CALL FOR BACKGROUND PAPERS

2013 AFRICA CAPACITY INDICATORS REPORT Capacity Development for Natural Resources Management

Call for Background Papers ACBF African Capacity Indicators (ACI) 2013 Flagship Publication Introduction The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) is currently seeking seasoned researchers/scholars to write background papers for chapters of its flagship publication African Capacity indicators Report (ACIR) (to be published in 2013). ACIR is a flagship publication of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) designed to bring to the fore the capacity development agenda in sub-Saharan Africa. It advocates for a holistic approach to capacity building/development given the complex and dynamic nature of change required for development and socio-economic transformation of the continent. ACI Objectives:
a) The first objective of the ACIR 2013 is to build on the findings, lessons and momentum

generated by ACIR 2011 and 2012.This is partly to ensure follow through on the objective of developing a database on capacity development in Africa. Accordingly, data comparable to those collected and collated for the ACIR of the last two years will be put in place. b) Additionally, ACIR 2013 is specifically conceptualized and designed to: i. Examine the key issues, challenges and opportunities facing countries and cross-border Natural Resources Management (NRM) capacity development and cooperation in Africa; Map out the capacity of national governments to design and implement effective regulatory schemes for NRM especially to avoid capital flight as well as tax evasion by multinational corporations; Give enhanced theoretical basis to the various capacity development interventions being undertaken on the continent aimed at fostering governance of natural resources; Highlight key concerns related to the likely effectiveness and sustainability of trans-boundary natural resources management (TBNRM) initiatives across Africa; Uncover synergies and commonalities between the capacity development in fragile states, capacity to transform agriculture and guarantee food security, and capacity to manage natural resources; Suggest a way forward in terms of key needs and the appropriate roles for governments, development partners and organizations involved in TBNRM initiatives; Tease-out innovative practices and policy options available to African governments so as to engender mutually beneficial strategies with external partners in the exploitation of natural resource s so that countries do not inadvertently sign contracts that compromise the future of their citizens; and

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Serve as a definitive knowledge product targeting policymakers, public -sector officials, private sector, and civil society. The ACI2013, just like previous editions, will document experiential learning to expose the critical factors in the political economy of change, which include the long-term commitment of decision-makers and country leaders to overall development goals, as well as leadership and risk taking at various levels to further the development agenda of the continent. The ACI Theme The ACIR 2013 will focus on the theme: capacity development for natural resources management. In the discussion, natural resources will cover renewable and non-renewable endowments with specific reference to forests, land, water, biodiversity and minerals (solid minerals and petroleum resources). Non-renewable natural resources are mineral substances usually discussed under the so-called extractive industries. Natural resources value rests in the amount of the material available and the demand for it. The latter is determined by its usefulness to production as well as supporting consumption. A commodity is generally considered a natural resource when the primary activities associated with it are extraction and purification, as opposed to creation. All these resources are of vital importance for the societies involved in their exploitation and for a range of reasons such as biodiversity, food and energy security as well as the production of indispensable appliances for sustainable human development in Africa. Their presence and the strategies they use have huge consequences on both the economy and the political landscapes of states and territories. Currently, there is optimism about the good prospects for Africas development due to events in the natural resources sector especially in mining, even if natural resource management at different scales is often problematic. Yet the positive effects of these events can be dampened by the impact of the global nancial and economic crisis. Africa has remained a major player in a global resource game for a very long time. Due to its natural resources, it occupies a central position in the global political economy fraught with competition and the creation of various alliances to facilitate access to these resources. The ACIR2013 will reexamine the position of Africas natural resources in a global context and explore what capacities will be required for effective management of these resources. It goes without saying that Africa needs a better understanding of the NRM value-chain. The NRM value chain has great potential for exports and employment, as well as enhanced poverty reduction. The country capacities to assess different scenarios and concentrate efforts within prioritized value chains or clusters often make the difference between success and failure in effective management of natural resources. The Flagship will also examine the key issues and challenges facing not only in-country, but also cross-border developments in NRM capacity in Africa, and the ongoing efforts to support regional cooperation and trans-boundary issues.
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ACBF is commissioning nineteen (19) background papers through this call for papers: 1. The Status of Natural Resource Management in Africa - Capacity Development Challenges and Opportunities. Africa has always been rich in natural resources. However there has been a game changethere has been a significant increase in the exploitation of some of these resources for example of oil. According to the African Development Bank, only six countries in Africa are yet to discover oil. The rapid economic growth in countries such as China has resulted in an increase in the demand for oil among other resources. Data suggests that this demand is being met by an increase in oil production/exploitation in Africa. The same increase in exploitation could be said of land, forest, water and biodiversity. African countries do share a number of characteristics and trends which can present both opportunities and challenges. Examples of the challenges and opportunities include a high degree of production variability, relatively low value-addition and dependency on primary exports with low income elasticity and high price volatility, unequal distributions of rent as well as potential for increased revenue generation. Relative to other developing regions, Africas NR sector is undercapitalized, uncompetitive, underperforming, and is dominated by foreign firms, in particular, multinational corporations (MNCs). This makes Africa unique. This call requires a general overview of the status of NRM in Africa where the state and MNCs feature prominently in the discussion on natural resources on the continent. In doing so, the paper should interrogate and highlight the capacity development challenges, lessons learnt and opportunities on the continent particularly as they relate to NRM highlighting possible optimal models/policies. The paper should be cast in the mould of the evolution of Africas NR sectors competitiveness vis--vis her international comparators; with the analysis done partly historically throughout Africas post-independence period. The paper should, thus, survey the broad literature not only on the role of natural resources in development at the global level, but also bring out some viable models for subsequent analysis, in particular, what is going on in the sector specifically on the continent. Explicitly, this paper should offer or present an overarching theoretical framework or model for interrogating NRM in Africa.

