This third contribution to the BRIDGES Cologne Policy Insights series examines the role of science–policy platforms in fostering more inclusive Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to address multiple, interconnected planetary crises.
A unique project exploring the future of the Congo Basin, led by Dr. Nsah Mala from the University of Cologne's BRIDGES Hub for Planetary Wellbeing, has clinched a top international honour, winning the inaugural Dubai Foresight Awards in the "Foresight for the Planet" category. The project, titled Congo Basin Futures, was celebrated last Tuesday, November 18, 2025, out hundreds of submissions from 50 countries it was named the overall category winner. Congo Basin Futures utilises innovative, foresight-based approaches, including participatory foresight methodologies, storytelling, and indigenous knowledge, to map out both undesirable and preferred futures for the world's second-largest tropical rainforest.
This edited volume brings together fresh voices, both emerging and established, on the ecocritical landscape within African literatures and cultures.
A list of Upcoming MESH ‘Branching Out’ Events in October 2025:
Author: Dr Nsah Mala. Stories from the Futures of Congo Basin is a project by BRIDGES Hub for Planetary Wellbeing, University of Cologne, Coordinator and 2023 NGFP Judges’ Choice Fellow Dr Nsah Mala.
