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Women face severe gender-specific constraints and have minimal part in the farm decision-making systems in sub-Saharan Africa. This leads to additional barriers in the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies. This paper contributes to the gender debate by focusing on intra-household gender dynamics that influence the adaptive capacities of small-holder farmers. Using a multi-country approach, and considering Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa, and Tanzania as case studies, an endogenous-switching poisson regression model was conducted to (i) assess factors influencing the probability of women's engagement in agricultural technology decision-making; (ii) ascertain the effect of women's participation in farm decision-making on climate-smart agriculture adoption. The findings indicate a degree of complexity in women's roles within their communities and family contexts. While in Malawi women participating in the farm decision-making process positively affects CSA adoption, in the other countries their role remains marginal or negatively related with farm sustainability. Such women's empowerment is indeed influenced by the existence of social, regulatory, and cultural elements that uniquely define the considered countries. Context-specific policies that prioritize rural-women, youths, and other marginalized groups can enhance CSA adoption and thereby contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals such as gender equality, climate action and zero hunger in developing contexts. [Display omitted] • The CSA adoption by women is influenced by their involvement in intra-household decision-making. • In Malawi, women's involvement in decision-making positively influences CSA adoption. • Socio-cultural drivers of women involvment in decision-making settings are context-specific. • In Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa land ownership influences women's authority. • CSA policies should be context-sensitive and prioritize marginalized groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Gold mining has for several decades contributed to the socio-economic development of many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, but it has also caused considerable environmental damage and human health concerns in mining communities. However, despite the extensive proliferation of policies and programs aimed at addressing the adverse environmental impact of mining, limited attention has so far been paid to identifying what might constitute environmental policy best practices across Sub-Saharan Africa's gold mining sector. To address this gap, this paper undertakes a systematic literature review of environmental policy measures and considers its broader implications for sustainable development in the context of gold mining in Sub-Saharan Africa. Of the 1,217 papers retrieved from the databases, 22 met the inclusion criteria and are included in evidence synthesis. Based on an in-depth analysis, we find that there are tensions and consensus in the environmental policy literature. However, extant works remain fragmented, uneven, and not systematically integrated. This perhaps might explain the difficulty in trying to develop and institutionalize best practices within the gold mining industry in Sub-Saharan Africa. As a result, we propose an integrated conceptual model that lays a foundation for possible environmental policy best practices within the mining industry in developing countries. The paper concludes by identifying specific theoretical and practical implications of the study and suggests possible avenues for future research. Highlights • Gold mining has contributed to the socio-economic development of many countries. • However, it has also caused considerable environmental damage. • This study explored evidence of environmental policy best practices. • We found that there are tensions and contradictions in the literature. • We propose an integrated conceptual model of environmental policy best practices. • We conclude by considering the theoretical and practical implications of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract While auctions are becoming increasingly popular for tendering renewable energy projects to private developers in Africa, their specific project risk implications are not yet fully understood. This paper identifies project risks arising from two types of auction schemes. It compares an approach where the government pre-selects the sites for future renewable energy plants in Zambia's Scaling Solar initiative to one where project developers choose, secure and conduct due diligence on their sites before bidding in South Africa's Africa's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REI4P). Semi-structured interviews with developers who have participated in both schemes reveal notably different risk profiles. Despite contrary intentions, site-specific risks have been perceived as the highest overall project risk in the government-led site selection process in Zambia. Specifically, site-specific risks were driven by several severe technical issues such as geotechnical, grid connection and solar irradiation uncertainties. In contrast, in South Africa's developer-led site selection process, site-specific risks have been reported to be important, but less pronounced, and more evenly distributed among technical, economic, legal, permitting and social risk factors. This paper recommends an auction design which minimises project risks for all stakeholders. Where governments pre-select sites, closely consulting the private sector is advisable prior to bidding to identify and mitigate technical and other site-specific risks. Highlights • Explores risk impact of two site selection & preparation strategies for solar PV project procurement in sub-Saharan Africa. • The widely used strategy in the region is for a government institution or utility to select and prepare the project site. • The second strategy is where the private sector developers are responsible for selecting & preparing the site before bidding. • We find that a government-led site selection strategy can lead to increase risks, costs and timelines if poorly executed. • It is argued that more private sector involvement in the site selection & preparation process might reduce these risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of still-low-but-rising levels of motorization and economic growth, increasing social and spatial inequalities, and growing concerns about air pollution and climate change, the formulation and implementation of policies, practices and partnerships that can support an accelerated implementation of sustainable mobility policies is an urgent concern for rapidly developing cities. This paper seeks to contribute to reframing some of the knowledge and methodologies produced in and about cities of Sub-Saharan Africa, through a comprehensive assessment of mobility patterns and accessibility needs within a larger debate about mobility transitions and sustainable development. By deploying a mixed-methods approach that builds upon case-study focus groups and city-wide accessibility and mobility analysis in the city of Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital, the paper maps travel patterns and their links with structural factors such as urban form, poverty, informality and social identities at the macro, meso and micro levels. The paper also presents evidence from a variety of methods that illustrate the significance of accessibility-centred information and analysis for establishing policy priorities for improving urban mobility and accessibility in the local, African and global contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to modern energy services in households is central to achieving decent living standards and well-being. Almost 3 billion people in Sub-Saharan Africa and developing Asia still lack access to modern energy services and endure energy consumption rates equivalent to a fraction of that in developed countries. While critical for the successful achievement of several internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), closing this energy divide may pose an additional pressure on the already daunting challenge of securing climate stabilization. The ways in which this divide is closed will significantly affect the development of buildings-related emissions. This paper revisits previous work on the potential conflict between efforts towards closing the energy divide and enabling the achievement of higher levels of human well-being, and those associated with climate stabilization. It estimates the additional energy needed to achieve the former in terms of final energy consumption levels in key regions, and the associated emission pathways under different climate action scenarios. It then analyses the impact that such pathways could have on estimated carbon budgets associated with fulfilling the Paris Agreement, and provides some suggestions on how this impact could be minimized in the buildings sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cities in Sub-Saharan Africa are undergoing massive spatial transformation owing to rapid urbanization. For many cities in the Global North, Latin America and Asia, spatial transformation has been traditionally characterised by a shift from monocentric to polycentric urban patterns. In the case of Sub-Saharan Africa, however, it is unclear whether the evolving spatial structure of cities conform to or are explained by existing urban geography models. This paper pursues twofold objectives: one, examines the evolution of the spatial structure of a Sub-Saharan African city-region and its relationship with mainstream urban geography models; and, two, explores the urban planning and policy implications of the spatial transformation. The study draws on spatially explicit data from Kumasi City-Region in Ghana, which is analysed with a set of spatial metrics and an urban growth model. The results indicate that, while the city-region's urban spatial structure before the turn of the Twenty-first century largely conforms to the traditional monocentric model, it is increasingly becoming deconcentrated and dispersive, which suggests a likely pending phase of coalescence in a stochastic fractal urban growth process. Contrary to what is observed in other parts of the world, the declining monocentricity has not transformed into a polycentric urban structure, rather, urban growth is becoming amorphous. There is high level of development spontaneity that cast an image of a city-region that is charting inefficient and unsustainable spatial development path. Urban scholars would have to transcend the frontiers of existing urban structure models to better depict the spatial evolution of sub-Saharan African cities like Kumasi City-Region, while Policy makers need to re-position the Ghanaian planning system to be more influential in delivering sustainable development patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food security remains a top development priority and global concern. It is enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Sustainable Development Goal two. Food security is also a core component of the human development and capability paradigm, since food access and entitlements are critical for reinforcing essential human capabilities. In introducing this special issue, this paper argues that agriculture is central to improving food security and reducing poverty in Africa. It suggests that realizing the