2. Natural Resource flows and Macroeconomic Policies What is the Current State of Affairs in Africa? Across Africa, extractive industriesoil, forestry, miningaccount for a significant share of output and a major share of export earnings. Rising commodity prices have boosted economic growth and exports in many countries. However, to ensure that natural resources provide an opportunity to promote economic and social development, build skills, and close infrastructure gaps, several economic policy challenges must be addressed. These policy challenges extend to areas such as resource taxation, fiscal policy design, sustainability of external balances, the impact of resource booms on exchange rates, and complex linkages between resource and non-resource sectors. For instance, governments must try to balance
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a country's interests with those of companies charged with finding, developing, and extracting the resources. Companies must pay their fair share of taxes, and country budgets must cope with ups and downs in commodity prices and thus unpredictable revenues. A number of questions need to be answered: How fast can these countries scale up spending without compromising macroeconomic stability? What are the features of appropriately designed fiscal policy frameworks for those types of economies, and how can the sustainability of external positions (such as the current account and exchange rate) be assessed? It is also extremely important that Africa learns to manage the windfall from increasing resource revenue in good times and dealing with spending cuts when a boom fades, the Dutch disease and international competitiveness, concerns about the coordination of reserves and monetary policy, and have a balance between fiscal and external sustainability. Appropriate macroeconomic framework is crucial in resourcerich countries because natural resource revenue is finite and highly volatile. This raises complex issues of sustainability and intergenerational equity, and financial management and the appropriate savings vehicles, including the use of Sovereign Wealth Funds. The goal of this call is to acquire the latest analysis and insights on macroeconomic policies and the management of natural resource revenue in Africa, and elaborate on how these might affect the policy dialogue with countries in the region. The call also covers tax policy, administration, and regulatory frameworks conducive to good management of natural resources with particular focus on how to make them work within the context of weak institutional capacity. The paper should examine the literature and any other relevant material to outline the capacity development needs and implications for African countries. Paper should also seek to map NR flows, key actors involved and any trends of transformation. 3. Governance of Natural Resources Management in Africa: Contemporary Perspectives The fact that natural resources traverse national boundaries leads to challenges for the governance of these resources. Minerals/oil deposits, forests and water bodies are sometimes shared between countries and/or within disputed border areas. Examples are: oil off the coast of Ghana and Cte d'Ivoire, oil and gas in Africas Great Lakes and oil shared between Sudan and South Sudan, and the Congo Basin rainforests. Water bodies often form boundaries between countries as well as serve as conduits for the transport of traded resources. In the case of trans-boundary/shared resources, states need to learn how to cooperate and put in place international governance structures. These dynamics shape policy-related research, including: regional economic communities (like SADC and ECOWAS) resource-related policies, including legal harmonization, treaty/protocol ratification and implementation by member countries; ecosystem-based approaches (like the Benguela Current Commission or the Congo Basin Forest Partnership); broader studies of bilateral and regional cooperation and conflict. Similarly, good governance and transparency in the management of natural resources is essential for accountability and getting the most from the exploitation of a countrys resource endowment to allow for greater social inclusion and stability. The call expects author/s to thoroughly explore national and transnational governance issues - including equitable distribution of wealth - around NRM and their capacity development implications for African countries to ensure that extractive natural
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resources turn out to be a blessing as opposed to a curse. The discussion should speak to the politically endorsed AU policy frameworks, particularly the Capacity Development Strategic Framework (CDSF) and its cornerstones, as well as the AU Mining Vision and Action Plan. Again, given the pivotal role of the private sector whether local or global (capital or technology) in the exploitation/development of natural resources, the paper should focus on what role the private sector can play in ensuring that natural resources are better managed (e.g. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies; Principles of Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC); voluntary/non-voluntary regulation; publish what you pay (PWYP) and the role of community-based NRM). The paper should also touch on social inequities, disparate health outcomes and management implications in resource rich environments.

