Blogs & Opinions
Timor-Leste’s Oil: Blessing or Curse? – Analysis
Feb 20, 2018
|
Viji Menon
The oil and gas sector is the mainstay of Timor-Leste’s economy, with almost 90% of government revenue coming from oil. The non-petroleum economy, which scarcely…
Don’t Waste the New US Water-Security Strategy
Feb 20, 2018
|
David Reed
President Trump should order the inclusion of water issues — a major driver of security problems — in the national defense and security strategies. In his…
This Website Can Tell You Who Owns Land in 60 Countries
Feb 20, 2018
|
CRL
Helping cultures and nations communicate with one another has traditionally been the responsibility of diplomats, but the Land Portal Foundation takes the position that strengthening…
Compromise Is Key to Kurdistan Oil Recovery
Feb 7, 2018
|
Alan Mohtadi
Relations between the Kurdistan regional government (KRG) and the central government of Iraq have been at an all-time low since the KRG’s independence referendum in…
Congo - DRC: Highlight of the New Mining Code and PPP Reform to Be Promulgated Shortly
Feb 5, 2018
|
Julien Barba and Eric Diamantis
Two major reforms relating to the new Mining Code and Public Private Partnerships have been voted and will be promulgated and applicable shortly in Democratic…
Climate Change and NATO: A New Study
Feb 2, 2018
|
Amar Causevic
This article summarizes findings from a recent journal article, Facing an Unpredictable Threat: Is NATO Ideally Placed to Manage Climate Change as a Non-Traditional Threat Multiplier?” published in the…
Climate Change and the UN Security Council: Bully Pulpit or Bull in a China Shop?
Feb 2, 2018
|
Janani Vivekananda and Winter Wilson
Last month, the UN Security Council hosted another meeting on climate change. Despite this positive step, in order to really tackle climate-related security risks, the Council…
SEC Chair Discusses Completion of Dodd-Frank Rulemaking Mandate
Jan 25, 2018
|
Cydney S. Posner
In a speech delivered by video to the Securities Regulation Institute in San Diego, SEC Chair Jay Clayton shed some light (but just a little) on the…
I Agree with President Weah; Land Rights Is Key for Rural Development
Jan 24, 2018
|
Fidel Budy
“Together, we owe our citizens clarity on fundamental issues such as the land beneath their feet, freedom of speech, and how national resources and responsibilities…
Criminal Elements: Illegal Wildlife Trafficking, Organized Crime, and National Security
Jan 19, 2018
|
Saiyara Khan
“The same criminals that are trafficking in drugs, guns, and people, traffic in wildlife,” said Christine Dawson, the director of the Office of Conservation and…
A Tale of Two Policies: Climate Change, Trump, and the US Military
Jan 19, 2018
|
Sean Mowbray
The U.S. government appears to be of two minds, with utterly opposing worldviews, on climate change policy. On one hand, the Trump Administration has pulled out…
China Is Stealthily Waging a Water War
Jan 15, 2018
|
Brahma Chellaney
While international attention remains on China's recidivist activities in the South China Sea's disputed waters, Beijing is also focusing quietly on other waters – of…
Colombia: Extractivist Pax vs. Peace with Social and Environmental Justice
Jan 12, 2018
|
Tatiana Roa Avendaño
During the last few years, arguments have been put forward to defend the aggressive territorial occupation by oil companies, even in places with no extraction…
Gas Wars: The First Energy Conflict in 2018
Jan 12, 2018
|
ZeroHerge
The eastern Mediterranean is expected to witness the first conflict of 2018, as developments at the end of 2017 are signaling worsening relationships between Turkey…
Chocó at Epicenter of Colombia’s Social, Environmental Conflicts
Jan 12, 2018
|
Maximo Anderson
One wet November morning deep within Colombia’s western rainforest of Chocó, rebel fighters of the National Liberation Army (ELN) scattered across a muddy football pitch in groups of eight to practice their…
Nuclear Fusion Is Coming, but Will It Power Peace or War?