potential of agriculture in Africa requires rapid increases in land productivity and increases in agricultural yields. A science-based approach that integrates gender and sustainability is critical to meet this goal, through the design and implementation of policies that improve the availability farm inputs and farm technology. The paper concludes by introducing the papers in this special issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal biogas system design model (OBSDM) described in this paper is intended to be used as a decision-making tool to increase awareness of the potential of biogas technology for different applications in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The decision-making tool identifies the most suitable biodigester design based on user defined inputs, including energy and fertiliser requirements; feedstock (type, amount, and rate of supply); water supply; land use (area, soil type, ground water level); climate (temperature and rainfall); construction materials available locally; and the priorities (based on sustainability criteria) of the intended biogas user. The output of the model provides a recommended design with estimates of the expected costs, energy and fertiliser production, and links to contact biodigester suppliers. In order to test the model, data from household surveys conducted in rural regions of Kenya and Cameroon were used as inputs to the model. An innovative fixed dome biodigester design, which uses stabilised soil blocks instead of bricks, was identified as optimal for both Kenyan and Cameroonian rural households. The expected performance of the optimal biogas system design from the model output was consistent with survey data on existing biogas systems in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tackles two main tasks. First, it reviews the use of the Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) model in the energy sector. The review sheds light on the utility of the SWOT model in this sector. It reveals that the model, which is borrowed from the business world, has been employed only rarely and with little modification in the energy sector. Second, it develops and proposes a modified version of the model for use in assessing energy technologies in developing regions. The modified version contains two main variants, the one, qualitative and the other, quantitative. The qualitative variant is successfully employed here for illustrative purposes, to assess the sustainability of the sawdust cookstove as a cooking device in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The quantitative variant requires data that can be elicited through questionnaires and/or interview schedules administered to energy sector stakeholders, policymakers and/or energy experts. Both variants have potential use for technology developers, researchers and policymakers in the energy policy field in SSA in particular and developing regions in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study underscores the importance of environmental ethics as a vehicle for engaging society, businesses, and policy-makers towards mainstreaming transformation to sustainability. This reflects an innovative trend towards using narratives in social and management sciences, which needs to be replicated by other disciplines, organisations, agencies, and social groupings. In this paper, focus is on identifying storylines, phrases, myths, and local and indigenous knowledge systems of ethical and ecological significance. Using examples from written and unwritten narratives of Hausa – one of the widely spoken languages in sub-Saharan Africa, this study shines light on some key narratives relevant to present day critical environmental issues such as management of agricultural landscapes, municipal waste, ecosystem services, integrated natural resource management, and biodiversity loss. Environmental ethics drawn from the narratives provide an integrated platform where formal and informal institutions of sustainability can be strengthened, supporting transformation towards sustainability through enhancing ecological consciousness, skills, and attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) missed the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) sanitation target by a wide margin. However, there are a few African countries which made remarkable progress towards achieving the sanitation target. While the general factors that influence sanitation success are widely known, some of the few studies that have investigated the SSA sanitation situation have arrived at different conclusions regarding the determinants of sanitation success. The objectives of this paper were to establish the key determinants of sanitation success in SSA countries and to classify the SSA countries based on factors associated with sanitation success. This was achieved by analysing data drawn from 46 SSA countries. An objective methodological approach, using regression and cluster analyses to reveal the underlying sanitation success factors, has been adopted. A total of 11 economic and socio-political independent variables were tested against the dependent variable; proportion of the 2015 population that has gained access to sanitation since 2000. Regression results showed consistent and robust association between sanitation success and education for the national, rural and socio-political samples (p values 0.018–0.038). These results suggest that the level of education contributed to sanitation success in SSA during the MDG period. For the urban sample, a negative association was demonstrated between sanitation success and access to improved water sources (p = 0.034). This implies that countries which made huge sanitation gains had low coverage of improved water sources. The results from