Eastern Africa and the Horn of Africa form a region with extraordinarily diverse geographical and environmental features, extending from highlands that receive much rainfall and are used for intensive agriculture, to semi-arid and arid areas primarily used by pastoralists. Parts of the region are renowned for their biodiversity – and their wildlife, of course. At the same time, a rapidly-growing population and an expanding agro-industry puts systemic pressures on the region's environment.

Climate variability is already high, as shown by recurring droughts and resulting food crises, but also by floods and erosion at different times and places. Global climate change is going to exacerbate weather extremes, increasing the risks for the people in the region. The region's energy supply depends on wood fuel, hydropower and imported fossil fuels, while the scope of sustainable renewable energies (including geothermal power production) is slowly expanding.

In contrast to other parts of Africa, extractive industries (mining, oil and gas) have historically played a relatively small role in Eastern Africa and the Horn. But the picture is changing: Gold mining in Tanzania has rapidly been expanding over the last few years, making gold the single most important export commodity of the country; exploration for oil and gas going on or being prepared in virtually every country of the region. All this raises concern: Extractive industries do not only frequently cause environmental damage and conflicts with local communities; in many African countries, their fast expansion has also meant economic distortion, corruption and political upheaval and violent conflict: the "resource curse", as exemplified by oil production in the Sudan.

The Heinrich Böll Foundation's regional office in Nairobi focuses on the generation of knowledge as well as awareness and advocacy work in the areas of renewable energy, climate change, sustainable food production, and extractive industries. AFREPREN (Nairobi) is conducting studies and advocacy work on renewable energy production in Eastern Africa and the Horn of Africa; all this has helped to bring about, in 2007, the new feed-in legislation that encourages investment into small-scale and sustainable generation of electricity by Independent Power Producers. We are supporting forest protection activities undertaken by the Green Belt Movement and work towards strengthening the capacity of organisations and institutions addressing climate change, especially with regard to adaptation finance.