Jan 12, 2018
|
John Draper and Peerasit Kamnuansilpa
Last month, the European Union-hosted International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) announced it was halfway to completing initial operation, meaning it will begin testing of fusion…
Can the EU Revive a Troubled Scheme against Conflict Diamonds?
Jan 12, 2018
|
Vince Chadwick and Lisa Cornish
The European Union began its year-long leadership of the global effort against conflict diamonds this month, pledging to focus on “effectiveness” and “dialogue.” But observers say the…
New Data Highlight Afro-Descendant Territories without Legal Recognition, and the Threats They Face
Jan 9, 2018
|
Mary Alice Jackson
New data gathered from Afro-descendant community councils and state records reveal that the Colombian government has failed to address 271 claims for collective Afro-descendant land…
As Afghanistan’s Mining Race Stalls, the Taliban and ISIS Tap into Illegal Mines
Jan 5, 2018
|
Matthew C. DuPée
Afghanistan has some of the richest mineral deposits in the world, but extracting them has proven difficult amid years of instability and war. There were…
Creating New Tools for the Job
Jan 3, 2018
|
Lydia Cardona
Headlines about scarce natural resources driving or causing conflicts are not hard to find. Threats of war over the control and use of natural resources…
Water Shortages Could Trigger Asia Conflicts
Dec 30, 2017
|
Brahma Chellaney
In recent weeks, one of the most pristine Himalayan rivers has mysteriously turned black when entering India from Tibet, highlighting how China's upstream tunneling, damming…
Why Is Tension Rising in the South China Sea?
Dec 20, 2017
|
Peter Pham
On October 10th 2017, the USS Chafee, a Navy Destroyer, sailed within 12 miles of the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. This…
Ripple Effects: Sharing Water and Building Peace in the Jordan River Valley
Dec 18, 2017
|
Julianne Liebenguth
In the war-torn Jordan River Valley, we can meet the “strategic objective of reducing conflict by promoting cooperation on shared waters,” said former defense official…
Congress Adapts to Calamity: The FY 2018 NDAA’s Climate Change Provisions
Dec 11, 2017
|
Jordan Brunner
President Donald Trump is expected to sign the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2018 into law in the next few days. As…
Farming Innovations Improve Livelihoods and Incomes in Afghanistan’s Balkh Province
Dec 5, 2017
|
Ahmad Fahim Jabari
Every working day, I work closely with my colleagues and coordinate with other stakeholders. I am happy with my job as a member of the National…
Forest Rights Create New Livelihoods in Myanmar
Dec 4, 2017
|
Duncan Macqueen
It is impossible to talk about Myanmar without acknowledging the persecution of the Rohingya by the country's armed forces over which the NLD, Aung San…
From Disaster Risk Reduction to Sustainable Peace: Reducing Vulnerability and Preventing Conflict at the Local Level
Dec 4, 2017
|
Florian Krampe and Roberta Scassa
The summer of 2017 was a stark reminder that climate change exacerbates both the intensity and frequency of natural disasters—and that the most vulnerable people…
War Has Made Afghanistan's $1 Trillion in Minerals Worthless
Nov 27, 2017
|
Eric Schewe
Middle East observers surfaced last month to remind the American public that the United States’ war in Afghanistan had entered its seventeenth year. This makes…
Absence of Water Diplomacy Leads to Ecological Disasters
Nov 27, 2017
|
Financial Tribune
Many environmental challenges such as drought and dust storms are the outcomes of ineffective past water diplomacy, an expert on geopolitics said. Mohammad Hossein Papoli Yazdi,…
From Conflict to Climate Change, Are Policy Responses to Food Insecurity Getting Smarter?
Nov 27, 2017
|
Ellen Laipson
This week, many Americans savor the seasonal culinary delights of Thanksgiving, while around the world, food insecurity is on the rise, particularly in places suffering…