Blogs & Opinions
Intelligence Analysis: The Risks, Opportunities, and Geopolitical Impact of DRC’s Critical Minerals Deal with the US & Europe
Mar 5, 2025
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Evarist Chahali
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has proposed a strategic exchange: offering the United States and Europe direct access to its vast mineral resources in…
Cyber and Climate Threats: Shared Risks, Resilience, and Response Strategies
Mar 5, 2025
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Carolyn Gruber and Allison Pytlak
Cybersecurity and climate security may seem unrelated, but both pose escalating risks that demand innovative, cross-sector solutions. The Stimson Center’s Cyber and Environmental Security Programs…
Resource Wars: The Hidden Fuel behind Most Conflicts
Mar 3, 2025
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Eman Fatima
From ancient conquests of land, agricultural products, and trade routes to modern geopolitical struggles for natural gas, oil, and minerals, the control over resources has…
Global Biodiversity at a Crossroads: The Need for Data in Conservation and Peacebuilding
Mar 3, 2025
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VisionRI
The World Bank’s study highlights the urgent need for reliable biodiversity data to drive conservation efforts, especially in conflict zones and transboundary ecosystems. It argues…
Property Rights in Colombia: Reality and Challenges
Mar 1, 2025
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Omar Hernandez
According to the International Property Rights Index, prepared by the Property Rights Alliance, Colombia ranks 80th out of 125 countries. While this result reflects some…
Navigating Security Challenges in the Horn of Africa: The Interplay of Climate Change, Resource Scarcity and Regional Stability
Feb 28, 2025
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Abraham Ename Minko
The Horn of Africa is a region marked by a complex tapestry of challenges, where political instability, economic underdevelopment, and social fragmentation intersect. In recent…
Leveraging Cooperation for Human Rights and SDGs in Conflict Zones
Feb 26, 2025
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Sara Ketabi
The challenges of achieving sustainable development in conflict-ridden regions demand an integrated approach that not only addresses immediate humanitarian needs but also reinforces the foundational…
Q&A: Julian Higuera-Florez on Harnessing Environmental Peacebuilding in Latin America and the Caribbean
Feb 25, 2025
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Angus Soderberg
Environmental peacebuilding offers a promising framework to address deeply intertwined environmental challenges and conflict dynamics in Latin America and the Caribbean. So why has it…
South Sudan’s Natural Wealth: A Double-Edged Sword for Development
Feb 25, 2025
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VisionRI
South Sudan’s natural resources hold the key to its economic transformation, but weak governance, environmental threats, and poor infrastructure pose significant challenges. The World Bank’s…
Ukraine/Russia: Putin Offers Russian and Ukrainian Rare Minerals to US
Feb 25, 2025
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Hafsa Khalil and Vitaliy Shevchenko, BBC
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is open to offering the US access to rare minerals, including from Russian-occupied Ukraine. This comes after US President…
Oil, Conflict, and Promise
Feb 24, 2025
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Pablo Hill
The oil industries of Sudan, South Sudan, and Ethiopia are a case study in the perilous tension between immense opportunity and inevitable catastrophe. Long at…
Iraq/Kurdistan: US Piles Pressure on Iraq to Resume Kurdish Oil Exports, Sources Say
Feb 21, 2025
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Maha El Dahan, Ahmed Rasheed, and Jarrett Renshaw, and Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is piling pressure on Iraq to allow Kurdish oil exports to restart or face sanctions alongside Iran, eight sources with…
Liberia: Liberia Discovers Critical Mineral Deposits in Latest Survey
Feb 21, 2025
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Energy Capital & Power
Wilmot JM Paye, Minister of Mines and Energy, Liberia, shared insights into the country's mining opportunities in an exclusive interview with Energy Capital & Power.
G20: Food Security Is Vital for Peace, Stability and Human Dignity, FAO Says
Feb 20, 2025
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Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
Food security is about peace, stability, and human dignity, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, told…
Colombia: Colombian Deforestation Picks up after Record Low Level
Feb 20, 2025
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Agence France Presse
Land grabbers in Colombia destroyed a forested area the size of Hong Kong last year in the South American country that had vowed to eradicate…
Colombia: Indigenous Fight Stalls Colombia's Massive Wind Energy Push [Video]
Feb 20, 2025
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Stuff
Colombia's push for renewable energy faces Indigenous resistance in La Guajira, where the Wayuu community fears wind farms threaten their land, culture, and livelihoods.