4. Natural Resources, International Cooperation and Trade Regulation in Africa When natural resources are traded across boundaries, there are a host of trade-related issues that need to be addressed. Resource flows can be formal or informal, legal or illegal, sustainable or unsustainable, equitable or inequitable. Each of these trade trends has different implications for those concerned. For example, supply chain analyses could show where value is or can be added. Indeed, many international initiatives (including governance ones) also focus on trade-related aspects, including certification schemes (Kimberley Process, Forest Stewardship Council certification). Some initiatives focus on the home countries (where resources are located), some on the host (where companies are registered e.g. Wall Street Reform Act). Many focus on both (e.g. Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade and the related Voluntary Partnership Agreements) or on ensuring responsible chains of custody (e.g. Dodd Frank Act on conflict minerals, Lacey Act Amendment on forestry). Capacity building for trading in natural resources is thus crucial. The call requires author/s to interrogate international regulation of trade in natural resources and present concrete capacity development recommendations relevant to African countries. The call will also need to map the capacity of extractive sector regulators. Questions include, but not limited to: how can regulators be provided with funding, infrastructure, technical skills and more importantly technology, to keep up with increasingly sophisticated extractive industry operations need to be answered. How do states manage natural resource driven macroeconomic volatility in the short run amidst a turbulent global economic environment? Should development aid in the sector be targeted towards empowering local regulators? And what are the moral and political dilemmas? The paper should further highlight, amongst others, whether and to what extent, regulations respond to the salient characteristics of Africas natural resources sectors.

5. Conflict Resolution and Management of Africas Natural Resources There is a vast literature on the resource curse. Natural resources discoveries have the potential to exacerbate existing tensions or even create new ones, both between and within states. The negative relationship between natural resource extraction and socioeconomic development has spawned what is referred to in the literature as the resource curse or the paradox of plenty. It is the case that many African countries have been unable to take full advantage of their natural resources, and the underlying causes of such a state of affairs can be explained by the failure of leadership and institutional capacity. There are many examples of transboundary and internal natural resource-related conflicts on the continent, for example Sudan and South Sudan, Africas Great Lakes (especially the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda) and the Niger Delta. There is need for better understanding of so-called resource nationalism dissecting ownership and nationalization - the review and sometimes renegotiation of contracts, or the inclusion of local content requirements/stricter regulations in natural resource-related legislation and policies including benefit-sharing, decentralization, and local linkages. What concrete steps and capacity development efforts should countries take to explore the resource dividend as opposed to suffering the resource curse? Are there traditional conflict resolution tools that countries can build on and how? The goal of this call is to explore the notion of national versus natural resources as potential sources of conflict. The call should explicitly tease-out the key issues, challenges and opportunities; and map a way forward for Africa. In doing so, the call needs to interrogate the trichotomy of cause-effect relation between natural resources, development with poverty and conflict in Africa; as well as articulate the capacities individual, institutional and enabling environment required to transform a peace liability into a peace asset. The paper should include a discussion around small-scale stakeholders in resource extraction such as artisanal mining and implications for NRM and conflict. The paper should again explore the notion of producing across borders as an effective strategy for managing these conflicts.

