Blogs & Opinions
The Land Rights Act Victory in Liberia Means the Work Has Just Begun
Oct 24, 2018
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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…
Green Conflict Minerals: Investigating Renewable Energy Supply Chains in Fragile States
Sep 17, 2018
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Clare Church
The shift to a low-carbon economy is not only underway, it is accelerating. Last year, Costa Rica generated more than 99 percent of its electricity…
Is SAARC Prepared to Combat Climate Change and Its Security Risks?
Sep 6, 2018
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Florian Krampe and Ashok Swain
South Asia is extremely vulnerable to a range of climate impacts, ranging from shrinking glaciers and water scarcity to floods and rising sea levels. Shifting…
Blood Diamonds to Blockchain Diamonds?
Sep 3, 2018
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Forbes Africa
Do you know where your diamonds come from? Ethically-sourced minerals and gems have gained a lot of traction of late. And increasingly, globally, consumers want…
Time to Focus on Water Management in Arab World as Source of Growth and Stability
Aug 28, 2018
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Anders Jagerskog
In Gaza, the drinking water tastes like seawater. Years of neglect and poor management, due in large part to recurring conflicts, has led to the…
Destabilising Nature of Internal Water Wars
Aug 28, 2018
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Scott Moore
Nearly 15 years ago, the former head of India’s Central Water Commission warned that “hydro-politics is threatening the very fabric of federalism” in the world’s…
Artificial Intelligence: Our Next Ally against Environmental Risks
Aug 21, 2018
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Lou del Bello
A glance at one satellite map of the Peruvian Amazon is enough to grasp the scale of devastation humans are causing to one of Earth's…
How Metals and Minerals Play a Role in Funding Armed Groups in Africa
Aug 15, 2018
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Clare Church
The gold in our watches, the diamonds in our rings, the tin in our smartphones – all have been classified as conflict minerals, due to…
A Disappointing Afghanistan Fact: The Value of Land Grabs Peaks Seven Billion Dollars
Aug 15, 2018
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Shokrullah Amiri
Insurgency is a dilemma that has been linked to the name of Afghanistan for years with the drug mafia, corruption and now, unfortunately, land-grabs —…
Water Security in a New Age of Nationalism
Aug 14, 2018
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Giulio Boccaletti
The idea of a “new middle” or “third way”—a blend of neo-liberal economic doctrines and social policies that was supposed to overcome the dichotomy between…
How Resource Cooperation in Disputed Waters Can Be a Win-Win for China and the Philippines
Aug 14, 2018
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Lucio Blanco Pitlo III
Two years after a landmark ruling in their dispute over maritime territory in the South China Sea, the Philippines and China appear to be making subtle progress in…
Commentary: Think Outside of the Box to Tackle Water Scarcity
Aug 13, 2018
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Aloysius Chan
Water scarcity has been a ticking time bomb across the globe. Cape Town, one of Africa's most affluent metropolises, was on the brink of disaster when…
Iraq's Protests Are about More Than Corrupt Elites
Aug 8, 2018
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New Arab
Eleven people were killed during the protests that erupted in southern Iraq in early July, and over 800 others wounded. While corruption and the absence of basic…
A Rebuilt Economy Gives South Sudan Peace the Strongest Chance
Aug 6, 2018
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The National
The scenes of South Sudanese celebrating in the streets of Juba, matched by jubilation across the border in Khartoum, were both uplifting and inspiring as…
Is the World Ready for Eco-Refugee Waves?
Aug 4, 2018
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Shehab Al-Makahleh
The upshots of ecological changes may cause the movement of more than 25-30 million people in the coming decade. How can this be handled? It is…