Blogs & Opinions

Why Access to Improved Sanitation Is So Important for Afghanistan

Nov 18, 2018 | Fahim Malekzai

Afghanistan is experiencing a crisis in sanitation both in cities and rural areas, the consequences of which extend to the most serious of health problems.

What Does the Extension of the UNISFA Mandate Mean for Abyei's Future?

Nov 17, 2018 | Jok WaMonychok Juba

As written by the Secretary General in the letter of 20 August 2018(S/ 2018/778) taking note of security situation in the area as criminal in…

Afghan Mineral Wealth: A Double-Edged Sword

Nov 16, 2018 | Wahidullah Azizi

As the country slides deeper into trouble, many view Afghanistan’s enormous natural wealth as the way out of the somber economic and security situation. While…

Basra's Poisonous Water Demands International Action

Nov 14, 2018 | Chatham House (The Royal Institute of International Affairs)

Violent protests erupted in Basra this summer in response to the deterioration of public services. At the centre of the unrest is a water supply…

States Welcome Principles on Environmental Protection in Occupation during UN Debate

Nov 14, 2018 | Conflict and Environment Observatory

The recent debate in the UN General Assembly’s Sixth Committee on the International Law Commission’s (ILC) ongoing study into the Protection of the environment in…

Mini-Study: Conflict and Nature in Iraqi Kurdistan

Nov 9, 2018 | Lina Eklund

While war is detrimental to most parts of society (except for the weapon industry), the environmental effects are often forgotten in all the suffering. An…

War Is an Unlikely Outcome of Increased Scarcity of Fish

Nov 7, 2018 | Mervyn Piesse

Media reports continue to draw linear relationships between the availability of food and conflict. In recent years, the global decline of wild fish stocks has…

Environmental Security in Times of Armed Conflict

Nov 6, 2018 | Wim Zwijnenburg

Addressing the conflict-environment nexus is becoming more urgent, as more armed conflicts around the world damage ecosystems upon which people depend.

Why We Need to Protect Biodiversity from Harmful Effects of War and Armed Conflict

Nov 6, 2018 | UN Environment

Times of war can result in rapid environmental degradation as people struggle to survive and environmental management systems break down resulting in damage to critical…

The Ongoing Trade in Conflict Timber (Commentary)

Nov 6, 2018 | Arthur Blundell and Jade Saunders

While there is no doubt that countries in desperate states are in need of income and investment, there is also an extremely high risk that…

Drought, Conflict and Regional Unrest Producing Dire Consequences for Afghan Food Security

Oct 31, 2018 | Phoebe Sleet

Along with worsening conflict and a precarious economic outlook, one of the worst droughts in decades is compounding food insecurity in Afghanistan, especially in the…

Towards Climate Resilient Peacebuilding: Understanding the Complexities

Oct 30, 2018 | Karolina Eklöw and Florian Krampe

It is increasingly clear that the interaction between social, political and ecological processes decisively shape the post-conflict landscape. Often, the capacity of peace operations and…

The Coming Fight for Middle Eastern Water

Oct 28, 2018 | Tyler Headley

Only two decades into the twenty-first century, there have already been six conflicts with more than ten thousand casualties in the Middle East. Further threatening…

Why Climate Change Is a National Security Issue

Oct 25, 2018 | Eric Schewe

Climate change will be the defining test of global civilization in the twenty-first century. While climate scientists have been aware of the effect of carbon…

The Land Rights Act Victory in Liberia Means the Work Has Just Begun

Oct 24, 2018 | Rachael Knight and Ali Kaba

In September, Liberia passed the long-awaited Land Rights bill into law. Its passage is a triumph for the courageous, determined community members, civil society activists,…

Why Successful Peacebuilding Means Managing Natural Resources

Oct 18, 2018 | World Economic Forum

It might be tempting to dismiss environmental issues when considering the seemingly insurmountable task of building peace after armed conflict. Yet, it is increasingly clear…

Lessons from Post-Conflict States: Peacebuilding Must Factor in Environment and Climate Change

Oct 18, 2018 | Karolina Eklöw and Florian Krampe

Natural resource management appears to be an important factor post-conflict states must consider if they wish to build a foundation for a socially, economically, and…

Politics and Peace: The Fate of Colombia's Forests (Commentary)

Oct 18, 2018 | Haley Wiebel

Deforestation in the post-conflict era has grown at an alarming rate. Rather than a policy solution, Columbia’s former president Juan Manuel Santos’ environmental legacy should…

The End of Conflict Minerals?

Oct 17, 2018 | Jeffrey White

The stated purpose of conflict mineral laws and regulations were laudable, namely, to prevent companies from engaging in trade that support regional conflicts in the…

Opinion: Protect Indigenous, Community, and Women's Land Rights for Food Security and Nutrition

Oct 16, 2018 | Fany Kuiru and Paul de Wit

Legally recognized and protected land rights for indigenous peoples and local communities in the developing world are a key part of revitalizing the world’s food…

Is S&P Dow Jones Greenwashing Conflict Palm Oil? (Commentary)

Oct 16, 2018 | Gaurav Madan

In its annual listing of sustainable companies released last month, S&P Dow Jones Indices included Golden Agri-Resources, a palm oil company financing operations in Liberia. However,…

Urban Food Security In The Global South: Three Ideas

Oct 15, 2018 | Christian Man

What does greater, accelerating urbanization mean for food security? It means urban food systems in the global South deserve a specific place at the table…

China vs. United States: Competition over Rare Minerals Ratchets up

Oct 15, 2018 | Olivia Smith

The United States has historically been the largest economy with correspondingly high natural resource consumption. However, Chinese consumption is catching up. Both countries are expected…

Connecting Disarmament with the Enviromental Pillar of the SDGs

Oct 15, 2018 | Doug Weir

The UN Secretary-General’s Agenda for Disarmament finds that “there is not yet a general understanding on the many areas where the successful achievement of disarmament…

Colombia: Deforestation and Usurping Indigenous Land Go Together

Oct 10, 2018 | Rodrigo Botero

Neither laws nor state actions have managed to curb the progressive deforestation of Colombia's Amazonian territories, which include the homes of indigenous tribes that have…

The Coming Water Security Crisis

Oct 9, 2018 | Adam Lammon

Syria, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Afghanistan, and Virginia all face a range of threats brought on by rising temperatures and seas levels. Yet, according to Geoffrey…

South Sudan: Peace via Oil – How Hydrocarbons Are Fueling Reconciliation

Oct 4, 2018 | Luris Mulla

Once again South Sudan’s warring parties, President Salva Kiir and his former Vice President Riek Machar and other opposition groups, have signed a new peace…

Is SAARC Prepared to Combat Climate Change and Its Security Risks?

Oct 1, 2018 | Florian Krampe and Ashok Swain

Though India is now pushing for BIMSTEC, geography dictates that it cannot ignore SAARC. South Asia is extremely vulnerable to a range of climate impacts,…

Trump Suspended the 'Conflict Minerals' Provision of Dodd-Frank. That's Probably Good for Congo

Sep 27, 2018 | Nik Stoop, Marijke Verpoorten, and Peter van der Windt

Most Americans think of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act as a far-reaching effort to regulate the financial services industry to prevent another global recession. But there’s…

Stress-Testing the ILC’s Draft Principles on Environmental Protection During Occupation

Sep 19, 2018 | Conflict and Environment Observatory

The International Law Commission has completed its review of the draft principles on environmental protection in situations of occupation that were proposed by its Special…