6. The Role of Strategic Choices and Leadership in NRM in Africa Often decisions related to natural resources require difficult trade-offs or opportunity costs. This is apparent whenever environmental sustainability is an issue (e.g. exploiting oil/gas/minerals in national parks or marine protected areas). Even if some areas are not environmentally sensitive, there are trade-offs in alternative uses such as of land/water. For instance, the share of smallholder agriculture/artisanal fishing/ecotourism to a states GDP might be smaller than that from oil exploitation in the same area yet local people tend to benefit directly from the former. Indeed, large and capital-intensive sectors (like oil) are vulnerable to elite and other agency capture. When resources are located in densely populated areas with many competing claims to land/water use this can lead to conflict, for instance related to community relocation. Conversely, where they are located further away (offshore, for instance), the threat of an enclave economy increases. Environmental or social impact assessments (EIAs or SIAs) go some way in addressing these concerns, while payment for environmental services (PES) schemes including reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) aim to shift incentive structures to make
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environmentally friendly choices more adoptable. These schemes come with their own sets of opportunities and challenges. What capacities should countries have to develop savvy and strategic leadership broadly and in the area of NRM in particular? This call papers is intended to advance our understanding of the current state of affairs, tease-out the key issues and challenges, and map the way forward around strategic choices that countries are making in the effort to manage their natural resources. In so doing, the paper needs to articulate the capacities individual, institutional and enabling environment required to make current African leaders effective in making the necessary choices in NRM and guide the overall development trajectory of the continent. What are the leadership issues around NRM and their capacity development implications for African countries?

7. Rationalizing Natural Resources Extraction and Usage in Africa: Where Are We? When one speaks of ensuring that Africa benefits maximally and equitably from its natural resources, one most often refers to the financial benefits that accrue from these resources. Financial decisions have to be made with respect to valuation of the resources, capital required for commercial exploitation, various tax regimes, and types of contracts to be issued when the project gets underway. The Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) compares the money declared as paid to governments by companies and that which governments declare as received from companies thus creating a framework for monitoring the flow of natural resource rents. Transparency is crucial for all stages of the valuation and extraction process. Different financial decisions by different actors should be made available to stakeholders to enhance governance and maximize the impact of the sector on overall development. The call should address the aforementioned issues. The author/s should also explore the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in the exploitation of resources applied in Latin American and whether this is relevant to/for Africa. How can countries enhance diversification with beneficiation? What capacities are required? It is worth noting that investments to build institutional capacity to equip local communities and governments with the skills to manage resources in a sustainable and productive manner are key to ensuring that decentralization, or any such initiative, works. This call is, therefore, aimed at examining the current practices in the extraction and usage of natural resources in Africa, the causes of any abuse or bad practice and the necessary interventions that can address the varying challenges. The paper should map out the strategic capacities required to negotiate contracts that allow for better flows of investments benefits in the NR sector; and explore sustainable models for managing revenue (especially of windfalls arising from unexpected price spikes). The paper should also speak to the inevitability or otherwise of state ownership of natural resources and resource-rich land, and explore alternatives (at a country-level) to resource/land ownership property-rights and common pool resources within countries. Specific attention should be given to the policies and capacity challenges posed by internal conflict over resources extraction and revenue sharing (e.g. conflict over oil exploitation in the Niger Delta), and the roles of local, regional, and national governments; private companies; and civil society.

8. The Status of Financing Vehicles in NRM in Africa Because of the shallow financial markets of many African economies, it is difficult to invest directly in African-specific portfolios within the natural resources sector. Many of the funds available such as the Investec Pan-Africa Fund may be offshore. There is need to deepen the African fund market and encourage private investors to acquire African instruments within their portfolios. What would be the roles of banks, non-bank financial institutions and credit rating agencies in the development of financial instruments? How can the currency mismatch in this area be closed? What are the roles for public-private partnerships (PPPs)? What capacity/ies should the various stakeholders (CSOs, government and private sector) develop to have the right financing mechanisms for the exploitation of natural resources in Africa? The call for papers requires an examination of the nature of financing in the sector and its implication for sustainable NRM in Africa. Issues for consideration include, (but not exclusive to), government budgets, overseas development assistance, micro-credits as well as the emergence of new players such as China, India and Brazil. Are PPPs possible routes for funding the NR sector especially in the development of necessary infrastructure? What other funding modalities can be devised and what are the capacity building implications for the NR sector?

