Blogs & Opinions

Water Wars: Duterte Entrenches New Normal in South China Sea

Nov 23, 2016 | Chris Mirasola

In a stark upending of the status quo, Philippine vessels have had access to traditional fishing grounds around Scarborough Shoal for the past month.  This breakthrough followed…

Food Scarcity Causes Conflicts — But So Can Food Abundance. Here’s Why.

Nov 23, 2016 | Ore Koren

For a new U.S. administration facing global security challenges, the relationship between food security — what the World Bank defines as “access to enough food for an active, healthy…

How to Ensure That You Are in Compliance with New EU Due Diligence Regulations

Nov 18, 2016 | Source Intelligence

In a recent decision, the European Union reported it reached an agreement concerning how it will regulate conflict minerals. The new guidelines set forth will…

So What Should We Do about Conflict Minerals Compliance for Next Year?

Nov 18, 2016 | Cydney Posner

As of now, Forms SD and conflict minerals reports are still due on May 31, 2017.  With all the discussion, in light of the election…

Enough Project Response to Misleading Conflict Minerals Op-Ed

Nov 17, 2016 | Enough Project

On November 13, the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed by Tate Watkins entitled "How Dodd-Frank Led to More Mayhem in Africa." Relying on outdated, narrow…

Oil Palm Produce Must Be Value Added to Avoid Liberia’s 90-Year Mistake

Nov 16, 2016 | Liberian Observer

The oil palm producers in Liberia, notably Malaysia’s Golden Veroleum and Sime Darby, are saying the same thing Harvey Firestone said in 1926, when he…

Water During and After Armed Conflicts: What Protection in International Law?

Nov 15, 2016 | Mara Tignino

Armed conflicts affect water in several ways: destruction and damage of water facilities, attacks against power plants providing water supplies, and the collapse of water…

120 minutes: A Story of a Water Master and Transformative Irrigation in Afghanistan

Nov 13, 2016 | Bashit Ahmad

As the local mirab - “water master” and I walked along the high-elevation canal, high winds blew sand in our mouths and eyes. The elevation…

Even With a New Colombian Peace Deal, What Happens in the Countryside?

Nov 13, 2016 | Michael Albertus

Will Saturday’s new peace accord with the FARC guerrilla group fare better than the June deal? The new accord follows an Oct. 2 referendum that narrowly rejected the Colombian…

Women's Leadership: Critical to Securing the Paris Agreement; Essential to Fulfilling It

Nov 11, 2016 | Courtney Durham, Natalie Elwell, and Cynthia Elliot

The Paris Agreement on climate change wouldn’t be what it is today without action from strong women from around the world. Christiana Figueres, the UNFCCC…

A Veteran’s Day Warning: Trump’s Climate Policies Will Create More War, More Refugees

Nov 11, 2016 | Joe Romm

Donald Trump’s climate policies would create dozens of failed states south of the U.S. border and around the world. They would lead to hundreds of…

States Back Further Progress on Conflict and Environment in UN Legal Debate

Nov 9, 2016 | Doug Weir

Before this May’s UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolution, the annual debates on the work of the International Law Commission (ILC), which take place in the…

Progress on Protecting the Environment from Conflict is Long-Overdue

Nov 8, 2016 | Doug Weir

As Islamic State forces had retreated, they had opened oil pipelines, and blown-up well heads. The smoke plumes from the wells were so intense they…

From Syria to Iraq: Federalize or Perish

Nov 8, 2016 | Norman Ricklefs and Hadi Fathallah

Federalism is the natural solution to the crisis gripping Syria and the Sunni regions of Iraq. Unfortunately, calls for federalism are often viewed in the…

As Demand Grows to Add Another Mineral to the List, Calls Continue to Reform Conflict Minerals Reporting Requirement. Today’s Election May Decide the Next Round for Dodd-Frank.

Nov 8, 2016 | Source Intelligence

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) continues to receive comment letters from a variety of organizations and individuals about whether to refine conflict minerals…

Can Myanmar’s Hydropower Study Truly Be for the People?

Nov 7, 2016 | Pianporn Deetes

The deadly conflict is taking place around the construction site of the Hat Gyi hydropower dam on the Salween River. The 1360-megawatt project is slated for development…

Environment is the ‘Silent Casualty’ of Armed Conflict

Nov 6, 2016 | UN Environment Programme, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

As the world marks the international day to protect the environment during armed conflict, the scorched earth tactics being used by embattled ISIL militants in…

Water Wars: All Eyes Turn to Scarborough Shoal

Nov 4, 2016 | Chris Mirasola

Two weeks ago Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte visited Beijing, where he signed a number of memoranda of understanding promising greater economic and military cooperation. Since that meeting…

Impact of Conflict Minerals Ruling Begins to be Seen

Nov 2, 2016 | Celia Taylor

Perhaps the most important result of the long and tortured legal proceedings in Nat'l Ass'n of Mfrs. v. SEC ("NAM") is the ultimate finding that…

Invitation: Environmental Peacebuilding Lecture with Ambassador Marie Jacobsson

Oct 31, 2016 | Britta Sjöstedt

At the event, to be held on 3 November in Washington, Ambassador Marie Jacobsson will receive the prominent Al-Moumin Award for her exceptional contributions to…

Rising Water Wars between Indian States

Oct 30, 2016 | Dr. Yogesh Sharma

India has been facing friction over the sharing of river waters. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been fighting like two warring nations over sharing of…

ICC Expands Remit to Environmental Crimes: Is This What the People of Cambodia Have Been Waiting for?

Oct 28, 2016 | Hannah Gerber

Cambodia’s land reforms in 2001 have led to over 10 years of violent and coercive land grabs, damaging the livelihoods of nearly 10,000 Cambodian citizens.…

Water Wars: Sifting through the Tea Leaves in the South China Sea

Oct 28, 2016 | Chris Mirasola

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to Beijing last week precipitated a busy news week as commentators and government officials tried to discern how closer Philippine-Chinese cooperation would…

Liberia's Land Bill in Limbo

Oct 28, 2016 | Sumit Galhotra

A narrow window is quickly drawing shut for Liberia to enact a landmark law that would guarantee millions of its people the right to formally…

In Palm Oil, Liberia Sees Economic Boom — but Forests May Lose

Oct 28, 2016 | Sophie Bertazzo

Liberia views palm oil development as a huge opportunity for economic growth and international trade. But embracing the booming industry is not without its costs. Without proper…

EU Regulation on Conflict Minerals Has Low Potential to Trigger Dynamic Changes in Supply Chains

Oct 27, 2016 | Chiara Macchi

The first version of the EU draft Regulation on conflict minerals came as a disappointment to the many civil society actors. EU institutions were split,…

How to Make Peace with the Forest: Development and War in Colombia

Oct 26, 2016 | Hannah Meszaros Martin

On September 26, the Peace Agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP was signed with a pen made from a bullet, while the Air…

Environmental Damage as a Weapon of War? Open Source Industrial Risk Analysis of the Mosul Battle

Oct 25, 2016 | Wim Zwijnenburg

The start of the operation to retake Mosul from the Islamic State (IS)  has seen unprecedented use of environmental pollution as a means to hinder…

Afghanistan’s Coming Water Crisis

Oct 24, 2016 | Omair Ahmad

Decades of conflict have left Afghanistan’s water infrastructure in a mess, and as refugees return to the country, the prospect of water-related conflicts rises. Hundreds of…

Commentary: A Promising Pick for UN Secretary General

Oct 24, 2016 | Ruth Greenspan Bell and Sherri Goodman

The selection of António Guterres as the new United Nations Secretary General is encouraging news for those concerned about the global challenges brought on by…