Blogs & Opinions
Gold in Sudan: A Resource between Looting and Smuggling… or a Tool for Post-War Recovery
Aug 29, 2025
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Omer Sidahmed
For thousands of years, gold has been tied to Sudan’s identity—from the kingdoms of Kush and Napata to the inscriptions left by the Pharaohs who…
Conflict at COPs: Russia’s Exit from the Ramsar Convention
Aug 28, 2025
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Eva Baudichau and Meng Wang
Russia’s withdrawal from the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands didn’t make global headlines—but it probably should have. At first glance, a wetlands convention may seem an…
Why Future Wars Will Be Fought over Water Supply
Aug 26, 2025
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Patrick Yeager
In the coming years, increasing water insecurity will threaten many nations’ internal stability, challenge the viability of large cities worldwide, and worsen international conflicts. Of…
‘Carbon Colonialism’?
Aug 26, 2025
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Tina S. Mehnpaine
The Liberian government has sparked a debate with the release of its draft Carbon Development Policy, which declares that all carbon credits generated within the…
How Weather Stations Are Empowering Farmers and Building Peace in Northwest Nigeria
Aug 25, 2025
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UNDP Nigeria
For generations, farmers in Nigeria have relied on traditional agricultural practices, their wisdom passed down through time and rooted in cultural traditional knowledge. These methods…
Tackling Security and Climate Challenges in the Lake Chad Basin Requires Collaboration
Aug 21, 2025
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Aminata Niang
The consequences of climate change in the Lake Chad Basin are not only environmental but also tied to conflict and insecurity. The resource scarcity caused…
The Brahmaputra and the Geopolitics of Water Sharing
Aug 21, 2025
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Himangshu Ranjan Bhuyan
Flowing through some of the most sensitive political geographies of Asia, the Brahmaputra is nor merely a river but a lifeline that sustains millions, a…
Kenya to Host New Global Centre to Combat Human-Nature Conflict
Aug 20, 2025
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TV47 Kenya
Kenya is set to become the epicenter of Africa’s fight against human-nature conflict and environmental crime after allocating land in Nairobi for a new global…
When Water becomes War: The Moral Failure of Global Governance in the Middle East
Aug 20, 2025
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Peiman Salehi
The Middle East today is witnessing a transformation that goes far beyond conventional geopolitics or the competition for oil. One of the most urgent yet…
Greening the Military: Why Defence Spending Must Align with Climate Action
Aug 14, 2025
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Hema Nadarajah
In preparing for conflicts, we may be compromising our ability to confront the climate emergency. Sustainability must be part of our defence strategy.
Climate Security Is National Security. Africa Is Our First Line of Defense
Aug 12, 2025
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Patrick Verkooijen
NATO’s decision to increase defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product by 2035, including 1.5% for resilience and critical infrastructure, marks the most significant shift…
Minerals over Peace? Rethinking the DRC-Rwanda Accord
Aug 8, 2025
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Batseba Seifu
On June 27, 2025, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda signed what has been touted as a significant peace agreement in Washington, DC—a…
Remembering the Journey: The GERD Dispute and the Promise of Diplomacy
Aug 7, 2025
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Seble Getachew
It is important to remember those early days of the GERD dispute, when there was genuine hope that dialogue and diplomacy would prevail. Back in…
Hallucinating Climate Security: A Cautionary Tale about Generative AI
Aug 6, 2025
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Tobias Ide
Recent studies indicate that over 90% of all students – and an increasing number of policy makers – are using generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to…
Trading Minerals for Security: Why Africa’s Latest Deal Could Backfire
Aug 4, 2025
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Conversation
Recently, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda struck a US-brokered peace deal that exchanges mineral wealth for vague security promises. Signed in June 2025,…
Climate Projects in South Sudan Can Turn Deadly – How to Avoid This
Aug 4, 2025
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Conversation
South Sudan, which has been torn apart by a civil war, is vulnerable to extreme weather events, frequent floods and drought, to which it must…
From Struggle to Strength: A Young Farmer’s Journey Toward Sustainable Prosperity
Aug 4, 2025
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Desalegne Tadesse
CIMMYT
At just 25 years of age, Tigist Adamo’s experience epitomized the daily realities of countless smallholder farmers in South Ethiopia. Confronted by declining crop yields, scarce resources, and…
Somaliland's Hidden Advantage: How Lithium and Location Could Secure Recognition
Aug 3, 2025
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Abdiaziz Mahamoud Yusouf
Since declaring independence in 1991, Somaliland has persistently sought international recognition. Despite notable progress in peacebuilding, democratic governance, and institutional development, the quest for recognition…
UN Migration Agency Warns of Deepening Climate and Displacement Crisis in Somalia
Aug 2, 2025
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Kelechi Onyemaobi
The United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that climate shocks and mass displacement caused by conflict have uprooted some 3.6 million people in…
Europe’s Defence Build-up Is a Climate Gamble – Here’s How It Can Course Correct
Jul 31, 2025
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Florian Krampe
Just as NATO adopts an ambitious defence spending target of 5% of gross domestic product, Spain is charting a distinct course. While securing an exemption…
Preventing an India-Pakistan Water War
Jul 30, 2025
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Samaan Lateef
India’s decision to walk away from the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan marks an unprecedented and consequential shift in one of South Asia’s few…
Peacebuilding: The Missing Peace in COP30 Climate Ambition
Jul 30, 2025
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Janani Vivekananda
Peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and crime prevention are no longer niche security concerns—they are global imperatives for sustainable climate action. From the migration crisis in Venezuela…
Somalia’s New Climate Roadmap as a Blueprint for Peace
Jul 29, 2025
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Ann-Sophie Böhle and Kheira Tarif
Somalia’s new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)—the country’s roadmap for climate mitigation and adaptation—does more than outline the country’s climate ambitions. It recognizes the connections between…
Water Serves as Glue of South Asian Climate-Security Axis
Jul 27, 2025
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Nazrin Sadigova
As the global power axis shifts toward Asia, China’s growing role in South and Southwest Asia places it at the forefront of advancing regional climate…
Water Wars: A Historic Agreement between Mexico and US Is Ramping up Border Tension
Jul 25, 2025
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Natasha Lindstaedt
As climate change drives rising temperatures and changes in rainfall, Mexico and the US are in the middle of a conflict over water, putting an…
Paying the People: Liberia’s Novel Plan to Save Its Forests
Jul 21, 2025
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Fred Pearce
Illegal logging and deforestation are on the rise in Liberia, home to almost half of West Africa’s surviving tropical forests. Corruption is rife, and cocoa…
Africa’s Minerals Are Being Bartered for Security: Why It’s a Bad Idea
Jul 21, 2025
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Hanri Mostert and Tracy-Lynn Field
A US-brokered peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda binds the two African nations to a worrying arrangement: one where a country…
The Myth of Mineral Blame in Eastern Congo’s Endless Wars
Jul 21, 2025
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Tessah Keza
Recent developments in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have once again brought media attention to the country’s long-suffering eastern provinces. As coverage resurges, so…
Water Wars in the Making: Are We Headed for Conflict over Access to Aquifers?
Jul 19, 2025
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Maria Faith Saligumba
In a world where water is becoming more precious than oil, are we unknowingly marching toward a future rife with conflict over this essential resource?…
Who Really Profits from Myanmar’s Rare Earths?
Jul 18, 2025
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Min Zan
Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 metals that play a crucial role in modern technology. Despite their name, they are relatively abundant…