Blogs & Opinions

The Role of Women in Creating Climate Resilient Communities: Focus on the Philippines

Feb 19, 2016 | Laura Fairman

The Philippines is one of the world’s most vulnerable populations to the effects of climate change. When the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction…

Afghanistan’s Opium Solution

Feb 19, 2016 | Ryan Mernin

For fourteen years, beginning in 2001, the U.S. fought a war on two fronts in Afghanistan: one to destroy the Taliban, the other to destroy…

Fair Share: Toward an Equitable Resource Revenue System

Feb 17, 2016 | Andrew Bauer

Myanmar’s government currently collects much of the trillions of kyat generated by oil, gas, gemstones and other minerals each year, primarily through its state-owned economic…

Water and Security Hotspots to Watch in 2016 [Infographic]

Feb 15, 2016 | Gracie Cook

The ongoing violence in Syria exhibits the potential for water problems – a historic drought, in this case – to exacerbate existing social and political…

We Need to Define “the Environment” to Protect it from Armed Conflict

Feb 11, 2016 | Laurence Menhinick

If we want to strengthen the protection of the environment in relation to armed conflicts, we need to define what we mean by “the environment”…

What Happened When Wall Street Reform Came to Congo’s Frontier Mining Towns

Feb 11, 2016 | Holly Dranginis

She never wanted to be a miner. Daphrose grew up in the rainforest, where Congo’s mountain gorillas are protected from hunters by an elite group…

On the Road to Peace in Colombia, It’s Important to Remember the Underlying Causes of Conflict

Feb 9, 2016 | Stephanie Burgos

The longest lasting and only remaining internal armed conflict in this hemisphere may be coming to a close soon. After more than 50 years, Colombians…

Myitsone Dam is as Much Aung San Suu Kyi's Problem as Beijing's

Feb 8, 2016 | David I. Steinberg

In September 2011, Myanmar President Thein Sein dropped a bombshell on his country's previously close relations with China. Citing the public interest, he announced that…

Climate Change, Disasters, and Security: Unconventional Approaches to Building Stability

Feb 8, 2016 | Gracie Cook

It is “not sufficient to look at history for lessons on how we should prepare for and prevent future security risks in a climate change…

Armed Conflict, Environmental Protection and the Sustainable Development Goals

Feb 3, 2016 | Doug Weir

Unless the international community does more to protect and restore the environment from the impact of armed conflict, many countries will fail to meet the…

Corruption in Iraq’s Oil Industry

Jan 31, 2016 | Barham Othman

Iraq is one of the countries in the Middle East that is known to be oil rich. Iraq has also been suffering from a lack…

“The Most Toxic War in History” – 25 Years Later

Jan 29, 2016 | Doug Weir

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the start of Operation Desert Storm, the combat phase of the Gulf War. Precipitated by Iraq’s invasion and…

Can Myanmar Avoid Conflict Pitfalls in its Hydro Blitz?

Jan 27, 2016 | Alec Forss

Myanmar is undergoing multiple transitions, from military rule to democracy, decades of civil war to peace, and from a command economy to a market-based one.…

Striking a Peace Deal with Colombia’s Forests and Fields

Jan 26, 2016 | Maria Alejandra Jaramillo

Last year, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced that, before or on March 23, the government would sign a peace deal with the rebel group…

Climate change, Instability and Migration: Forging a Positive, Sustainable Response

Jan 25, 2016 | Benjamin Pohl

The climate conference that took place in Paris last month has repeatedly been billed as a crucial global summit, and even as a decisive moment…

Effects of Low Oil Prices on South Sudan’s Economy

Jan 25, 2016 | Mabor Maker Dhelbeny

The month of January, 2016 emerges with new crisis of low oil prices, not only in the Republic of South Sudan but worldwide. I called…

How to Jumpstart the Afghan Economy

Jan 22, 2016 | M. Ashraf Haidari

To shore up its economy, Afghanistan and other South Asia countries need to stop playing power politics.

Afghanistan’s experience during and after the Cold War helps…

Using Citizen Science to Assess Environmental Damage in the Syrian Conflict

Jan 22, 2016 | Wim Zwijnenburg and Andy Garrity

For new and ongoing conflicts across the world, the need to document their impact on civilians and the environment upon which they depend is encouraging…

Forget Star Wars; Get Ready for Water Wars

Jan 20, 2016 | Marc Ross and Stephen J. McConnell

A great war looms, one that will rise from the most desperate circumstance: our battle over water. Today, we war because of a chasm of…

Ivorian Formula a Must - Agriculture: Key to Liberia's Economic Resurgence

Jan 19, 2016 | FPA Reporter

Liberia Must Begin to look next door to the Ivory Coast to see how they have been able to utilize their agriculture strengths to their…

Musings on Conflict Minerals Compliance – The Year That Was, the Year That May Be and What You Should be Doing Now

Jan 19, 2016 | Michael Littenberg

With New Year’s behind us and roughly four and a half months to go until the calendar 2015 conflict minerals filings are due, many companies…

Lessons From Uganda on Strengthening Women’s Voices in Environmental Governance

Jan 19, 2016 | Blake Ratner, Clementine Burnley and Paola Adriázola

It’s become popular to say that the health of the environment and the health of human communities are interlinked. Yet much of the investment aimed…

An Empty Table? Food-Climate-Conflict Connections in Paris

Jan 15, 2016 | Roger-Mark De Souza and Meaghan Parker

Security, terrorism, conflict, and peace: you won’t find any of these words in the landmark agreement released on December 12 at the 2015 Paris Climate…

Water Wars: Beijing Faces Further Pushback over Moves in the Asian Pacific

Jan 15, 2016 | Lawfare Staff

Diplomatic protests continued this week over China’s landing of multiple civilian aircraft on Fiery Cross Reef—a PRC-held artificial island in the Spratly chain. In addition…

Missing the Peace for the Trees

Jan 15, 2016 | Arthur Blundell and Emily Harwell

Natural resources play a role in nearly half of the world's conflicts, but when it comes to ending wars, they're almost always forgotten.

Tracking National Security in the Paris Outcome

Jan 14, 2016 | Carley Chavara

Security was inseparable from the climate talks in Paris, from the safety of conference participants to how climate change impacts the stability of nations. Though…

From Banned Crayons to Concrete, Gaza Struggles to Rebuild After a Decade of Israeli Blockade

Jan 14, 2016 | Robert Fantina

In addition to essential building supplies like boards and concrete, Israel’s blocked crayons, soccer balls, musical instruments and even potato chips from entering Gaza. Gaza…

Iraq and the Kurds Are Going Broke

Jan 13, 2016 | New York Times

Iraqi and American officials leading the military campaign against the Islamic State now have to wrestle with a challenge that has the potential to change…

Fire and Oil: The Collateral Environmental Damage of Airstrikes on ISIS Oil Facilities

Jan 13, 2016 | Wim Zwijnenburg and Annica Waleij

As the United States, Russia, and others step up attacks on the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), there is concern over their…

New Research Reveals Climate-Food-Conflict Connection via Nighttime Temperatures

Jan 11, 2016 | Raul Caruso and Roberto Ricciuti

The effect of climate change on the emergence of violent conflict has become one of the more lively academic debates and is even bleeding over…