A window into what we’re reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program

UK and Ireland Will Connect Energy Networks (The Guardian)

Despite post-Brexit trade barriers, the UK and Ireland have announced a collaboration on renewable energy infrastructure to boost both nations’ energy efficiency and security. The deal is part of larger efforts to “harness the full potential” of the Irish and Celtic seas for offshore windfarms and national energy networks.

Under the new deal, the EU’s Horizone Europe science research program will provide leverage for joint initiatives on climate, energy, and water and food sustainability research. The two countries also will share data to help connect offshore wind farms to energy networks and accelerate the environmental consent processes for developers.

The leaders of both countries are optimistic the new deal would strengthen their energy partnership amid changing relationships with the US. As UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer observed: “Now more than ever we must work with likeminded partners in the pursuit of global peace, prosperity, and security.”

READ | Energy Islanding in Kentucky? Fort Knox’s Push to Resilience and Grid Independence

Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean Faces Cyclone Floods (Mongabay)

Small island territories are especially vulnerable to extreme weather events. The devastating impact of Cyclone Garance, which made landfall on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean on February 28 left four dead and nearly 200,000 without water.

Residents sheltered from flash floods, hurricane-force winds, and mudslides, which overwhelmed infrastructure across the island. Efforts to respond to the storm now aim to restore critical services and support affected communities.

Garance was part of a rare surge of six tropical cyclones simultaneously swirling across the Southern Hemisphere. It was a development that underscores how changing global climate patterns drive more frequent and overlapping extreme weather events. French officials say that the storm’s devastation is a stark reminder of the urgent need for climate resilience in vulnerable regions.

READ | Before the Flood: Lessons from Attempts to Predict Displacement

Wildlife Corridors Protect Kenya’s Wildlife (AP News)

Conservation efforts in Kenya have helped recover populations of many threatened species, which has economic benefits for wildlife tourism in that country. However, climate change and expanding human settlements continue to threaten both wildlife and the habitat.

Conservation groups are building wildlife corridors to address these challenges. These passages will both reduce human-wildlife conflict and allow animals to move freely across the landscape. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is working specifically to connect the Mount Kenya forest preserve to northern rangelands, which are home to 14% of Kenya’s black rhinos.

Wildlife corridors provide critical space for species to spread into less crowded areas, thus reducing pressure on habitats near human settlements and infrastructure. By safeguarding movement and reducing conflict with growing communities, these corridors are essential to promote biodiversity and protecting Kenya’s booming wildlife tourism industry.

READ | Addressing Human-Wildlife Conflict in Ethiopia’s Protected Lands