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NewSecurityBeat

The blog of the Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program

Mckenna Coffey

Mckenna Coffey is an intern with the Environmental Change and Security program. She recently obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of California, Irvine. Before coming to the Center, she interned as a Conference Coordinator for the Environmental Peacebuilding Association. During her undergraduate experience, she also worked as an editor on a forthcoming book discussing Nuclear Policy.

Her passion is for the nexus between environmental sustainability and social equity. Moving forward, she plans to pursue additional degrees and a career in global sustainability.

  • Foresight for Action | Ecosystem Degradation, Transnational Migration, and Political Instability: Three Main Tipping Points for East Africa

    ›
    November 25, 2019  //  By Marcus King & Mckenna Coffey
    Drought in Ethiopia

    The Wilson Center is partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research to develop a framework to improve predictive capabilities for security risks posed by extreme weather events. Our “Foresight for Action” series highlights research used to develop the framework.

    The Horn of Africa faces critical security and climate risks. Persistent droughts have precipitated the onset of food insecurity and waterborne disease, while heavy rain events such as Cyclone Sagar have caused widespread flooding, mudslides, and wind damage. These challenges are increasing in severity against a backdrop of changing demographic trends—including rapid population growth, increased migration, and urbanization—and power struggles both within and between countries in the region.  

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  • A New View of Disaster Risk and Reduction: An Interview with Roger Pulwarty, Senior Scientist at NOAA

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    October 21, 2019  //  By Mckenna Coffey
    14109578486_9a87339cfa_c

    The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction recently released the fifth edition of the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR19). The report highlights the increasingly complex interaction between hazards, and provides an update on how risk and risk reduction are understood in practice. GAR19 also highlights how the latest Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) framework integrates into global goals such as the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To better understand the scope and significance of this report, New Security Beat sat down with Roger Pulwarty, Senior Scientist at NOAA, and a lead author of the GAR19.

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  • Untapped Opportunities? The Need to Integrate Young Women in Water Management

    ›
    August 29, 2019  //  By Mckenna Coffey
    Deputy Joint Special Representative Aichatou Mindaoudou Souleymane visits Kuma Garadayat (North Darfur) and presents the project for new schools and a clinic.

    Water security is a pervasive climate issue and one that has increasingly been viewed as a gendered issue. Worldwide, women and girls spend 200 million hours collecting water every day. While doing so, they place themselves at increased risk of assault and become more likely to develop medical issues related to physical labor. They also pay an opportunity cost, as this time could be better spent in school or performing other productive tasks. 

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  • Concerns Rise Over Governance Gap in Arctic

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    From the Wilson Center  //  August 5, 2019  //  By Mckenna Coffey
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    “We’re attempting to do something that’s never been done before in world history,” said Senator Angus King (I-ME). “The peaceful development of a major new physical asset.” He spoke of the Arctic Ocean at the 8th Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations. The symposium was hosted by the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute, in partnership with the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, U.S. National Ice Center, Arctic Domain Awareness Center, Patuxent Partnership, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

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  • The Power of Serial Dramas: Popular Characters Help Change Attitudes and Behaviors

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    From the Wilson Center  //  July 23, 2019  //  By Mckenna Coffey
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    “We are all convinced that educational entertainment is the way to go now,” said Anselme Muzalia Wimye, Program Quality Director at Search for Common Ground in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He spoke at a recent event hosted by the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program, Maternal Health Initiative, and The Population Institute. The panel discussed the power of educational entertainment (EE), in particular serial dramas, to precipitate positive behavioral change and public health outcomes in Africa. 

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  • High Seas Biodiversity Treaty Would Prioritize Conservation

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    From the Wilson Center  //  July 15, 2019  //  By Mckenna Coffey
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    Roughly 20 organizations wield some management authority in the high seas, but none of them have conservation as their core mandate, said Liz Karan, Senior Manager of the Protecting Ocean Life on the High Sea Campaign at the Pew Charitable Trusts. She spoke at a recent Wilson Center event hosted by the Polar Institute and Environmental Change and Security Program. The discussion revolved around aspects of a proposed global treaty on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in areas beyond the jurisdiction of any country. “The high seas treaty comes in as an opportunity to put conservation at the focus of the discussion of how we manage the high seas,” said Karan.

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