Blogs & Opinions

Vorukh Exclave in the Fergana Valley: How to Overcome the Conflict Created by Stalin

May 12, 2025 | Alexander Shpunt

Judging by the extremely cautious reports in analytical publications of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are at the final stage of the process of delimitation…

Hydrodiplomacy over Hostility: Rethinking Water Sharing amid India-Pakistan Tensions

May 10, 2025 | Hazim El-Naser

In recent weeks, military skirmishes have erupted along the India-Pakistan border, particularly in the disputed region of Kashmir. The escalation followed a militant attack that…

India-Pakistan Conflict over Water Reflects a Region Increasingly Vulnerable to Climate Change

May 9, 2025 | Mehebub Sahana

In an unprecedented move, India recently suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, citing cross-border terrorism. This was one of a series of escalations…

If Illegal Logging Starts Again, Liberia Could Lose More Than Its Beloved Pygmy Hippos

May 9, 2025 | Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Liberia has more than half of west Africa’s remaining forests, which cover almost half of the country, approximately 6.6m hectares (16m acres) based on the…

The Indus Water Treaty Suspension: A Wake-up Call for Asia–Pacific Unity?

May 8, 2025 | Sinéad Barry and Emma Whitaker

On April 23, India suspended the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), a 65-year-old agreement that had been a rare symbol of cooperation between India and Pakistan…

Floodgates to Conflict

May 5, 2025 | Iqra Awan

In a region as volatile as South Asia, where historical animosities simmer beneath the surface of every diplomatic interaction, water has long stood as one…

Is ‘Green Reconciliation’ Coming to the Island of Ireland?

May 5, 2025 | Juneseo Hwang

The signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement in 1998 undoubtedly marked a new chapter in the history of the island of Ireland. Yet, the natural…

The Trump Presidency and Climate Security in the Indo-Pacific Region

May 2, 2025 | Tobias Ide

In the first hundred days of his second presidency, Donald Trump has caused considerable turmoil. Radical cuts to federal spending, concerning attacks on democratic guardrails,…

Ukraine Minerals Deal: The Idea That Natural Resource Extraction Can Build Peace Has Been around for Decades

May 1, 2025 | Bridget Storrie

Ukraine has finally signed its minerals agreement with the US. The deal states that Washington will eventually receive a share of the profits from the…

What to Know about the Signed US-Ukraine Minerals Deal

May 1, 2025 | Gracelin Baskaran and Meredith Schwartz

On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, the United States and Ukraine signed a long-awaited deal to establish a joint investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine.…

The Rare-Earth Reckoning: What the US-Ukraine Mineral Deal Means for the World

Apr 30, 2025 | Ella Chepak

The US mineral deal with Ukraine was first mentioned earlier last year by the Ukrainian president Zelensky. The deal was a way for the US…

Water a Dimension of Threat to Wars

Apr 30, 2025 | Patial RC

Water conflicts may soon become the main source of discord between nations replacing the ongoing boundary disputes and discords. Brigadier Pervez Musharraf (former Pak Army Chief and President) while at…

Reflections from Recent Convenings

Apr 30, 2025
Energy Peace Partners

Across EPP’s areas of work, the current moment has been characterized by unprecedented levels of disruption. Geopolitical realignment, shifting international priorities, and shrinking public sector…

The Role of Gold in the Sudanese War

Apr 30, 2025 | Sara de Simone

When the civil war broke out in Sudan in April 2023, gold soon became pivotal in analyses of the conflict, both as a means of…

From Alexander using Jhelum River in 326 BC to Dams and Flooding in Modern World: How Rivers Have Been Weaponised to Win Wars and Gain Tactical Advantage

Apr 28, 2025 | Anurag

In April 2025, India announced that it would suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan. It is a 63-year-old water-sharing pact which, interestingly, survived…