9. Refocusing Public Investment in NRM as the Engine of African Growth It is relatively well documented in the extant literature that land, water, forests, and biodiversity are public goods (to which access is nonrival and nonexcludable) or common pool goods (to which access is nonexcludable but rival). In fact, investment in "developing" these natural resources may shift the status of the resources to that of a private good with exclusive claims over access and usage, negatively impacting poor people by affecting their access to these assets. Equally, as investment benefits accrue only in the medium to long term, it may be difficult to persuade private resource users to undertake NRM investments. Success may depend on (1) appropriately valuing these resources with incentives for conserving and maximizing their productivity and (2) developing markets and appropriate pricing mechanisms that reflect the true value of the resource, incorporating externality values. As already noted, natural resource revenue has the potential to augment the fiscal space in many African countries, creating the potential for public investment to be the engine of growth and poverty reduction. But in the past, scaling up public investment has often led to disappointing results due to rent seeking and misappropriation of funds. There are real needs to enhance public investment efficiency and remove the potential constraints on effective financial management in the natural resources sector. Traditionally, NRM investments are generally focused on conservation and sustainable use of resources, with institutional strategies emphasizing local management, equitable access, and provision of alternative livelihood options. Due to the environmental externalities associated with NRM decisions, investments are increasingly considered from an eco-regional perspective and analyzed in terms of ecological, economic, and social systems. This call, thus, aims to mapout the role of public sector investments in the transformation of NRM practices in Africa drawing on lessons learnt and the emerging discourse. Specifically, we are interested in an in-depth analysis of the issues to unequivocally ascertain the function of various investment
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modalities as pragmatic approaches to transforming the African NRM landscape to foster sustainability.

10. Microeconomic Policy as an Important Instrument for NRM in Africa It is important to consider the behavior of individual consumers, firms and industries and how that may influence natural resource management. Micro-level dynamics influence how individuals, households, and firms make decisions to allocate limited resources, typically in markets where products of natural resources are being bought and sold affecting the supply and demand for these products and services as well as their prices. It thus critical in NRM to analyze market mechanisms that establish relative prices amongst goods and services and the allocation of otherwise limited/depletable natural resources amongst many alternative uses. Countries need to appreciate market failure in the natural resources sector, where markets fail to produce efficient results, as well as describing the theoretical conditions needed to enhance efficiency in the sector. Micro-level behavior influences trans-boundary factors such as in forest, water and biodiversity management thus requiring attention. Micro-issues also underpin the macroeconomic factors. Clearly, appropriate incentives are key to NRM program success. Direct income benefits accrue to the NR producers, men and women, who adopt new management practices, and government incentive systems can benefit others. Even so, this strategy may still leave many others who do not benefit from NRM programs and who consequently may be tempted or forced to overexploit natural resources. To reduce such pressures on natural resources, investments are often needed to provide alternative income opportunities within the sector, by intensifying production systems and expanding processing and marketing opportunities, or through education, business development services, and microfinance programs, which may or may not be linked to natural resource use. Indeed, the paper should pay particular attention to role to be played by small-scale producers as the dynamics influencing their engagement in the NR sector is different from those of large scale operators. What are the micro-issues around NRM and their capacity development implications for African countries?

11. Who Gets a Fair-share: The Role of Political Economy in NRM Power and politics are central to the understanding of many NRM issues, as natural resources, a major source of wealth, tend to be at the center of many governance issues and conflicts among communities and countries. Any change in access will almost certainly create "losers" and winners more often than not the powerful, who have strong incentives and ability to resist change, or the poor, who are powerless and lose access to a resource. Efficient, equitable, and sustainable NRM is often difficult for this political economy reason, and governments must balance competing demands for use of resources and conflicts among the various parties. Negotiating skills for community groups as well as countries are essential to broker agreements and facilitate decision making by users. For many NRM programs, however, the sustainability of these local/national/regional institutions has been a problem, because they become inactive once a project ends. Indeed, relatively strong commodity prices in recent years combined with declining external financial
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support for low-income countries has many policy makers in resource-rich countries asking how government can get its fair share of resource wealth. There is need to explore the role of the public sector in managing natural resources: public versus private ownership; sharing of risks and rewards between government and private-sector investors; and the experience of managing the interests of the state and multinational enterprises. What kinds of capacities should countries develop to allow for a positive role of the state in natural resources management? What capacities should be developed at the local levels in NRM? The call expects author/s to explore the political economy issues around NRM and their capacity development implications for African countries. What does it take to enhance the voices and participation of the marginalized in NRM? The discussion should explicitly interrogate global economic and geopolitical changes and their effects on Africas natural resources, with particular attention to characteristics of the current era (e.g. role of China, BRICS, etc vrs Cold war era; emergence of democratically elected leaders as opposed to authoritarian regimes of the past, the emergence of strong civil societies groups, etc.).

