LONDON, Oct 29, 2025 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) - New research from the Institute for Economics & Peace reveals that changing rainfall patterns are significantly amplifying conflict risks worldwide. The 2025 Ecological Threat Report (ETR), released today, finds conflict death rates are substantially higher in areas where rainfall is concentrating into fewer months, compared to regions where rain is spreading more evenly throughout the year.Ecological Threat Report 2025Analysing Ecological Threats, Resilience & PeaceKey FindingsOn average in areas where wet and dry seasons are becoming more extreme, there are four times as many conflict deaths as areas where it has decreased.In 2024, natural hazards triggered 45 million short-term internal displacements across 163 countries, the highest figure since at least 2008.Western Brazil, including parts of the Amazon, has recorded some of the world's sharpest increases in ecological threat levels. Temperatures have risen at twice the global rate, triggering drought and wildfires.Sub-Saharan Africa faces the world's most severe ecological pressures, with Niger registering the worst ETR score.Central and Western Europe recorded substantial overall improvements, in part representing a return to normalcy following Europe's unusually dry climatic conditions in 2019.Despite fears of looming water wars, there have been no interstate conflicts fought exclusively over water in the modern era. In the second half of the 20th century, at least 157 international freshwater treaties have been signed, offering models for interstate cooperation.This cooperative approach to water somewhat mirrors nuclear deterrence since the Second World War. In both cases, the very threat of catastrophic destruction has created pragmatic cooperation. The destruction of water supply can lead to societal collapse.Approximately 2 billion people - one quarter of humanity - now live in regions experiencing moderate to severe increases in seasonality. This is where wet seasons are becoming shorter and more intense, while dry seasons are longer and drier. These changes are disrupting agricultural calendars and heightening uncertainty for billions of people who rely on seasonal rains for food and livelihoods.The Ecological Threat Report, produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace, covers 3,125 sub-national areas in 172 countries and territories representing more than 99% of the world's population. Between 2019 and 2024, ETR scores deteriorated in 96 countries and improved in 74.Sub-Saharan Africa Approaching Multiple Critical Tipping PointsIn sub-Saharan Africa, conflict risk rises sharply when seasonality combines with rapid population growth. Unpredictable rains trigger agricultural stress. When coupled with demographic pressure, competition over land, water and food intensifies. In regions with weak governance and unresolved grievances, this combination proves combustible.The Karamoja Cluster in East Africa illustrates this pattern. While total rainfall remains relatively stable, its timing has become less predictable, amplifying both drought and flood hazards, leading to increased conflict. With only 2% of cultivated land irrigated compared to a global average of 20%, East African communities remain highly vulnerable to these shocks. Since 2019, increased rainfall seasonality has coincided with a resurgence of pastoralist violence after years of relative peace."Rainfall seasonality is becoming a powerful conflict catalyst,"said Steve Killelea AM, Founder & Executive Chairman of the Institute for Economics & Peace."Where rains are increasingly concentrated into fewer months, conflict deaths rise sharply. In sub-Saharan Africa, rapid population growth amplifies this effect, turning unpredictable seasons into competition for land, water and food. The issue isn't water scarcity - it's our failure to capture and distribute it. Only 2% of Sub-Saharan African farmland is irrigated, compared to 20% globally."Water Inequality and the Infrastructure GapThe world's renewable freshwater supply is finite and increasingly unevenly distributed. There are 295 subnational areas facing very high water risk and another 780 with high risk, affecting nearly 1.9 billion people.High-income countries have reduced per capita water use by roughly one-third since 2000 through efficiency gains and slower population growth, while many low-income nations face rising total withdrawals and falling per capita availability as populations outpace supply.Sub-Saharan Africa highlights this imbalance. Per capita water use has dropped from 113 cubic metres in 2000 to just 89 in 2022 - less than one-fifth of the global average. The result is mounting pressure on limited water sources and intensifying competition among farms, industries and households, heightening the risk of conflict.The failure to capture and distribute water is most acute in sub-Saharan Africa, which has the lowest irrigation rates in the world. To irrigate 34 million hectares would require only 6% of the region's annual renewable water resources.Steve Killelea said: "COP30 must prioritise investment in climate-resilient water systems as a foundation for sustainability and peace. Just as nuclear treaties reduced the risk of annihilation, international cooperation on water can reduce the risk of ecological collapse. Both demonstrate that survival depends less on dominance, than on shared responsibility."Interstate Water CooperationPopular narratives have warned of looming "water wars", especially in transboundary river and lake basins. The ETR finds this is not the case. While disputes over shared rivers do occur, no interstate wars have been fought over water in the modern era. This makes the lessons of successful interstate water cooperation even more important. In an era of increasing conflict, understanding why interstate cooperation has been so successful