Blogs & Opinions

Conflict Minerals in 2017 – What’s New?

Jan 25, 2017 | Dynda A. Thomas

It’s January 2017, and some believe it will be the last year for the SECs conflict minerals rule.

President Trump’s inclination to roll back regulation reduces or…

Does Myanmar Need a Gemstone Law?

Jan 25, 2017 | Paul Shortell

In July 2016, Myanmar’s government took the positive step of suspending jade and gemstone licensing until relevant laws could be reviewed and an environmental management plan for…

Water Wars: Hedging Bets in the South China Sea

Jan 20, 2017 | Chris Mirasola

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe followed last week’s trip to Manila with a busy schedule of state visits to Canberra, Jakarta, and Hanoi reaffirming Japan’s role in…

The Power of Cocoa: Preserving Peace - and an Indigenous Tribe - in Colombia

Jan 17, 2017 | Lutheran World Relief

Now that an agreement has been reached between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the current generation of Colombian youth…

Leading Jewelry Manufacturer Richline Group States Public Support for Conflict Minerals Regulations

Jan 17, 2017 | Enough Team

On January 9th, the Richline Group released a statement voicing strong support for Section 1502, the conflict minerals provision of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer…

Land Grabs are Partly to Blame for Skyrocketing Violence in Central America

Jan 16, 2017 | Saskia Sassen

In 2013, San Pedro Sula in Honduras was the world’s murder capital, with a murder rate of 187 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, driven by a surge in gang…

Water Wars: Sparks (and Planes) Fly as Countries Contest Access to the Seas

Jan 13, 2017 | Chris Mirasola

After a period of (relative) quiet last week, Beijing returned to the center of action in the East and South China Seas. The Liaoning aircraft carrier…

Adapting NATO to Climate Change, and the Economic Benefits of the 1.5-Degree Limit

Jan 13, 2017 | Sreya Panuganti

In his dissertation, Tyler H. Lippert of the Pardee RAND Graduate School explains how the transboundary security impacts of climate change will both challenge and elevate…

Backdraft Revisited: The Conflict Potential of Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

Jan 12, 2017 | Lauren Herzer Risi

Whether or not we respond to climate change – and the security implications of that decision – is a major public policy question. But increasingly…

For Rural Afghan Women, Agriculture Holds the Potential for Better Jobs

Jan 12, 2017 | Anuja Kar and Mansur Ahmed

In Afghanistan, agriculture continues to be the backbone of the rural economy – about 70% of the population in rural areas is engaged in on-farm…

The Impact of War on Syrian Water is So Vast, You Can See it from Space

Jan 9, 2017 | Kieran Cooke

A new study by researchers at California’s Stanford University has found that the ongoing war has caused a dramatic change in river flows and water availability both…

Missing Voices: Let's Hear Women's Experiences of Climate Change

Jan 6, 2017 | Anne Schulthess

Attending the UN climate talks feels like a big deal. Despite having been in the climate change movement for some years, Bonn was my first…

Legalizing Opium Won't Work for Afghanistan

Jan 5, 2017 | Adam Wunische

In recent months, a debate has been raging over what to do about poppy cultivation in the country. Some are reviving old arguments in favor…

To Avoid the "Conflict Trap", Myanmar Should Protect Its Forests

Jan 4, 2017 | Michael Jenkins and Art Blundell

About a third of Myanmar’s population depend on forests for their livelihoods, and effectively managed forests could make a significant contribution to these livelihoods, and…

The Plan to Dam Asia’s Last Free-Flowing, International River

Jan 4, 2017 | Diana Suhardiman

Thousands of protesters gathered in Myanmar’s North Kachin state on October 4, as fresh violence and clashes between ethnic groups continue to mar the ongoing peace process. But hopes…

Indus Waters Treaty: Hope Despite Rising Tensions

Jan 2, 2017 | Bilal Hussain

With tensions looming high, there is dwindling hope of cooperation between the water-sharing nations of the Indus Basin. The two nuclear states of South Asia,…

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…