Scientists can help advance policies to promote agricultural practices that can reduce emissions and boost yields.

City planners can find a way to use existing evidence and deal with uncertainty in designing strategies for climate change adaptation.

Rio+20 is an opportunity to focus on harnessing scientific evidence and good governance to improve the management of water resources.

Learning from experience can help Zambia build on past successes in using ICTs and reach those most in need.

Scientists can help smallholder farmers get more out of their crops in changing food markets.

Climate change adaptation initiatives can be built into water management programmes to protect water resources in Africa.

Planting trees in dryland regions can negatively impact biodiversity, and policies must promote the practice on a smaller scale.

Nutritional interventions can improve health, save lives and boost economic growth but only if implemented before the age of two.

Better land and water management could improve yields and help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Reducing the global burden of HIV/AIDS relies on increased funding, more research and targeted prevention strategies.

Providing more and diverse water storage infrastructure is crucial to securing reliable water supplies in the face of climate change.

Agriculture, forestry and other land uses in Africa can help mitigate climate change while providing co-benefits.

Advice for policymakers in southern Africa on how to improve pesticide use and reduce the risks they pose to human health and the environment.

South–South research collaboration can be a powerful strategy for boosting scientific capacity and achieving common goals. But it should not be embraced uncritically, says Athar Osama.

Better integration of science and policy in Africa is crucial for effective adaptation to climate change, concluded an international workshop.

National Adaptation Programmes of Action put climate change adaptation on the development agenda, write Balgis Osman-Elasha and Thomas E. Downing.

An assessment of national tuberculosis policies in select countries emphasises the need for more public engagement.

Recommendations on how policymakers can decrease the joint burden of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

What are the main issues that African nations face in forthcoming negotiations on biotechnology and biosafety?

Manufacturers in sub-Saharan Africa need policy support at all levels if their technological capabilities are to catch up with other developing countries. Carlo Pietrobelli looks at problems and solutions.