cluster analysis showed that countries which achieved great sanitation success were characterized by the highest education levels, incomes, population densities, political stability and high proportions of urban population. The knowledge of the key determinants of sanitation success could help in the formulation and design of appropriate policies and interventions to improve sustainable sanitation access in the post-2015 development agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Many studies suggest that one of the main reasons for Africa’s dismal growth performance over most of the 20th century is its degree of ethnic fragmentation. Yet, there is still insufficient knowledge about whether ethnic diversity necessarily entails large economic costs, or whether the implications of diversity depend, inter alia, on the government’s approach toward the ethnic question. We note that economic growth tends to increase average incomes, but it also affects the income distribution. Then, if growth is accompanied by growing economic inequality, the perception of the impartiality of the government toward different ethnic groups is likely to be important for whether growth can be sustained, or whether sparks of growth will evaporate because of rising political divisions and internal conflicts. In this paper, we study whether the degree of ethnic impartiality in the government’s policies is related to the emergence of sustained growth in sub-Saharan Africa, irrespective of the actual content of the policies. We measure perceptions about the impartiality of the government with survey data from the Afrobarometer covering 20 countries starting in the late 1990 s. Our main definition of sustained growth is when there is a GDP per capita growth rate of at least 2% for at least five consecutive years. Our empirical results suggest that countries whose governments are perceived as impartial are more likely to experience sustained growth. We conclude that in order to ensure economic development, it is not only important to choose the “right” policies, but also to implement these policies in a fair manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogas technology has the potential to provide benefits to three priority areas in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): energy supply, sanitation, and food security. Despite this, uptake of biogas systems has been slow and sporadic in the region. This review paper investigates what has prevented widespread dissemination of the technology in SSA by looking at the key barriers in the region, as well as identifying the main opportunities and the lessons that can be learned from successful biogas dissemination experiences in Rwanda, Tanzania, China, India, and Nepal. Installation costs, limited awareness and training for biogas users and insufficient follow-up services were recognised as being among the key barriers. SSA has favourable conditions for biogas technology, namely a suitable tropical climate in most parts of the region, a dominance of agricultural activities, and interest in alternatives to expensive conventional energy services. The region׳s favourable conditions therefore provide opportunities for increasing uptake of the technology. Experiences in other regions highlighted the importance of the government in supporting the biogas sector through suitable policies and incentives. Collaboration between research institutions, governmental departments, and biogas users, both current and future, was also recognised as being vital to improve the technology׳s dissemination and appropriate, long-term use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy system models can be used to explore future sustainable energy pathways for the household sector in order to inform policy decisions. However, few residential energy system models have been developed for the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region and they do not account for the key diversities of energy use within the sector. This paper addresses this gap by developing a new residential energy model for Nigeria—the most populous country in SSA. The model is then used to explore different energy transition scenarios for the sector. Results indicate that the final energy consumption of the rural households will reduce and that of the urban households will increase significantly by 2050 when compared to the base year levels. The results indicate that cooking remains the most energy-intensive end-use. Analysis of the scenarios reveals that realising Sustainable Development Goal number 7 in Nigeria will drastically reduce the final energy demand of the sector. The transition from fuelwood to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking will reduce indoor air pollutants considerably but will increase CO 2 emissions by 2050. The results also indicate that including the cost of externalities in energy cost makes electricity and biogas more economically viable options for cooking. While the model results are insightful, the paper argues that robust and dedicated policies are needed for a sustainable energy transition of the Nigerian residential sector. • A bottom-up energy system model for the Nigerian residential sector: TINIRES is developed. • Energy system implications of SDG 7 in Nigeria household sector by 2030 and beyond. • Household energy consumption is expected to increase by 100% between 2010 and 2050. • Biogas is the most economically viable option for cooking in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Solar/biogas/diesel hybrid system gives a levelized cost of energy of $0.15 /kWh. • Energy cost for a Solar/biogas/diesel hybrid microgrid competes with grid tariff. • Use of biomass in microgrids provide a sustainable rural electrification template. • Electrification