climate Accounting, …

Cop-30 Simulation Report Ignite And Insight: A Global Mutirão, Anes Saadi

COP30

The first Global Stocktake (GST) certifies that there is a widening gap between our collective ambition and the real-world deliveries. And while the COP29 did set a new climate finance floor of US$300 billion/yr by 2035, the science however showed that this is far below developing country needs, and the current trajectories still overshoot the Paris 1.5 C limit. With the most recent updates, Article 6 market rules are now in full operation. That is inclusive of a mandatory 5% "share of proceeds" for the Adaptation Fund; it is an underused lever to channel resources to the frontline communities (UNFCCC, …

Strengthening Climate Empowerment In Pharmacy Education And Practice: A Literature Review, Hend Ahmed

COP30

Pharmacists are increasingly acknowledged as essential contributors to climate resilience as climate change poses ever-increasing challenges to global health. Within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) provides a framework that is focused on capacity building, public engagement, and education. The application of ACE principles to pharmacy practice and education to advance sustainability is examined in this article. It looks at national projects that support ACE objectives like Kerala's pharmacy-led waste management campaign and the Greener-NHS programme. The review finds gaps and opportunities for incorporating climate action into pharmacy through …

Schools As Hubs For Cultivating Climate Literacy And Action In Egypt, Kenzy Al Ruwaini

COP30

Partial reforms within the national education system across Egypt during 2022 as Egypt worked towards better fulfilling its promises to becoming more sustainable. These reforms aimed to better build students' capacity and their involvement in climate initiatives. However, noting the important role of schools in student development, this paper puts forward a call for more comprehensive reforms that aim to target more than just students' theoretical understanding. Remarking the vitality of a changed understanding and interaction between the students and the environment. As well as ensuring that the students learn to become active members of their community with a profound …

Phasing Out Fossil Fuels And Accelerating Renewable Energy Resources, Pakiza Khalid

COP30

This paper examines the challenges and opportunities in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the phase out of fossil fuels and acceleration of renewable energy. The 3 areas of interest discussed are: fossil fuel subsidies, electric grid infrastructure and decarbonisation challenges in industrial and transport sectors. The two policy recommendations include development of a national just transition framework and integration of energy storage systems in grids. This paper is directly aimed at governments and policy makers.

Capacity Building: Climate Literacy And Sustainability Integration In Teachers’ Education And Training., Jomana Abdelhamid

COP30

Despite the existing efforts done towards prepping a climate literate youth whom are aware of the changes affecting our environment and ecosystem, there is still an existent gap in the translation of these efforts to reach a younger audience and their interpretation into feasible knowledge and action-oriented programs. Hence, this paper delves deep into an analysis of the methods of integration of Eco-Entrepreneurship and environmental education in teachers’ education to prep them for the inclusion of climate education in national curriculums. Furthermore, this paper discusses some of the barriers teachers face when fusing green skills and knowledge in their curricula. …

Non-State Actors: Opportunity Or Challenge To Ace And Capacity Building Under Cop30 Mutirão Action Plan, Youssef Moftah

COP30

This policy paper focuses on the role of non-state parties in climate action under COP30. The paper highlights clearly the gap of state actors’ action and their inability alone to meet their requirements in order to make clearly effective steps in their climate change agendas. Following on from previous work frames of the UNFCCC and its subsidiary bodies alongside national and local initiatives the paper shows the past efforts linking them with this year’s presidency and its action plan of "mutirão". The focus of this paper is on building ACE capabilities especially axes of training, public participation, and international cooperation …

Open-Source Hardware For Renewable Energy Workforce Development, Mohamed Abbas

COP30

The renewable energy markets are undergoing significant developments; there is a considerable gap between the industry requirements and the available skillful workforce. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA, 2024), the renewable energy industry globally employed 16.2 million people in 2023, with estimates showing a significant increase to around 40 million by 2050, depending on the achievement of a 1.5°C scenario. Though the continuous expansion of the workforce continues, there is still a shortage that will be difficult to fill. This shortage is a serious problem, especially in developing countries, where climate change is prompting the establishment of new …

From Awareness To Action: The Educational Pillar Of Capacity Building And Ace, Eman Akrout

COP30

Education has always been identified as the most potent medium for sustaining long-term climate action by helping students, teachers, and communities understand climate risks and participate in solution building. This literature review will therefore focus on how education helps build capacity and contributes to Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE). As recent reports indicated by IPCC and UNESCO have also highlighted, climate education heightens the level of awareness supportive of green jobs while improving the resilience of a community. However, there is a lack of climate material in most schools with untrained teachers posing a huge gap in the international efforts …

Sparking Change: Building Local Technical Capacity For Climate Resilience And Energy Access, Elena Sales

COP30

Globally, 666.5 million people still lack access to electricity, the vast majority residing in rural areas in the Global South. The same communities are also among the most vulnerable to climate change, facing rising temperatures, extreme weather and environmental degradation - yet they lack the energy resources needed to adapt and build resilience. Community-led distributed renewable energy (DRE) systems, from household solar to community mini-grids, can help accelerate the global adoption of renewable energy while empowering the most marginalized communities to have the capacity to lead the transition. For these systems to be sustainable, communities must be paired with direct …

Climate-Ready Health Systems: A Regional Strategy For Building Climate-Health Capacity In North Africa, Donia Khaled

COP30

North African nations are highly exposed to the climate-health crisis, facing combined risks that greatly impact vulnerable groups. These include repeated climate-related disease outbreaks, plus more heat waves and droughts. Existing health education and infrastructure aren't ready to handle these issues. A dual-track strategy to build regional climate-health capacity is proposed in this policy paper: A) integrate climate-health education into medical and public health curricula at all universities across North Africa; and B) launch a multilingual Continuous Professional Development (CPD) platform will develop health workers and students, adaptation through knowledge sharing, building local leadership, and ensuring fair access to resources. …

From Ndcs To Gdcs : Reforming Carbon Markets For A Just Net-Zero Transition, Tolojanahary Andriantsoavina

COP30

The climate crisis is here, and it demands that we act together — and act now. The reality is deeply unfair: the Global South, which contributes the least to global greenhouse gas emissions, is paying the highest price for climate change. Communities face floods, droughts, and other devastating impacts, yet they have the least access to the resources needed to adapt. Current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are falling short, held back by gaps in fairness, accountability, and real action on the ground. Shockingly, less than 10% of international climate finance reaches the local communities who need it most. This paper …

Driving Climate Mitigation And Health Equity In Rapid Test Diagnostics (Rdts): A Sustainable Biodegradable Patch Solution, Sarah Abozeid

COP30

Total energy-related CO2 emissions increased by 0.8% in 2024, hitting an all-time high of 37.8 Gt CO2, driven primarily by energy, transport, and industrial sectors. The healthcare sector, often overlooked in mitigation discussions, contributes 4.4% of total global GHG emissions, a footprint exceeding that of many countries. Disposal of petroleum-based plastics—especially through incineration—emits approximately 2.7 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) per tonne of plastic burnt. Production itself accounts for around 2.5 tonnes CO2 per tonne of

plastic, making the combined lifecycle emissions significant when including end- of-life incineration or decomposition. Around 16,000 tonnes of plastics are

produced globally for rapid …