Illicit Mineral Supply Chains Fuel the DRC’s M23 Insurgency

Apr 23, 2025 | Clarkson Kamurai, Brad Handler, and Morgan Bazilian

The insurgency by M23 in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the latest example of the damage that can be wrought by…

The Cost of Conflict: Understanding the Health Consequences of War and Displacement

Apr 23, 2025 | Nour Suaaidi Amane

Peace and conflict, two words that are opposite, yet existing in the same world. For some people, life is marked by stability, access to healthcare…

A New Political and Funding Reality for Environmental Peacebuilding

Apr 22, 2025 | Conflict and Environment Observatory

The Trump administration’s January 2025 decision to freeze all foreign assistance funding has had massive and reverberating consequences for humanitarian, development and conservation programmes in…

Conflict-Monitoring Collective Wins European Space Agency Earth Observation Excellence Award

Apr 17, 2025 | Conflict and Environment Observatory

The Decentralized Damage Mapping Group — an international collective of academics and civil society organisations — has advanced the use of satellite analysis to document the…

Negotiations at Gunpoint: Does US Pressure on Ukraine for a Minerals Deal Amount to Unlawfully Procuring a Treaty by Use of Force?

Apr 17, 2025 | Jeremy Pizzi and Maksym Vishchyk

American attempts to coerce Ukraine into giving up its valuable mineral resources are unseemly, but they may also threaten the validity of such a deal…

From Risk to Resilience by Securing Wildlife Stockpiles in Liberia, Sierra Leone

Apr 16, 2025 | Charles Henson

The authors recently traveled to Sierra Leone and Liberia as part of an Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation (EPIF) project to help improve the security of wildlife…

BRICS: An Environmental Cooperation Opportunity for Half the World's Population

Apr 15, 2025 | Shina Ansari

The modern world is grappling with a series of profound environmental and social challenges. Although these issues are frequently mentioned in diplomatic meetings, negotiations, and…

Security Aspects of Climate Change

Apr 15, 2025 | Yasuko Kameyama

Climate change is unarguably the most urgent issue threatening human society. The global average temperature in 2024 was the highest in recorded history, reaching 1.55…

Bridging Policy and Practice: Key Insights from the Water, Peace and Climate Conference in Kenya

Apr 14, 2025 | Daisy Kosgei

Have you heard the tale of a hummingbird saving a huge forest from a fire? While all other animals fled in fear and panic, the…

Critical Minerals Were Once for Renewables. Now They’re for War

Apr 14, 2025 | Cat Rainsford

Critical minerals have in recent years been central to global visions of a greener future. Finding enough lithium for batteries in electric vehicles, or rare…

The Guardian View on Donald Trump’s Congo Deal: Mineral Riches for Protection

Apr 13, 2025 | Guardian

"The vilest scramble for loot that has ever disfigured the history of human conscience” is how Joseph Conrad described colonial-era concessions granted to private companies…

Climate, Conflict, and Extremism: Ghana’s Security Challenges in the Sahelian Spillover

Apr 8, 2025 | Chiara Avanzi

The central Sahel is one of the regions most affected by climate change. Temperatures are rising 1.5 times faster than the global average, rainfall patterns are…

Minimising the Environmental Impact of Landmine Clearance While Maximising Its Benefits

Apr 4, 2025 | Linsey Cottrell

Globally, around 60 million people live in areas affected by landmines and other explosive ordnance. Clearing them is critical for safe access to land and…

Historic Border Agreements and Intergovernmental Cooperation in the Fergana Valley Give Hope for Long-Term Peace

Apr 4, 2025 | Ilya Jones

There has been a whirlwind of progress on building peace between the governments of Central Asia’s Fergana Valley region, where the borders of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan…

Starving for Rain: How Drought and Conflict Are Fueling Ethiopia’s Food Emergency

Apr 3, 2025 | Centre of Excellence on Emerging Development Perspectives, VisionRI

Ethiopia is facing a severe food security crisis due to prolonged drought, with over 20 million people in need of assistance as crops fail and…