of a disadvantaged area to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. The idea of sustainable cities and communities is a collective goal that runs across intergovernmental programs, like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the African Agenda 2063 strategic framework. However, with several communities in sub-Saharan Africa and some parts of Asia having no access to electricity, this objective is still a "mirage". Developing a resilient energy system for an unelectrified community should involve a thorough assessment and integration of the local energy resources in a decentralized generation and distribution system. For example, technologies that convert the waste generated in the community into biogas should be a part of microgrid systems. This paper thus proposes a microgrid solution for small communities where a combination of waste-to-energy, battery storage, and solar photovoltaic technologies can provide enough energy needed for the sustainable development of local communities. An unelectrified village in Nigeria has been selected as a case study. The energy demand for the village was carefully analyzed as 574 kWh/day. Techno-economic analysis of the hybrid solar PV/biogas/diesel system fit to serve this load was carried out using hybrid optimization of multiple energy resources software. The optimum hybrid system configuration was found to have a net present cost of $436,943 for 25 years with carbon dioxide emission amounting to 4,070 kg/year, compared to the traditional solar/diesel/battery microgrid which will require net present cost of $655,521 and emit 22,648 kg of carbon dioxide annually. Also, the cost of energy from this system is $0.151/kWh which is similar to the average grid tariff in the region. From the breakeven grid distance analysis, it was noted that the proposed solution is much more economical than grid extension for communities above a distance of 2.78 km to the grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Generating sustained growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is one of the most pressing challenges in global development. As the region clearly needs assistance to jump start its development, foreign aid becomes crucial. This paper investigates the nexus between foreign aid, exchange rate misalignment, and economic growth in SSA. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we do not find aid to be a major contributor to exchange rate overvaluation. In addition, we found that aid fosters growth but its impact is weaker in countries with overvalued exchange rates. Furthermore, we found that overvaluation reduces growth but its negative effect is ameliorated by financial development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Are the achievements of sustainable development and the improvement of environmental standards mutually exclusive in the 21st century? Is there a possibility to combine the two? This study is an effort to investigate the mutual exclusiveness of the two policy areas and asks for the necessity and possibility to combine the two with a reference to Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). After describing the historical, geographical, and climatic backgrounds of SSA, negative effects of global warming and local environmentally harmful practices are discussed. Subsequently, the appropriate development measures for the region are elaborated in order to understand their compatibility with regards to improving the environment. It is concluded that to change the dependency on agriculture, the economy needs to be restructured towards technologies. Furthermore, it is found that there is a direct link between global warming and economic efficiency. Theories, which imply that some regions are simply ‘too poor to be green’, are investigated and rebutted by another theory, which states that it is indeed possible to industrialize in an environmentally friendly way. It follows that environmental and development measures are interconnected, equally important and can be reconciled. The paper finally concludes that the threat posed by global warming and the previously practised environmentally-harmful local measures might be so pressing that it may be too tragic to go for ‘develop first and clean up later’ approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Over the past decade, policymakers have been searching for an appropriate blend of public and private sector roles to accelerate the intensification of food staple production, smallholder commercialization, and sustainable market development in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ethiopia, steps taken to liberalize markets in the 1990s and promote fertilizer and seed packages have yet to generate payoffs in terms of higher cereal yields, lower food prices, or reduced dependency on food aid. This raises concern about the performance of the agricultural sector, specifically in terms of the systems for providing improved seed, fertilizer, credit, and extension services. This paper examines the evolving roles of the public and private sectors in intensifying cereal production in Ethiopia. Findings suggest that while Ethiopia has an admirable record of supporting agriculture, its state-led policies has now outlived their usefulness. These findings for Ethiopia offer lessons that are potentially applicable to other sub-Saharan African countries facing similar challenges. