Blogs & Opinions

Nationwide Reforestation Movement in Afghanistan [Video]

Jun 19, 2026 | WION

Decades of war, timber smuggling, and large-scale deforestation have stripped Afghanistan of much of its once extensive forest cover. Now, a burgeoning reforestation movement is…

What’s at Stake for the Environment in Colombia’s Upcoming Election?

Jun 19, 2026 | Aimee Gabay

Colombia has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and has a legally binding net-zero target for 2050. Analysts at the Organization…

Sovereignty without Control: Sudan, Gold and the Limits of International Law

Jun 19, 2026 | Maria Pietroluongo

Sudan’s contemporary gold economy has become one of the most significant sites of violence, coercion, and resource extraction in the region. Since the early 2010s,…

South Sudan’s Oil Lifeline is Back, but the Bigger Questions Remain

Jun 19, 2026 | Eye Radio

As exports resume after months of disruption, concerns persist over economic diversification, transparency, and the country’s continued dependence on a single oil route.

Quantifying Climate Risk and Ocean Vulnerability

Jun 17, 2026 | 11th Our Ocean Conference Secretariat

Coastal cities dependent on both inland resources and marine environments face a uniquely complex vulnerability to climate change. Rising seas, intensifying storms, and shifting ecosystems…

How War in the Gulf Is Fueling Hunger Worldwide

Jun 17, 2026 | Sachin Yadav

Energy and food systems are not separate pipelines, they are one. Fuel powers tractors, irrigation pumps, and cold-storage facilities. Natural gas is the primary feedstock…

Colombia’s Land Reform Is at Stake

Jun 16, 2026 | Piotr Wojciak Pleyn

A far-right victory in upcoming elections could reverse hard-fought gains for victims of the armed conflict, including survivors of one of Colombia’s most notorious paramilitary…

Meet the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize Winners

Jun 15, 2026 | Goldman Prize

Each year, the Goldman Environmental Prize is awarded to grassroots environmental champions from around the world.

Geography of Wealth Ties Sudan’s Feuding Factions Together

Jun 13, 2026 | Hafed Al-Ghwell

Decades after South Sudan voted overwhelmingly to break Africa’s largest country in two, a new seam is being stitched into Sudan’s political fabric. In diplomatic…

South Asia and the Future of Water Security

Jun 7, 2026 | Asad Ali

Water has long been the lifeline of South Asia, sustaining agriculture, energy production, and the livelihoods of millions. In a region where shared rivers cross…

South Asia's New Water Conflict Is over Data, Not Dams

Jun 6, 2026 | Saima Afzal

Today the challenge facing the treaty extends beyond water allocation itself. It concerns transparency, compliance and the growing strategic value of information in shared river…

UNCLOS Conciliation: Cambodia’s Path to Peace, Not Conflict

Jun 6, 2026 | Roth Santepheap

Cambodia’s decision to pursue compulsory conciliation under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea is not a move toward confrontation. It is a…

Water Wars Washing away South Asia’s Fragile Peace

Jun 5, 2026 | Jannatul Naym Pieal

Six decades of water cooperation are giving way to surging water nationalism — a shift that is fast weaponizing the region’s rivers.

Environmental Security Means National Security. It Cannot Be Secured through Treaties Alone

Jun 4, 2026 | Aisha Khan

On every World Environment Day (June 5), nations pause to acknowledge a crisis that has been in the making for over half a century. For…

Disaster Risk Reduction during Armed Conflicts

Jun 4, 2026 | Rebekah Harries

Countries enduring conflict are hit harder and suffer more deaths when disasters such as storms and earthquakes strike. Rebekah Harries asks whether disaster risk reduction…

The Geopolitics of Geo-Engineering: Weather Warfare vs. Climate Security

Jun 3, 2026 | Nayef Al-Rodhan

What happens when the climate itself becomes a theatre of geopolitical competition? As climate instability deepens and rivalry between major powers intensifies, environmental systems are…

Do Minefields Protect Wildlife? It’s Complicated.

Jun 3, 2026 | Franciany Braga-Pereira

By excluding people minefields can reduce pressure from human activities like hunting or development. With governments obliged to clear mines and explosive remnants of war,…

Geopark and Biosphere Programs Provide a Path for Peace in Hormuz

Jun 3, 2026 | Saleem H. Ali

The current conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States has unexpectedly become anchored in the Arabian/Persian Gulf, and most notably around the Straits of…

From Conflict to Coexistence: Climate, Peace, and Pakistan’s Diplomatic Role

Jun 1, 2026 | Shuja Ahmad

By integrating climate responsibility into its diplomacy, Pakistan can promote peace, strengthen its global standing, and advocate for environmental justice in an increasingly conflict-ridden world.

Syria: The Ancient Flower That Survived Syria’s Wars Faces a New Threat

May 31, 2026 | Emily Garthwaite
Atmos

The Damascus rose has survived empire, crusade, and civil war. Now it faces a heating planet, and the question of who gets to claim it.

Failed Governance: The Social And Environmental Costs of Mining in Myanmar

May 29, 2026 | Hsu Latt Phyu

Mining activities often fail to comply with laws and Environmental Impact Assessment procedures, leading to land loss, water scarcity, and severe pollution that directly affect local communities.…

The Pentagon Knows the True Threat of Climate Denialism. Too Bad It Can’t Do Anything about It.

May 27, 2026 | Charles P. Pierce

Newly uncovered documents reveal that the military very recently identified potentially dire geopolitical consequences of climate change. Then a climate denier moved into the Oval…

Environmental Peacebuilding Is Dead. Long Live Climate Realism

May 26, 2026 | Carmit Lubanov

For decades, the standard textbook for Mediterranean environmental diplomacy was built on a comforting premise known as “environmental peacebuilding.” The theory promised that climate change…

Why Is ODI Global Researching Social Movements for Climate Justice in the Niger Delta?

May 26, 2026 | Caitlin Stronge and Isaac Asume Osuoka

Previous research at ODI Global has demonstrated the importance of grassroots social movements for achieving social and political change and argues that, if supported with…

When Climate Becomes a National Security Blind Spot

May 25, 2026 | Nigel Savage

At the very moment when climate risks are accelerating across the world and the Middle East, Israel’s National Security Council is stepping back from addressing…

No Fuel, No Plan: Uganda and South Sudan Brace as Kenya Strikes

May 22, 2026 | Bec George Anyak

Uganda faces imminent fuel shortages if the just-ended transport strike in Kenya, temporarily suspended for a one-week grace period to allow dialogue, fails to resolve…

Water as a Weapon in the Nuclearized South Asia: The Relevance of Indus Waters Treaty

May 21, 2026 | Sarah Saeed

The latest decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in favor of Pakistan in its hydroelectric projects at Ratle Hydroelectric Plant and Kishanganga Hydroelectric Plant…

From Environmental Concern to Security Priority: Nature Loss as a Systemic Risk

May 19, 2026 | Shahzoda Alikhanova

The idea that biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation pose security risks is not new. What is new is a step change in how governments are…

Weaponizing Supply Chains: How Iran and China Drive Strategic Food Insecurity in Modern Conflict

May 19, 2026 | Bruce Randolph Tizes

Iran did not improvise the Hormuz crisis. The mine stockpiles, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ fast-boat fleet, and the Houthi program at Bab al-Mandab are…

The Missing Piece in Conflict Resolution

May 19, 2026 | Michael Keating

Conflict resolution is about much more than short-term agreements and transactional deals among powerful actors. Ceasefires can reduce suffering and create space for dialogue. But…