Blogs & Opinions

Iraq: Is Climate Change Destabilizing Iraq?

Jul 15, 2014 | Slate

This winter was not a good one for farmers in the Fertile Crescent.

A punishing drought hit most of Syria and northern Iraq during what’s normally…

Iraq: ISIS is Using Water as a Weapon in Iraq

Jul 15, 2014 | PRI

According to a report by meterologist Eric Holthaus, militant groups in Iraq are taking advantage of the country's drought, squeezing Baghdad by controlling the water flow to…

Can ISIS Overcome the Insurgency Resource Curse?

Jul 15, 2014 | The Washington Post

The recent advances of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), since redubbed Islamic State, in northern and western Iraq brought into focus the…

Containing the Resource Crisis

Jul 14, 2014 | Project Syndicate

The proclamation of a new Cold War, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, turned out to be alarmist and premature. However, it reflected the anxiety of…

Development Diamonds

Jul 11, 2014 | Rapaport

The diamond industry needs to support programs to uplift its vast artisanal mining sector. The more than 1.5 million diamond diggers – predominantly in West…

Conflict Resources: Conflict Minerals Law Starts Working Despite Poor Industry Response

Jul 9, 2014 | African-American Observer

A U.S. law on conflict minerals is curbing African warlords' presence around mines in Congo, campaigners say, but its full impact remains unclear, with most…

Michael Klare, Fighting for Oil

Jul 8, 2014 | TomDispatch

Call it a double whammy for the planet or simply irony with a capital "I." As the invaluable Michael Klare, TomDispatch regular and author of…

Burma: Burma's Democracy Struggle Hostage to Real Estate Boom

Jul 7, 2014 | Huffington Post

Ethical issues in Burma (also known as Myanmar) have never been simple, and the real estate boom roiling Rangoon ranks with the thorniest. Those poised…

Toxic Footprint of Syria’s War

Jul 7, 2014 | Insight on Conflict

Syria’s ongoing civil war has already resulted in over hundred-and-fifty thousand casualties and has brought enormous destruction in cities and towns all over the country.…

MoU Signing Ceremony to Cement Bilateral Farmers Cooperation in the Region

Jul 3, 2014 | Friends of the Earth Middle East

On Tuesday the 24th of June, representatives from the Jordanian South Ghor Municipality, Tamar Municipality in Israel and Themar Agricultural Cooperative Society from Jordan in collaboration with…

Blood Money and Conflict Minerals

Jul 2, 2014 | BloombergView

The world's insatiable demand for everything from smartphones to jewelry to cars is feeding the bloody war in eastern Congo, where tin, tantalum, tungsten and…

China Reaches Out to Myanmar on Maritime Dispute

Jul 1, 2014 | The New York Times

At first blush, Myanmar, hardly a naval power and not exactly a major diplomatic heavyweight, would seem an odd place for China to seek relief…

How the Terrorists Got Rich In Iraq and Syria: ISIS Militants Are Flush With Funds

Jun 28, 2014 | The New York Times

A few feet from the Bab al-Salam border crossing near the Turkish town of Kilis, there is a shabby cafe where the most interesting items…

Syria Faces an Imminent Food and Water Crisis

Jun 24, 2014 | Chatham House

Humanitarian aid to Syria must target water authorities’ maintenance and disinfection needs, as both the regime and opposition forces are failing to respond to the…

Ford Sustainability Report 2013/2014 - A Step in the Right Direction

Jun 24, 2014 | The Enough Project

On Wednesday, June 18, Ford Motor Company released its Sustainability Report 2013/2014. Available online, the report documents Ford’s efforts to enhance its sustainability through a…

Event Report: Peacebuilding and Environmental Damage in Contemporary Jus Post Bellum

Jun 19, 2014 | The Toxic Remnants of War Project

The TRW Project was delighted to be invited to take part in a recent seminar organised by the University of Leiden’s Jus Post Bellum (JPB)…

Dealing With Uncertainty II: Towards a Precautionary Framework for Military-Origin Contaminants

Jun 19, 2014 | The Toxic Remnants of War Project

The previous blog in this two-part series highlighted fears and uncertainties regarding the long-term health impact from military-origin chemical contamination. Some analogies were discussed from…

Natural Resource Revenue Sharing: Are Stakeholders Negotiating Blind?

Jun 18, 2014 | Mari Oye, Myanmar Times

The management of natural resources and natural resource revenues is a hot topic in Myanmar, particularly the role state and region governments have to play.…

Is the News About Congo’s Conflict Minerals Good?

Jun 18, 2014 | Sarah von Billerbeck, The Washington Post

On June 10, the Enough Project published a report claiming that 67 percent of tin, tantalum, and tungsten (3T) mines in eastern Congo are now…

Why Federalism Must Wait

Jun 12, 2014 | James Adiok Mayik

Many if not all advocates of federalism in South Sudan fail to see many facts as to why South Sudan is not ready for a…

FARC Attacks Setback for Colombia Oil

Jun 11, 2014 | Latin America Advisor

There were 259 attacks on oil pipeline infrastructure in Colombia last year, the highest figure in a decade, according to Defense Ministry data. Who has…

Is S Sudan Falling into Oil Resource Curse?

Jun 7, 2014 | Malek Cook-Dwach

The notion of resource curse has engulfed African countries, which are rich in natural resources and heavily depend on revenues from these resources. The resource…

The Morning Ledger: Conflict-Metals Disclosures Reveal North Korean Surprise

Jun 5, 2014 | James Willhite

Dozens of firms found an unwelcome surprise in their supply chains beyond a connection to mines controlled by armed groups in the Congo region, which…

Water Wars in the Middle East - $1 Trillion is at Stake

Jun 4, 2014 | Garikai Chengdu

Water is to the 21st century what oil was to the 20th ... the commodity that determines the wealth and stability of nations, writes Garikai…

New MEPs must tackle conflict minerals

Jun 4, 2014 | Gavin Hayman

Europe’s nearly half a billion consumers are driving a rising global demand for minerals such as tungsten, tantalum, and gold.

These minerals, used in many consumer…

Water Wars in the Middle East - $1 Trillion is at Stake

Jun 4, 2014 | Garikai Chengdu

Water is to the 21st century what oil was to the 20th ... the commodity that determines the wealth and stability of nations, writes Garikai…

IBM, CREE, ABB, NetApp, EMC come clean about conflict minerals

Jun 2, 2014 | Lauren K. Ohnesorge

Tech and manufacturing companies are scrambling to come clean about where they get their minerals - but the end result leaves a lot of questions…

The Pentagon Wants to Tackle Climate Change -- But Congress Forbids It

May 28, 2014 | Mark Strauss

As rising sea levels begin to engulf naval bases and extreme weather exacerbates conflicts worldwide, the military has sounded the alarm that climate change poses…

Timor-Leste: Lessons of a Failing State?

May 22, 2014 | Loro Horta

The leader and founding father of Asia’s youngest nation, Xanana Gusmao, announced in November that he was resigning as prime minister and leaving politics. The…

Toward a Secure and Sustainable Water Future for Kurdistan and Iraq

May 18, 2014 | Tessa Manuello

As tensions between Erbil and Baghdad resumed earlier this year, some voices in the Kurdistan Region called for waging a “water war” against the central…