Environmental degradation and the frequency with which the effects of climate change are being felt are increasingly evident. Yet, while attention has been given to the science and economics of climate change, there has been limited engagement on the diplomacy of the climate change negotiations and the governance of natural resources. The politicization of environmental degradation has seen issues such as climate change, food security, water security, declining biodiversity, and energy occupying the international agenda. The international governance of the environment is an evolving field of research, which has gained momentum in a number of developed countries. There is still, however, significant scope for building an understanding of these key areas within Africa which is increasingly facing the effects of climate change, and although is one of the world’s richest in natural resources, it is also amongst the poorest regions in the world. The focus of the IGD’s environmental diplomacy research is on unpacking the complex multidimensional environmental challenges and international negotiations in support of a better Africa and better world.

This programme is generously supported by Trust Africa and the Government of Norway.