PUBLICATIONS

The construction of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) has led to immense
advancements in Lesotho’s energy sector and economy while also providing valuable water resources to South Africa. Unfortunately, this project’s construction has left many citizens of Lesotho displaced over the last couple of decades. Of those impacted, women suffer at disproportionate rates from food insecurity and financial instability caused by the construction of the LHWP. To mitigate the negative externalities of the LHWP, policymakers should make gender equality a focal point when enacting laws and promoting small-scale irrigation projects.

The ongoing presence of Al-Shabaab in Somalia exacerbates regional instability and poses a distinctive threat to women. After providing historic context to Al-Shabaab’s rise, this report identifies foreign intervention in Somali resource management as a causal factor behind the group’s continued influence.
This report ultimately suggests three local-level policies that would reduce vulnerability to both Al-Shabaab and foreign actors: seaweed farming, regenerative agriculture, and supportive day centers for women victims.