can provide a blueprint for avoiding future conflicts.Even in tense basins such as the Indus River - shared by India and Pakistan - water-sharing has continued despite repeated episodes of conflict, political confrontations and military tension. Water agreements, by necessity, encourage nations to think beyond immediate political grievances toward long-term survival and shared benefit.Regional AnalysisSub-Saharan Africa faces the world's most severe ecological pressures. However, some southern and eastern African countries, including Lesotho, Rwanda, Eritrea and Eswatini, have improved their ETR scores. More favourable rainfall patterns in these countries resulted in marked reductions in water risk over the past five years.In contrast, northwest Africa has seen the steepest deterioration in ETR scores over the same period, led by Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria, where persistent drought and rising temperatures have reversed the unusually favourable conditions of 2019.Central and Western Europe recorded notable improvements, marking a return to normal following the extreme dryness of 2019.Contact InformationMike KoslowskiIEP Senior Communications Advisormkoslowski@economicsandpeace.org+61418410531SOURCE: Institute for Economics & PeaceRelated Images Copyright 2025 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

HONG KONG, Oct 29, 2025 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) – October 28, As the joint sponsor, overall coordinator, sponsor-overall coordinator, joint global coordinator, joint bookrunner and joint lead manager, Guotai Junan International Holdings Limited (“GTJAI”, stock code: 1788.HK), a company of Guotai Haitong Group, facilitated the successful listing of Deepexi Technology Co., Ltd. (“Deepexi Technology”, stock code: 1384.HK), a leading enterprise large model AI application solution provider in China, on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on October 28.The successful listing of Deepexi Technology exemplifies Guotai Haitong Group’s strength in integrating domestic and international resources. In this project, GTJAI fully leveraged its communication, coordination and execution capabilities to conduct precise and efficient roadshows and in-depth investor engagement. This successfully positioned the IPO as the leading Hong Kong-listed project in terms of fundraising scale of China's enterprise large model AI application solution sector, further solidifying Deepexi Technology’s competitive edge in the enterprise large model AI application solution market. The successful execution of this project underscores GTJAI’s leading position in the Hong Kong IPO market, particularly in serving new economy and specialized technology enterprises.The final offering price of this issuance is set at HK$26.66 per share, with a total of 26.632 million shares offered. The total funds raised amount to approximately HK$710 million. The Hong Kong public offering recorded an overwhelming subscription, with an oversubscription ratio of approximately 7,569 times, demonstrating the market's strong recognition of Deepexi Technology’s leading position in the enterprise large model AI application solution sector and its future growth potential. The company plans to allocate the raised funds to the following strategic directions: approximately 40% for enhancing R&D capabilities; approximately 30% for expansion of sales network and customer base in China; approximately 15% for overseas business expansion; approximately 5% for potential investment, mergers and acquisitions; and 10% for working capital and general corporate purposes. This funding plan will provide solid momentum for Deepexi Technology to consolidate its technological barriers and accelerate its commercialization process.Notably, as early as 2021, GTJAI co-led a USD$100 million Series B financing round for Deepexi Technology , which was completed in 2022. This early involvement demonstrated GTJAI’s strategic foresight in identifying high-growth potential in the AI sector and laid a solid foundation for subsequent collaboration in supporting Deepexi Technology’s listing in Hong Kong. In the future, GTJAI will continue to leverage its professional financial services capabilities to connect more innovative technology companies with global capital markets. About Deepexi TechnologyDeepexi Technology is China's leading provider of enterprise large model AI application solutions. Through its FastData enterprise data intelligence solution and FastAGI enterprise AI solution, it empowers enterprises to integrate their data, decisions and operations efficiently at scale. Deepexi Technology ranked fifth in China’s enterprise large model AI application solution market in terms of revenue in 2024. Its solutions have achieved large-scale commercialization across multiple verticals, including consumer goods, manufacturing, healthcare and transportation. As of June 30, 2025, Deepexi Technology served a cumulative total of 283 enterprise customers across various industries, with multiple engagements representing 33.2% of customer base, reflecting strong customer loyalty and satisfaction. About GTJAIGuotai Junan International (Stock Code: 1788.HK), a subsidiary of Guotai Haitong Group, is the market leader and first mover for internationalization of Chinese Securities Company as well as the first Chinese securities broker listed on the Main Board of The Hong Kong Stock Exchange through initial public offering. Based in Hong Kong with subsidiaries in Singapore, Vietnam and Macau, GTJAI’s business covers major markets around the world, offering high-quality and diversified comprehensive financial services for clients' overseas asset allocation. Core business includes wealth management, institutional investor services, corporate finance services, investment management and other business. GTJAI has been assigned “Baa2” and “BBB+” long term issuer rating from Moody and Standard & Poor respectively, as well as an MSCI ESG “A” rating, Wind ESG “A” rating and SynTao Green Finance “A” rating in ESG. Additionally, its S&P Global ESG score leads 84% of its global peers. The controlling shareholder, Guotai Haitong Securities (Stock Code: 601211.SH/ 2611.HK), is the comprehensive financial provider with a long-term, sustainable and overall leading position in the China’s capital markets. For more information about GTJAI, please visit https://www.gtjai.com. Copyright 2025 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