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper assesses the sustainability concerns of bioenergy systems against the prevailing and potential long term conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa with a special attention on agricultural and forestry waste, and cultivated bioenergy sources. Existing knowledge and processes about bioenergy systems are brought into a “sustainability framework” to support debate and decisions about the implementation of bioenergy systems in the region. Bioenergy systems have been recommended based on the potential to (i) meet domestic energy demand and reduce fuel importation (ii) diversify rural economies and create employment (iii) reduce poverty, and (iv) provide net energy gains and positive environmental impacts. However, biofuels will compete with food crops for land, labour, capital and entrepreneurial skills. Moreover the environmental benefits of some feedstocks are questionable. These challenges are, however, surmountable. It is concluded that biomass energy production could be an effective way to achieve sustainable development for bioenergy pathways that (i) are less land intensive, (ii) have positive net energy gains and environmental benefits, and (iii) provide local socio-economic benefits. Feasibility evaluations which put these issues into perspective are vital for sustainable application of agricultural and forest based bioenergy systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Such evaluations should consider the long run potential of biofuels accounting for demographic, economic and technological changes and the related implications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recent success in economic terms of sand-storage dams in Kenya has stimulated efforts to study options to implement similar techniques on a larger scale in other regions in sub-Saharan Africa. There are several challenges related to developing sand-storage dams. Such systems necessitate addressing issues like ownership, labor investments and siting. This paper discusses experiences in Kitui applying the dimensions of construction planning, hydrological scale and water use. Tensions between stakeholders planning the intervention and benefiting from it are indicated to clarify the questions that need to be answered. It is argued that science can contribute to development interventions aiming at implementing sand-storage techniques elsewhere by narrowing the margin of error in answering relevant questions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The agro-processing industries can play a critical role in the development of sustainable and clean energy systems. The lack of knowledge about the technical and economic viability of agro-waste to energy is a major barrier to the successful implementation of such energy systems in developing countries, especially sub-Saharan Africa countries. This paper presents the techno-economic-environmental assessment of a cluster of rice mills located in Abakaliki, Nigeria, as a provider of clean energy. The cluster of rice mills can sustainably fulfil its energy needs through the application of organic Rankine cycle based combined heat and power plant fired by rice husks. Three scenarios of the plant were proposed and investigated for complete information. The rice husk from the cluster can provide daily 20–30 MWh and 4–91 MWh of electrical power and thermal power, respectively, at 14.5–21% efficiency. A tonne of rice husk can provide 0.45–0.65 MWh of electricity; that the unit cost of electricity from the proposed system is between 0.12 and 0.159$/kWh, which is better than 0.947 US$/kWh for the diesel generator currently in use. About 270–483 kg of CO 2 /MWh can be saved by the proposed combined heat and power system in relation to the current use of Lister diesel generators. The proposed plant has the potentials to support the Nigerian Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement. The work also presents an appropriate business model and policy pathway for sustainable cottage rice processing industries. • Assessment of rice husk potential for cleaner energy generation. • Proposed three CHP ORC rice husk fired plants. • Techno-economic-environmental analyses of CHP ORC. • Appropriate sustainable business and energy model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Employ PISA-D to estimate the learning gap by quantiles for Indigenous students. • Country used: Guatemala, Paraguay, Senegal, and Zambia. • Investigate the role of language exposure at primary in narrowing the learning gap. • Reduction in learning gap for by previous exposure to local language at primary. • Low achievers Indigenous students are benefitted from local language instruction. Even though Indigenous exclusion in education is well understood, there is a lack of comparable evidence across-regions on the extent of the learning gap and challenges faced by Indigenous students and, in turn, which policies may mitigate them. In this paper, I use the new PISA-D learning survey for seventh grade students and I first estimate the learning gap of Indigenous students in Guatemala, Paraguay, Senegal, and Zambia through quantile treatment effects and, then, I assess whether earlier literacy exposure in the mother-tongue language can help towards lessening achievement gaps for Indigenous students. After accounting for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students background differences, I found that the unexplained learning gap can be substantially reduced and turn out to be insignificant if Indigenous students had previous exposure to home language at primary school, especially for low achievers. Thus, school policies providing learning skills in the home language could be an important leveller when transition to the main language at later education stages, boosting equity in line with equity targets of the sustainable development agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite numerous studies of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), the evidence is still inconclusive and little has been done to capture the issue of environmental sustainability