Blogs & Opinions
Understanding Gender, Conflict And The Environment
Jun 5, 2017
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Alex Reid
The importance of gender in our understanding of the environment and conflict is often camouflaged. Take, for example, the infamous natural resource exploitation that characterised…
Life after Myitsone
Jun 5, 2017
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Joern Kristensen
After more than five years of uncertainty, it seems likely that the Myitsone Dam will be cancelled.
Such a decision would create a rare opportunity for…
Bailing on the Paris Climate Deal Would Be a Huge Security Risk
Jun 5, 2017
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Rep. Raúl Grijalva and Michael Shank
The Trump Administration is poised to isolate itself from reality once again — this time by potentially withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate…
Smuggling Away Myanmar's Chance for Peace
Jun 1, 2017
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Tom Fawthrop
A government-led peace process aimed at ending 60 years of civil war has little chance of success, according to civil society groups, until the government…
The Nuclear Ban Treaty Needs Work if It’s to Deliver on the Environment
May 25, 2017
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Doug Weir
In March this year, 132 states began negotiations on a treaty banning nuclear weapons, seeking to resolve an anomaly that had seen other forms of…
People and Wildlife are Both Casualties of Illicit Mining
May 24, 2017
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Richard Ruggiero
Despite its vast size and relative intactness, Congo’s forest area and wildlife are under severe threat. Between 2002 and 2011, forest elephants experienced a devastating 62…
Leaving Mining Behind in a Sustainable Liberia
May 21, 2017
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Roshny Vijayakar
Mining operations degrade the environment through soil erosion, water contamination, air pollution, and often deforestation. These can lead to respiratory illnesses, heavy metal poisoning, sedimentation, and loss of…
Agriculture: An Opportunity for Better Jobs for Afghanistan’s Youth
May 18, 2017
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Abdul Qadeer Jawad
Until the late 1970s, Afghanistan was one of the world’s top producer of horticultural products and supplied 20 percent of the raisins on the global market. The…
Risk, but Also Opportunity in Climate Fragility and Terror Link
May 17, 2017
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Florian Krampe
In a recent article for New Security Beat, Colin Walch made the case that the abandonment of some communities in Mali to deal with climate change on…
What Quantitative Analyses Tell Us about Climate Change and Conflict
May 15, 2017
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Adrien Detges
In recent years, a growing number of studies have appeared that analyse the statistical relationship between climate change and violent conflict. Whilst this research offers…
Food Access and the Logic of Violence During Civil War
May 15, 2017
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Ore Koren and Benjamin Bagozzi
In 1981, Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen noted that “starvation is the characteristic of some people not having enough food to eat. It is not the characteristic of…
U.S. Officials Promise No Change in South China Sea Naval Policy as Chinese Vessels Continue Extensive Patrols
May 12, 2017
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Jared Dummitt
This week, American officials sought to allay concerns that Washington is failing to address China’s activities in the South China Sea, which have showed no…
Climate Change in the Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community
May 12, 2017
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Caitlin Werrell and Francesco Femia
Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats, released yesterday the 2017 “Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community.” Consistent with threat assessments and memorandums from…
Fertile Ground: Climate Change and Jihadism in Mali
May 9, 2017
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Colin Walch
Herders, farmers, and fishermen have cohabited the middle region of Mali, known as the Macina, for centuries. Conflicts were generally peacefully managed by local chiefs…
The Big Melt: Curbing Arctic Climate Change Aligns with U.S. Economic and National Security Goals
May 8, 2017
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Cathleen Kelly and Howard Marano
The new normal of unparalleled climate change at the top of the world is on track to set off an accelerating chain reaction of warming…
LDC Women in World Climate Talks: Building a Cohort of Champions
May 2, 2017
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Janna Tenzing
The upcoming United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bonn will include a workshop on 10-11 May to develop elements of a 'Gender…
Chinese Delegation Blows up at Anti-Conflict Diamond Meeting to Sideline Taiwan
May 2, 2017
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Robbie Gramer
Australia kick-started an international meeting on conflict diamonds, the Kimberly Process, on Monday with an indigenous-themed welcome ceremony. It was supposed to be a nice…
Manufacturers Win if Conflict Minerals Requirements Are Axed – But That’s Not Likely
May 2, 2017
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Jennifer Hermes
Manufacturers stand to win if the current administration succeeds in its efforts to all but repeal The Dodd-Frank Act, which the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)…
GAO Issues Annual Report Showing Only Slight Progress in Disclosures on Conflict Minerals
May 2, 2017
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Cydney Posner
The GAO has recently issued its third annual report on conflict minerals. The GAO is required by Dodd-Frank to report annually on the effectiveness of the SEC’s…
The European Conflict Minerals Regulation – What Are the Key Take away Points?
Apr 28, 2017
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Paul Davies and Michael Green
The European Conflict Minerals Regulation (the Regulation) was approved by the European Council on 3 April, 2017. Publication in the Official Journal of the European…
De-Securitising the Indus
Apr 27, 2017
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D. Suba Chandran
During recent years, water-sharing arrangements between and within countries in South Asia have been rife with multiple problems. Some of these have even led to…
National Monitoring and Review of the Sustainable Development Goals and Development Justice
Apr 25, 2017
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ADWID
Since 2012, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) has been advocating for a transformative development framework that addresses the structural causes of…
The Water Mirage - Understanding Crisis Narratives around Water
Apr 21, 2017
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Charlotte Grech-Madin
Given the existential value of water for all, it is perhaps unsurprising that water is embedded in discourses of security and crisis. The field of…
Natural Resource Reform at Home – Not Walls – Will Stem the Tide of Migrants
Apr 21, 2017
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Michael Jenkins and Emily E. Harwell
The answer to stemming the flow of migrants from troubled countries is not concrete walls and stricter laws – as British Prime Minister Theresa May…
An Iconic River in Conflict: A Photo Journey along the Salween River
Apr 20, 2017
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International Rivers
The Salween River holds a unique place among the world’s great rivers, not only due to its vibrant ecosystem and the rich biodiversity that it…
Why is Coca Production on the Rise in Colombia?
Apr 19, 2017
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Ross Eventon
In early March 2017, the United States government and the United Nations announced large increases in the amount of coca being cultivated in Colombia. Speaking at the…
Violence and Water Scarcity Threaten Historic Quadruple Famine
Apr 19, 2017
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Erica Martin and Sara Merken
An international food crisis is currently unfolding on a scale not seen since World War II. More than 20 million people in Somalia, Nigeria, South…
Only Transparency Can Prevent Conflict Minerals from Harming People and Wildlife
Apr 18, 2017
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John Calvelli
There is beauty in the biodiverse wildlife that calls DRC home, including chimpanzees, okapi, and the critically endangered Grauer’s gorilla. And there is beauty in…
How Humans Have Fought over—and Weaponized—Water
Apr 18, 2017
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Kelsey Atherton
A timeline of all the reasons we've gone to battle over the H2O. Whether we're poisoning, drowning, or dehydrating our enemies into submission, we humans…
HotSpots H2O, April 18: Water and Sanitation Crises Jeopardize Health of Damascus Citizens
Apr 18, 2017
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Kayla Cragg
Water shortages and sewage system failures are compromising the health of millions in Damascus, Syria. According to the UNICEF Representative in Syria, Hanaa Singer, “In Syria, water…