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NewSecurityBeat

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

Olivia Smith

Olivia Smith is a May 2018 graduate of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, where she studied development, energy policy and environmental policy. Olivia worked as a research assistant for Professor Marcus King on environmental security issues in the MENA region. She also interned in the Office of Congressman Joe Courtney in 2017. Olivia’s interest in development, international affairs and environmental issues began with her undergraduate research on food security at the University of Mary Washington. Olivia is interested in a broad range of environmental security issues, primarily water security. She did her capstone project at the Elliott School on Brazilian hydroelectric dams and water security.

  • 50 Years of Water at Wilson: Rising New Ocean, Endangered Villages, Plastic Pollution (Part 2 of 2)

    ›
    From the Wilson Center  //  December 19, 2018  //  By Olivia Smith
    23992304877_8bfd6374b6_o

    In the Arctic, “a new ocean has emerged and we have to deal with it,” said Mike Sfraga, Director of the Wilson Center’s Global Risk & Resilience Program and Polar Institute at a recent water event celebrating the Wilson Center’s 50th anniversary.

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  • China vs. United States: Competition Over Rare Minerals Ratchets Up

    ›
    On the Beat  //  October 15, 2018  //  By Olivia Smith
    MolycorpMountainPass

    “Historically, resource conflicts have often centered on fuel minerals, like oil. Future resources conflicts may however focus more on competition for non-fuel minerals that enable [modern] technologies,” said Andrew Gulley, Mineral Economist at the United States Geological Survey. America’s 2018 National Defense Strategy says that great power competition is the country’s most important defense challenge. Its key competitor for resources is China. Gulley was among several experts gathered at New America on September 20 to discuss the new competitive space and prospects for conflict or cooperation.

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  • The Dark Side of the Sun: Avoiding Conflict Over Solar Energy’s Land and Water Demands

    ›
    October 2, 2018  //  By Olivia Smith

    The 73-megawatt Lopburi solar power plant in central Thailand is the largest solar photovoltaic project in the world.  It will be central to Thailand's efforts to generate  energy from renewable sources.

    Solar farms—just like regular farms—cover large swaths of land, requiring between 3.5 to 16.5 acres per MW of generating capacity. The largest solar plant in the world, the 648 MW Kamuthi facility in Tamil Nadu, India, covers ten square kilometers. But it will be dwarfed by the 3,450 MW facility under construction on China’s Tibetan Plateau, which will span 298 square kilometers when completed. Building these large plants requires fundamentally changing how the land they sit on is used, which—without careful planning—could have negative impacts on the environment and local communities that could potentially lead to conflict. The backlash could not only derail solar projects, but could also fuel resistance to future renewable energy development.

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  • Big Dams, Big Damage: The Growing Risk of Failure

    ›
    August 21, 2018  //  By Olivia Smith
    Kariba-Dam

    Last month, a partially completed dam in Laos’ Attapeu province collapsed, washing away people and villages in its path. Hundreds of people are still missing and more than six thousand are homeless. And after last summer’s hurricanes, U.S. citizens in Houston and Puerto Rico escaped death but were forced to evacuate when dams were flooded. Dam failure can be catastrophic for people, property, and power—and the risks are rising, due to lack of investment in maintenance, growing vulnerability to climate change, and the demonstrated potential of cyberattacks.

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  • Mapping Climate Security: New Dashboard Tool Visualizes Complex Vulnerability in Asia

    ›
    Eye On  //  July 25, 2018  //  By Olivia Smith
    India-Map

    In many parts of South and Southeast Asia, high population density and vulnerability to climate change combine with low levels of household resilience and poor governance to increase security concerns and the potential for political instability. To help identify risks and hotspots in this critical region, the Complex Emergencies and Political Stability in Asia (CEPSA) program at the University of Texas-Austin recently launched the Complex Emergencies Dashboard, which integrates raw data and modeling with mapping technology, allowing users to visually analyze regional security issues. The project was funded by the Department of Defense’s Minerva Initiative, which also supported similar work by the university’s Climate Change and African Political Stability (CCAPS) program.

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  • Measuring Up: USAID Proposes New Indicators to Assess Countries’ “Journey to Self-Reliance”

    ›
    On the Beat  //  July 3, 2018  //  By Olivia Smith
    Woman

    “At the heart of…USAID’s transformation, is the core belief that each country must lead its development journey, and finance and implement solutions to its development challenges,” said Susan Fine of USAID at a recent Center for Global Development event introducing USAID’s new “Journey to Self-Reliance ” indicators.

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  • A More Resilient World: The Role of Population and Family Planning in Sustainable Development

    ›
    From the Wilson Center  //  June 27, 2018  //  By Olivia Smith

    Girls in jigjiga, jila alu kebele on their way to fetch water from the nearby water point which is recently started by unicef/ethiopia. they explain, their life is much improved in which they get cleaner water in their nearby. ©UNICEF Ethiopia/2016/Tesfaye

    “Community mobilization, local capacity-building, and innovation are the cornerstones of successful development. And that for us includes resilience,” said Franklin Moore, Africare’s Chief of Programs, at a Wilson Center event on family planning and sustainable development. As rapid population growth intersects with challenges like food insecurity and water scarcity, communities in developing countries need not only the capacity to absorb short-term shocks, they also need transformative capacity to address long-term challenges.

    MORE
 
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