and welfare aspects of growth in the EKC relationship. Accordingly, this paper aims to investigate the environment-development linkage under a sustainability-oriented EKC framework in 20 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries for the period from 1990 to 2015. The Common Correlated Effects version of Pooled Mean Group Estimator (CCE-PMG) in the context of error-correction based panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model augmented with cross-sectional averages was employed as a preferred estimation technique. The study also used an appropriate U test to check the presence of genuine inverted U-shaped EKC relationship. The results confirm the existence of a modified EKC hypothesis in SSA, but the linkage depends on the extent of endowment of natural resources. Among the growth-related factors, energy consumption and trade openness are found to have a long run detrimental effect on the environment. The study suggests that country's effort for economic development needs to be accompanied by appropriate policy options to ensure environmental sustainability. • Modified EKC = baseline EKC + Sustainability. • An appropriate U-test was employed to check the presence of genuinely inverted U-shaped EKC hypothesis. • The findings support a modified EKC hypothesis for resource-intensive SSA countries. • A monotonically increasing relationship is found in non-resource intensive SSA countries. • Economic development can be seen as a solution to environmental degradation. • Country's growth efforts need to be supplemented with pro-environmental measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research on the determinants of sanitation success has largely focused on economic, environmental, political and social factors at the expense of technological factors. Therefore, this paper explores the relationship between improved sanitation technologies and sanitation success, and further investigates the impact of improved sanitation technologies on diarrhoeal mortality in 46 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Cross-country regression analyses were done using publicly available data. The dependent variables ' proportion of 2015 population that gained access to sanitation since 2000 ' (GAINACC), ' access to improved sanitation as a percentage of the 2015 population ' (ACCSAN) and diarrhoeal mortality rates were regressed against six different types of improved sanitation technologies commonly used in SSA. Significant relationships were observed between GAINACC and flush toilets connected to septic tanks in the rural sample (p < 0.001). In addition, significant relationships were obtained between ACCSAN and coverage of flush toilets connected to piped sewer, septic tanks and pit latrines for all samples (all p-values<0.05). The findings also showed negative significant relationships between all flush toilets and diarrhoeal mortality rates (all p-values<0.05). These results suggest that successful countries in SSA had higher access to flush toilets than other improved sanitation technologies and diarrhoeal mortality was lower in areas with higher coverages of flush toilets than those without. These results imply that investment in flush toilets, where possible, must be encouraged. However, sanitation success must be accompanied with an improvement in human health. These findings provide important information that could inform new strategies for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help in the drive to improved sanitation and health. Image 1 • Impact of sanitation technologies on sanitation success explored. • Flush toilets associated with sanitation success in Sub-Saharan Africa. • Use of flush toilets associated with lower diarrhoeal mortality rates. • Measurement of sanitation success must include public health function of sanitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately one billion people in the Global South, a large proportion of which reside in rural sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian sub-continent, live without access to electricity. Meanwhile, there is a growing appreciation of the vital role that energy access plays in advancing human wellbeing. This is epitomised by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal Seven, which ambitiously aspires to achieve universal access to modern energy by 2030. I argue that while such global initiatives represent important normative pursuits, their technical orientation tends to occlude consideration of issues relating to justice in energy systems. Drawing upon recent critical scholarship, I demonstrate how issues of distributive, recognition and procedural injustice are generated in the course of provisioning energy services for populations in the Global South. I argue that a failure to recognise and address these injustices has negative consequences for the wellbeing of several populations, including future generations. In order to better elucidate these issues in Global South contexts, I build upon Brand-Correa & Steinberger's (2017) analytical energy-wellbeing framework to include an ethical imperative to ensure energy justice when provisioning energy services. The paper concludes with three avenues for future research that can help mobilise this analytical framework in practice. • Issues of energy justice tend to be occluded by a technical framing of energy poverty in the Global South • A eudaimonic conception of wellbeing is more just and sustainable • Energy services represent the most practical interaction between human needs and energy systems • Issues of distributive, recognition and procedural justice need to be addressed in order to advance wellbeing through energy services in the Global South [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]