Myanmar/Poland: Timber Trade Watchdog Urges Poland to Halt Imports of Myanmar ‘Blood Timber’
Feb 20, 2025
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Carolyn Cowan, Mongabay
Highly prized teak from Myanmar continues to be imported into Poland, despite EU sanctions on the Southeast Asian country’s state-run timber monopoly following the 2021…
Water: A Lifeline Frayed by Conflict
Feb 20, 2025
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Samuel Godfrey
UNICEF Sudan’s Samuel Godfrey says attacks on energy infrastructure have had a dramatic impact on communities.
DR Congo vs. Apple: A Push for a More Equitable Distribution of Critical Mineral Profits
Feb 19, 2025
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Bernadette Vivuya
On 17 December 2024, a bombshell dropped that sent shockwaves through the tech world: the Congolese government, which controls one of the world’s largest reserves…
Rare Earths in Ukraine? No, Only Scorched Earth.
Feb 19, 2025
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Javier Blas
What Ukraine has is scorched earth; what it doesn’t have is rare earths. Surprisingly, many people — not least, US President Donald Trump — seem…
Climate Change, Peace and Security: Discourse Versus Action in Asia
Feb 19, 2025
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Simone Bunse and Tabea Campbell Pauli
This year’s World Economic Forum called for greater urgency in discussing the impacts of climate change on human security and social, political, and economic stability.…
Actors Must Suspend Sourcing Minerals Financing Armed Groups in Democratic Republic of Congo
Feb 19, 2025
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IMPACT
Over 15 years ago, the term “conflict minerals” was first coined—driving attention to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). International and regional efforts emerged to address…
PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Are in Munitions, and Other Military Applications Too
Feb 17, 2025
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Linsey Cottrell
Amidst growing international pressure to ban PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ over their toxicity and environmental persistence, their military applications beyond firefighting foams have received limited attention.…
Q&A: Should Climate Be a National Security Issue?
Feb 13, 2025
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Omair Ahmad
In his new book, 'Climate Security', Ashok Swain argues that climate issues are so important and urgent that they must be treated as national security…
The Inspiring Model of Community Conserved Territories in Myanmar: Launch of the Thawthi Taw-Oo Indigenous Park
Feb 13, 2025
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Karen Environmental and Social Action Network
Amidst conflict and displacement, the need to preserve the lands of the people and natural environment is urgent. But visionary endeavours are still continuing. In…
Building Resilience: Closing the Climate Knowledge Gap in the US Military
Feb 12, 2025
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Emily Pesicka
Climate change is a “threat multiplier” that intensifies existing vulnerabilities, disrupts operations, and introduces new security risks. While the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has…
Replacing One Polluting Sector with Another? The Perils of Shifting from Coal to Livestock in Cesar, Colombia
Feb 12, 2025
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Daniela Maestre and José Vega Araújo
Governments seeking to reduce economic dependence on fossil fuels need to replace these revenue sources with growth in other sectors. SEI experts, using Cesar, Colombia…
Closing Climate Security Gaps Requires More Reliable Data on Climate Finance
Feb 12, 2025
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Abeer S. Ahmad
A recent SIPRI study revealed a range of issues in how climate finance is reported and analysed. It focused on reported commitments and disbursements of…
Why Conflict Mineral Narratives Don’t Explain the M23 Rebellion in DR Congo
Feb 11, 2025
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Judith Verweijen and Christoph Vogel
The capture of North Kivu’s provincial capital, Goma, by the M23 armed group last month has multiplied international coverage of the forgotten crisis in eastern…
How the World Can Tackle the Yawning Gender Gap in the Sciences
Feb 10, 2025
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UNEP Nature Action
UNEP
With the planet facing a barrage of environmental concerns, there has never been a greater need for scientists capable of finding solutions to the triple…