Five new books from the Nordic Africa Institute. And they are are all with open access.

The Sahel Crisis and the Need for International Support External link, opens in new window.

Author Morten Bøås (Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Nupi) argues that the crisis in the Sahel is serious and multidimensional, and if it continues unabated it could have consequences far beyond the region. As the states of the region are too poor and weak to deal with this on their own, international support is needed.

From Aswan to Stiegler's Gorge: Small stories about large dams External link, opens in new window.

In recent years, we have seen an accelerating interest in large-scale water infrastructures, such as multipurpose dams and irrigation schemes, in the Nile Region. Climate change and rapid urban growth create tensions between countries over access to water, as spells of drought increase in length and intensity. This small anthology presents seven chapters on dam building processes and projects from Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.

SADC – The Southern Arrested Development Community?: Enduring Challenges to Peace and Security in Southern Africa External link, opens in new window.

Southern Africa is likely to experience more social unrest in the foreseeable future. That is one of the conclusions by Michael Aeby (University of Cape Town) in this policy dialogue, which provides an overview of political and economic developments relevant to regional peace and security in Southern Africa.

Rainbows, pythons and waterfalls: Heritage, poverty and sacrifice among the Busoga in Uganda External link, opens in new window.

Because of the complexity, it has proved difficult to incorporate culture and tradition in actual policy practice. This book explores the heritage of the Busoga and the water cosmology at the Itanda Falls in Uganda, with an emphasis on rainmaking ritual and sacrifice to the rain-god during drought.

Land Tenure Dynamics in East Africa: Changing Practices and Rights to Land External link, opens in new window.

The book presents recent studies on the dynamics of land tenure in East Africa with a focus on Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The chapters are written by researchers, policy makers and activists with a diverse background and expertise. Their contributions offer a multi-perspective on the future of the land question in East Africa.

All books can be downloaded free of charge.