Blogs & Opinions

South Sudan Oil: A Curse or a Blessing

Dec 31, 2016 | Isaac Yak R. Tutdel

The Petroleum Industry in South Sudan (PISS) was inherited from the continuing Sudan and sustains long historical records. South Sudan is endowed with significant non-renewable…

Averting Water Wars in Asia

Dec 28, 2016 | Brahma Chellaney

Water is a precious resource, for which there is no substitute. One-third of the people in the world facing water stress or water scarcity live…

The Indo-Pakistan Water Conflict

Dec 26, 2016 | Dr. Waseem Ahmad Qureshi

The Indo-Pakistan water conflict dates back to 1948, when India first blocked the river water flow to Pakistan and threatened the agrarian system of the…

Water as a Weapon: Water Scarcity and Regional Security in India

Dec 23, 2016 | Asit K. Biswas, Cecilia Tortajada, and Udisha Saklani

Because of poor water management in all the Indian states and steadily increasing water demands, India is now witnessing increasing conflicts over water allocations from…

The Colombian Peace Deal and Produce Exports

Dec 23, 2016 | Andes Fruits Colombia GM Matt Aaron

In the ever-changing landscape of world agriculture, Colombia is one of the most volatile countries. Personnel shortages habitually occur during the Christmas and Easter seasons,…

High-Tech Agriculture Can Prevent Oncoming Global Water Wars

Dec 23, 2016 | Rupesh Paudyal

Forget about oil or gas – you should be worrying about the less discussed but far more concerning fact that the world is running out…

Water Wars: China Confronts US as Manila Cozies with China

Dec 23, 2016 | Chris Mirasola

The Chinese Navy seized a US underwater drone as it was about to be retrieved by a US naval vessel approximately 50 nautical miles off the Philippines…

Hydropower in Myanmar: For Whose Benefit?

Dec 16, 2016 | Nang Shining

Amidst the many challenges Myanmar now faces, the threats to the environment are urgent – and they are growing more extreme. The situation is especially…

The Environment and Conflict in 2016: A Year in Review

Dec 15, 2016 | Doug Weir

Marking the UN’s international day on conflict and the environment in November, the Special Rapporteur tasked with reviewing and developing the law protecting the environment…

Planetary Security Conference Convenes Amidst “Unsettling New Normal”

Dec 14, 2016 | Schuyler Null

Environmental security? Climate security? How about planetary security. Last week at the venerable Peace Palace in The Hague, nearly 300 experts from around the world met…

Analysis: DRC Uncertainty Could Fuel Tighter Cobalt Regulations

Dec 14, 2016 | Neil Thompson

The DRC is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, accounting for roughly 60% of global production, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). However,…

Weaponized Oil: Scorched Earth Warfare in Iraq

Dec 11, 2016 | Jillian Sequeira

The military tactic of “scorched earth”–destroying land and resources while entering or retreating from a territory so that enemies cannot benefit from occupying the land–dates…

Food Insecurity: An Agent for Violent Conflict

Dec 11, 2016 | Dominique Von Rohr

Up to two billion people live in countries affected by violence, conflict, and fragility. Often, such political instability goes hand in hand with food insecurity.…

Water Wars: Donald Trump Stirs Pot in South China Sea

Dec 9, 2016 | Chris Mirasola

President-elect Donald Trump took control of the news cycle this week by seeming to adopt a hard line on US-China relations. First, he accepted a phone call…

Land, Conflict and Sustainable Development

Dec 7, 2016 | Caleb Stevens

When I arrived in Liberia six years ago, I was tasked with facilitating the development of the country’s first national land policy. Of the many…

Armed Conflict Catches Animals in the Crossfire

Dec 7, 2016 | Kaitlyn M Gaynor

When people make war, wildlife often becomes a casualty. Explosives and war materials kill living things that are not their targets. Valuable wildlife products, like…

Pearl Harbor, 75 Years Later

Dec 5, 2016 | George Friedman

Wednesday will be the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It happened three-quarters of a century ago, but it remains the defining moment…

Modi's Dangerous Anti-Pakistan Antics Could Push the Two Countries towards a Water War

Dec 4, 2016 | Usman Ali Khan

Recently, the distribution of water between two Indian states Tamil Nadu and Karnataka has become a source of conflict over water divide, sweltering both into…

Water Wars: Beijing Charts Post-Election Path Forward

Dec 2, 2016 | Chris Mirasola

Many have wondered how China would respond to uncertainty regarding the US’ role in the Asia-Pacific since last month’s election. If news from this week…

The Environmental Consequences of Iraq's Oil Fires Are Going Unrecorded

Dec 1, 2016 | Doug Weir

The oil fires burning in and around the northern Iraqi town of Qayyarah began in July when retreating Islamic State forces ignited wells, storage tanks…

Why You Should Care about More Than Just “Conflict Minerals” in the Congo

Nov 28, 2016 | Carol Jean Gallo

Starting around the early 2000s, a global human rights advocacy movement was mobilized to raise awareness of how certain raw materials in electronics came from mines…

No Sun over Qayyara

Nov 27, 2016 | Benedetta Argentieri

A haze of thick black smoke obscured the view of the sky. The only source of illumination was a wall of flames at least three-stories…

The New EU Conflict Minerals Regulation — Is It Something to Be Thankful for?

Nov 24, 2016 | Dynda A. Thomas and Christina Economides

Since the US Presidential Election 2 weeks ago, some have been looking forward to a possible repeal of the US conflict minerals rule by a…

Water Wars: Duterte Entrenches New Normal in South China Sea

Nov 23, 2016 | Chris Mirasola

In a stark upending of the status quo, Philippine vessels have had access to traditional fishing grounds around Scarborough Shoal for the past month.  This breakthrough followed…

Food Scarcity Causes Conflicts — But So Can Food Abundance. Here’s Why.

Nov 23, 2016 | Ore Koren

For a new U.S. administration facing global security challenges, the relationship between food security — what the World Bank defines as “access to enough food for an active, healthy…

How to Ensure That You Are in Compliance with New EU Due Diligence Regulations

Nov 18, 2016 | Source Intelligence

In a recent decision, the European Union reported it reached an agreement concerning how it will regulate conflict minerals. The new guidelines set forth will…

So What Should We Do about Conflict Minerals Compliance for Next Year?

Nov 18, 2016 | Cydney Posner

As of now, Forms SD and conflict minerals reports are still due on May 31, 2017.  With all the discussion, in light of the election…

Enough Project Response to Misleading Conflict Minerals Op-Ed

Nov 17, 2016 | Enough Project

On November 13, the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed by Tate Watkins entitled "How Dodd-Frank Led to More Mayhem in Africa." Relying on outdated, narrow…

Oil Palm Produce Must Be Value Added to Avoid Liberia’s 90-Year Mistake

Nov 16, 2016 | Liberian Observer

The oil palm producers in Liberia, notably Malaysia’s Golden Veroleum and Sime Darby, are saying the same thing Harvey Firestone said in 1926, when he…

Water During and After Armed Conflicts: What Protection in International Law?

Nov 15, 2016 | Mara Tignino

Armed conflicts affect water in several ways: destruction and damage of water facilities, attacks against power plants providing water supplies, and the collapse of water…