12. Setting the Regulatory Framework for NRM in Africa: What Needs to be Done? There is need to create African capacity areas such as auditing, monitoring, regulating and improving resource exploitation regimes and developing the resource sector linkages with the domestic economy. Development contracts must ensure a skills transfer dimension in all lease/license agreements as well as in resources governance capacity. Given the limited skills in these areas in Africa, countries could consider the pooling of resources through cross border resources infrastructure regulation (transport authorities, power pools, water catchment bodies, etc.), possible joint management of cross-border resource occurrences and the creation of a regional capacity within the regional economic communities (RECs). Countries could also assent to continental and international resources monitoring and oversight mechanism such as the African Unions APRM, the EITI and the Kimberley Process. Common codes could also be adopted. For example, UEMOA adopted in 2003 a Common Mining Code (Code Miniere Communautaire), a unified legal framework for minerals exploration and mining in the REC. Unsupportive NRM policy and regulatory environments (particularly subsidies, taxes, and property rights), together with poor infrastructure (affecting access to markets) often discourage sustainable long-term investments by distorting incentive systems and increasing uncertainty and conflict. However, relationships between policy and incentive structures and product prices are complex than usually perceived by policy makers and development practitioners. Producers compete for natural resources with other users such as industry and municipalities, whose needs increase with population growth and increasing affluence. In these circumstances, in a complex and uncertain decision-making environment, choices generally involve tradeoffs among sustainable resource use and other objectives. Resource preservation and sustainability objectives are frequently at odds with production objectives, and while conservation and development goals can be complementary, they can also be in conflict. This call for papers, thus, aims to examine the nature and role of regulatory policies/framework for sustainable natural resource development in Africa drawing on lessons learnt and the emerging discourse. Specifically, ACBF is interested in an in-depth analysis of the issues to
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unequivocally ascertain the function of regulation as pragmatic approaches to transforming the African NRM landscape to foster sustainability, with specific emphasis on sustainable extraction and usage of NR; as well as strengthen local capacities to enable them to compete effectively in domestic, regional, and global markets. What should be the role of the private sector and other non-state actors? What would be the capacity building issues that need consideration?

13. Structural Transformation and Natural Resource Management in Africa Resource-rich African countries need to restructure their economies and seek sources of growth that are less reliant on a few sectors. This includes industrialization and growing of the manufacturing sector, particularly first and second stage manufacturing, but also diversification beyond dependence on commodities. The issue of diversification/ transformation of such economies is a huge and intractable problem in Africa and elsewhere, especially where the economy is dominated by natural resources. Countries like Botswana have tried with very limited success. Elsewhere, e.g. Canada, Australia, Russia, serious challenges remain. The options for undertaking such transformation are key policy issues that depend on smart analysis and capacity to negotiate contracts that support product processing and value addition across selected value chains. The ACIR2013 builds on findings from the previous reports to seek synergies between fragility, agricultural and extractive industry sources of growth and also develop arguments or presents viable scenarios on how to best manage the value chains in extractive industries for an effective structural transformation/economic diversification of the economies. Clearly, a sound legal framework for local, national and regional institutions is necessary to enable them (the institutions and stakeholders) to enter into contractual agreements, collect fees, levy sanctions, access loans for investments, and own and manage property to enhance valuechain development. Investments must also strengthen resource use, access, and ownership rights, including, as appropriate, intellectual property rights. This call requires an exposition of the necessary value-chain activities to enhance NRM in Africa paying attention to all steps across-the-stream. The paper should also explore the structural transformation issues to drive NRM and their capacity development implications for African countries. The paper should explicitly look into the question: do natural resources intrinsically impede economic diversification? Under what conditions can resource rich economies diversify, and how can these conditions be created in Africa? Are there lessons of experience for others to adapt?

