Writing & Working Papers

Independent writing on AI, climate, and development.

A collection of independent essays, working papers, and policy notes at the intersection of AI, climate change, and sustainable development. They reflect ongoing thinking and are shared openly for discussion, collaboration, and review.

A note on status: these are independent, self-published works and working drafts, not peer-reviewed journal publications. They are listed transparently as essays, working papers, and policy notes, and several are open for collaboration and review.

Working Paper2024

Climate Intelligence for Community Resilience: An AI-Assisted Framework for Adaptation Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa

Mensah, R., Working paper, open for collaboration

This paper proposes a framework for translating satellite-derived climate signals into community-readable risk narratives using machine learning and geospatial analytics. The approach is designed for low-resource settings where data science capacity is limited but climate risk is acute.

Climate AISDG 13Global SouthNLP

Essay2024

Large Language Models and the Promise of Multilingual AI for Development

Mensah, R., Independent essay, self-published

Explores how LLMs can be adapted for multilingual African contexts, with a focus on low-resource languages and the design considerations needed to ensure these systems serve rather than exclude communities on the margins of the global digital economy.

LLMsNLPSDG 4Multilingual AI

Policy Note2024

Responsible AI for the Global South: Institutional Readiness, Ethics, and Governance Gaps

Mensah, R., Policy note, working draft

This policy note examines the structural gaps that make AI governance frameworks developed in the Global North unsuitable for direct application in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. It proposes a locally-grounded ethics and accountability model aligned with the UN SDG agenda.

AI EthicsPolicySDG 16Governance

Research Note2023

Predictive Analytics for Youth Programme Outcomes: A Data-Driven Approach to Measuring Social Impact

Mensah, R., Internal research note, EGA Mentorship International

Documents a methodology for tracking, measuring, and predicting youth programme outcomes using structured data from mentorship sessions, scholarship applications, and community engagement records. Demonstrates that data-driven programme management can double measurable impact within a single cohort cycle.

Data ScienceSDG 4SDG 17Youth Development

Working Paper2023

Human-Centred AI Design Principles for Development Contexts

Mensah, R., Working paper, open for review

Proposes a set of design principles for AI systems intended for deployment in development contexts, drawing on human-computer interaction research, participatory design theory, and field experience building tools for communities with diverse literacy levels and device constraints.

Human-Centred AIFull-StackDesignSDG 9

Essay2023

The Future of AI in Africa Is Institutional, Not Just Technical

Mensah, R., Independent essay, self-published

Argues that AI adoption in Africa will be determined less by access to models and more by whether institutions, universities, ministries, NGOs, are structured to adopt, govern, and maintain intelligent systems. Outlines what institutional AI readiness looks like in practice.

AI in AfricaInstitutionsSDG 9SDG 16

Open for collaboration

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