HONG KONG, Oct 29, 2025 - (ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com) – October 28, As the sole sponsor, sponsor-overall coordinator, overall coordinator, joint global coordinator, joint bookrunner and joint lead manager, Guotai Junan International Holdings Limited (“GTJAI” or “the Company”, stock code: 1788.HK), a company of Guotai Haitong Group, facilitated the successful listing of CIG SHANGHAI CO., LTD. (“CIG”, stock code: 6166.HK，603083.SH) on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. This listing establishes CIG as the first photonics and CPO (Co-packaged Optics) company with dual listings in both the A-share and H-share markets. Marking the largest IPO ever in the telecommunications equipment sector across these markets, the offering fully demonstrates Guotai Haitong Group's comprehensive capabilities in resource integration and serving large technology enterprises through cross-border capital operations. The final offering price for this issuance is set at HK$68.88 per share, with a total of 67.01 million shares offered, representing a base offering size of HK$4.616 billion. Upon full exercise of the over-allotment option, the total proceeds are expected to reach HK$5.308 billion. The offering attracted strong investor interest, with the international placement oversubscribed by approximately 16.5 times and the Hong Kong public offering oversubscribed by approximately 338.7 times. As of October 28, 2025, this transaction ranks among the top three Hong Kong IPO projects by fundraising size led by a sole sponsor in 2025. Throughout the project execution, GTJAI leveraged its efficient communication, coordination and execution capabilities to assist CIG in completing the entire process—from submitting its H-share listing application to successfully listing in Hong Kong—within six months.The project team conducted in-depth research and crafted the company's investment narrative, highlighting its leading position and technological advantages in AI infrastructure, optical communication and photonics. Through robust and thorough market outreach, they connected with the world's top investors and assisted CIG in engaging a total of 16 top-tier cornerstone investors, including Barings, Morgan Stanley, HCEP, Arc Avenue, CloudAlpha Capital, Weiss, Cithara, 3W, Schonfeld, Infini Capital, Alpine, Dymon Asia, Boyu, Martis, Taikang Life and ICBC WM with cornerstone investments accounting for 48.89% of the total. These investors encompass premier foreign long-term funds, renowned foreign multi-strategy funds and Chinese long-term funds. International placement further secured orders from numerous top global long-term funds and sovereign wealth funds. This achievement not only demonstrates GTJAI’s leading global investor coverage capabilities but also underscores the confidence of world-class capital in CIG’s long-term development prospects. About CIGCIG is a globally leading AI infrastructure provider specializing in the design, R&D, manufacturing and sales of connectivity and transmission equipment such as photonics, broadband and wireless solutions. Its products are extensively deployed for efficient connectivity within computing clusters, between clusters, between clusters and users, and within user endpoints to manage massive computing power and data flows. Its downstream clients include world-leading AI data centres, telecom operators, ICT equipment providers, multiple system operators and internet-of-things solutions providers. The company has established six major R&D centres in China, the United States and Japan. Through its own manufacturing facilities and Co-location partnerships, it has set up seven production bases in China, the United States, the European Union and Malaysia. Leveraging its strong industry position and extensive global footprint, the company will continue to benefit from the tremendous growth opportunities presented by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence.About GTJAIGuotai Junan International (Stock Code: 1788.HK), a subsidiary of Guotai Haitong Group, is the market leader and first mover for internationalization of Chinese Securities Company as well as the first Chinese securities broker listed on the Main Board of The Hong Kong Stock Exchange through initial public offering. Based in Hong Kong with subsidiaries in Singapore, Vietnam and Macau, GTJAI’s business covers major markets around the world, offering high-quality and diversified comprehensive financial services for clients' overseas asset allocation. Core business includes wealth management, institutional investor services, corporate finance services, investment management and other business. GTJAI has been assigned “Baa2” and “BBB+” long term issuer rating from Moody and Standard & Poor respectively, as well as an MSCI ESG “A” rating, Wind ESG “A” rating and SynTao Green Finance “A” rating in ESG. Additionally, its S&P Global ESG score leads 84% of its global peers. The controlling shareholder, Guotai Haitong Securities (Stock Code: 601211.SH/ 2611.HK), is the comprehensive financial provider with a long-term, sustainable and overall leading position in the China’s capital markets. For more information about GTJAI, please visit https://www.gtjai.com Copyright 2025 ACN Newswire via SeaPRwire.com. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com