14. Climate change, environmental degradation and the quest for natural resources use: the miracle and the mirage It is often argued that there is a trade-off between environmental degradation and rapid growth for countries at low levels of development. In an environment of restricted external financing for development, where there is pressure on governments to expand the fiscal space, increasing domestic revenue from extraction of natural resources is always an attractive option for many developing nations. Increasingly the global demand for land and
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water is creating increased tension among competing needs at the local, national, regional levels across Africa. The rising demand for water, food and energy competes for productive land; and in some areas has triggered tensions and conflicts as well as destruction of biodiversity. This call for paper seeks to answer the following questions: how can Africa manage its natural resources within the international normative discourse of climate change and green growth? What level of fossil fuel emission is equitable for African states, and what environmental management policies are most feasible, given the asymmetry in state capacities? What policy options are required to handle transboundary natural resources management issues? The paper will need to examine the capacity of African states in development of adaptation policy/strategies. In doing so, the paper must explore Africas capacity to tap into new/alternative natural resources which are quite vital but do not seem to feature prominently in current discourse on natural resources management in Africa (i.e. solar, wind, geothermal, etc.) as sources of energy. Author/s need to address the above issues building on existing frameworks and efforts (e.g. Africa Mining Vision and the CDSF cornerstones for the capacity dimensions); while mapping new capacity pathways for Africa to negotiate the revised landscape? 15. Natural Resource Management and Africas Academic/Scientific Community Where are we? If Africa is to maximize the benefits of its vast natural resource wealth, it needs its intellectual capital to be actively engaged in the NRM value-chain. After all, in todays rapidly changing and fast globalizing world, knowledge and ones intellectual capital are critical assets that determine competitiveness and drive development. It is therefore imperative to address the question of the existence and quality of links and working relationships between the academic/scientific community (e.g. universities, research community, thinktanks) and NRM in Africa. This call is for a paper that critically examines the nexus between Africas scientific/academic communities and NRM. In doing so, the paper will need to answer the following questions: To what extent are governments, industry and related communities applying science-based evidence in making NRM policies, strategies and operations? What local capacities exist to satisfy this requirement? Is there a capacity gap here, and how can it be addressed? How best can the scientific/academic community, including the African disporan scientific/academic community engage the key NRM stakeholders on the continent to development the sector in a sustainable and meaningful way? And how and what capacities are vital for Africas academic/scientific community to link up vertically with the big actors (e.g. MNCs) at different stages of the NRM value chain?

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16. Criminality in the Natural Resource Management Value/Supply Chain Managing natural resources is challenging. A number of countries with large endowments of valuable natural resources do no better, and often do worse, than less endowed countries. This recurrent fact has been called the natural resource curse or the paradox of plenty (UNDP, 2011:1). Across Africa, the exploitation and role of renewable (land, forests, water) and non-renewable natural resources oil, gas and minerals such as copper, gold, coal etc. has occurred within a context of blatant exploitation, corruption and criminality resulting in geo-political, social and armed conflict; and marginalization of vulnerable communities. A recent UNODC (2010) Report Crime and instability: case studies on transitional threats highlights the challenge of organized crime and instability in Central Africa. The Report, amongst others, highlights the growing link between the participation of criminal elements in the NRM value chain and the absence or destruction of state capacity for critical functions such as trade, finance, customs administration, law enforcement, etc. It also links these criminal activities to very high levels of government. This development has implications for African countries and the continent. Accordingly, this call sets out to map the issue of criminality and NRM highlighting what key capacities are required to protect NRM value chains from criminal activities, including those sanctioned by the state! The paper should explicitly draw on country case-studies to highlight the problem in both the renewable and non-renewable NR spheres. Specific capacity requirements need to be mapped out and policy recommendations aimed at stemming this cancer explicitly articulated. 17. Transboundary Natural Resources Management: What Policies and Strategic Capacities are Vital for Africas Riparian States? Growing and mobile populations, climate change and a rapidly developing continent has recently brought a renewed attention and focus on Africas water resources with an increased call from stakeholders for the promotion of an enhanced coordination and environmental sustainable water resource management, while addressing legitimate socioeconomic needs of the riparian states. Experts have flagged countries within the Nile, Limpopo, Niger, Congo, Okavango and Lake Victoria basins as being critical to TBNRM of the continents water bodies. Indeed, it is argued that central to the challenges currently facing Africas natural resources; perhaps none is more pressing, yet often overlooked, as the threat to the continent's supply of clean fresh water. According to UNDP, potential 'water tensions' are likely in areas where rivers and lakes are shared by more than one country. However, other scholars posit that the aforementioned potential tensions are but a fallacy of composition, arguing that in practical terms the water situation in Africa is a problem of management. This position has recently been bolstered by the find of huge untapped underground fresh water reservoirs across Africa. This call thus requires a critical interrogation of the above issue, drawing on evidence-based examples/country case-studies to tease-out and recommend appropriate policy options, strategies and institutional steps. In doing so, the paper will need to explicitly map out the key strategic capacities required at the institutional, national and regional levels. The paper should also explore the value or otherwise of transboundary diagnostic analysis (TDA) as a tool to capacitate countries addressing TBNRM of water.

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18. Debating the green economy in Africa: what are the capacity development issues and policy
directions for considerations?

The notion of green economy has a long history in academia especially in environmental economics. A key issue raised is that the current market-based price system results in resource allocation in the economy that is biased against the environment and related assets. Environmental assets and services, are either undervalued or not valued, resulting in inefcient consumption of natural resources as well as environmental degradation. Similarly, the costs of pollution, for example, are generally not paid by the polluters but are transferred to the public. With climate change, the problem is expected to be exacerbated for Africa. Therefore, correcting the price system would lead to more favorable environmental outcomes. A number of developments have emerged in the policy arena with different initiatives such as: environmental tax reform, green growth, green jobs, green stimulus and global green new deal. These initiatives involve individual countries, UN organizations (e.g. UNEP, ILO), and other intergovernmental organizations such as the World Bank. Indeed, the usefulness and appropriateness of a green economy as a paradigm for furthering sustainable development in Africa is hotly debated by all concerned with development. Opinions expressed tend to reect strongly differing viewpoints. A point on which everyone seems to agree is that prices faced by producers and consumers in the global economy, and in Africa in particular, do not reect environmental and social costs adequately. Among the divisive issues, is the place of markets in/as a solution to current unsustainable trends in natural resource consumption, pollution and use of the global commons. Whether the set of institutions under which the current global economy operates can be reformed to deliver more sustainable outcomes for Africa is also the object of a wide range of opinions. This call expects the author/s to shed more light on the current academic and policy debates. In particular, the paper should provide insights to the following questions: under what constraints will a green economy have to take place if Africa is serious about addressing the effects of climate change? What can experience of past technological change teach the continent about the feasibility of a green economy transition? What and how can institutions (in a broad sense) foster more sustainable human development outcomes? What types of nancial instruments should be mobilized to promote greener economies in Africa? What are the opportunities for Africa in its attempt to develop a green economy? What capacities are needed to take advantage of available resources for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)? The paper should overall provide an understanding of the social and private environmental costs and benefits of NRM in Africa.

19. The role of NRM in biodiversity conservation Economic growth and limitations in integrating environmental concerns into development planning have put increasing pressure on biodiversity across Africa. Threats to biodiversity are often posed not by a new, poorly understood technology or process, but by the expansion or intensification of well-understood activities such as harvesting of wild species, clearing forests or over exploitation of fish stocks. To this end, threats often derive from multiple rather than singular sources, with different courses of action each raising potential risks pastoralists, unregulated logging, mining operations, etc. These activities and more
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have intensified the challenge especially in the face of climate change, global warming and land grabs. This call, therefore, seeks to examine and map out national and regional policy issues and potential capacities required to enhance sustainable biodiversity conservation. The paper will need to examine the strategic capacities, experiences, costs and consequences of systematically gathering continually updated information (through GIS systems) on biodiversity. The paper should also address the causes and challenges of NRM in biodiversity conversation. The role of community-based natural resource management in biodiversity conversation needs to be critically mapped with country case-studies. The paper will also speak to the precautionary principle and its merits or otherwise for Africas biodiversity conservation.

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Guidance to Interested persons Each paper should explicitly define the concepts, contextualize the issues, review the extant literature on the subject, critically interrogate the key issues, and provide empirical evidence in support of all arguments and conclusions. Authors will need to draw on a myriad of African case studies from different parts of the continent to cover the variety of existing scenarios and to support their conclusions and policy recommendations. Selected authors will work from home and receive a fee of US$10,000 per paper. The final paper should be 8,000 - 10,000 words (max) in length, excluding figures, plates, and references. Required qualifications: Researchers/academics and/or development practitioners with an advanced academic degree and/or working experience in the social sciences, resources management, agriculture, public policy, development statistics, economics, agricultural economics, development studies or a related field; Demonstrated research/academic experience in area/related area of call; Demonstrated publication record in area/related area of call; Ability to write fluently in English or French To apply, please submit a CV (listing publications) and a 2-3-page outline (1.5 spacing; 12 cpi font size) of your proposed paper to ACBF. The submission should make reference to the specific call number to which you are applying. Send all submissions to the attention of Ms. Phumuzile Khumalo (p.khumalo@acbf-pact.org) latest by 3rd August, 2012.

Your communication should explicitly make reference to the ACIR2013 Call for Papers and state clearly which Call # the submission is for. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

Knowledge and Learning Department African Capacity Building Foundation Harare, Zimbabwe June 2012

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