Central and South Asia’s water resources are critical for the region’s water, energy, food and environmental security. Major rivers in the region originate from the Hindu-Kush-Himalaya, Pamir, and Tien Shan Mountain Ranges and flow across multiple countries. Unique geographical characteristics make water management a complex and challenging task that is further complicated by a changing climate and increasing demand affecting diminishing water resources. 

This article is adapted from “Population Trends and the Future of US Competitiveness”

Demographic issues intersect with a number of policy priorities on the congressional agenda, including the economy, immigration, health care and foreign policy, but how population trends influence policy outcomes is often overlooked or misunderstood. In a new report, we explore how population dynamics have changed dramatically over the last few decades, and what these changes mean for the economic and security interests of the United States.

“The [COVID-19] pandemic, as all of you know, severely disrupted essential health services in countries around the world, and it left many health systems reeling from the drain on resources,” said Nidhi Bouri, Assistant Administrator for Global Health at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) at a recent Wilson Center event to assess lessons learned in coping with the stressors created by the global health crisis.

At a recent Wilson Center event, hosted in partnership with USAID’s MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity Project, Dr. Folake Olayinka, Immunization Technical Lead of the Global Health Bureau at USAID, described a recent two year period as “the largest sustained backsliding of childhood vaccination,” citing the fact that “between 2019 and 2021, approximately 67 million children missed out on essential lifesaving vaccines.”

“Women’s ability to access education, pursue a career outside the home, or participate politically often hinges on their ability to exercise control and autonomy over their own bodies and reproduction,” said Sarah Craven, Director of the North American Representation Office at UNFPA at a recent Wilson Center event, hosted in partnership with Population Institute, to launch their new report, Connecting the Dots: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights as Prerequisites for Global Gender Equity and Empowerment. 

“The message of the report we are issuing today is clear: health equity and gender equality have a unique and powerful ability to contribute to peace,” said Finland’s former President Tarja Halonen at the recent launch event at the Wilson Center for a new report by the Lancet Commission on peaceful societies through health equity and gender quality.

The increased demand for minerals driven by the renewable energy transition has put China’s involvement in mining activities in Africa in the spotlight. But understanding the challenges posed by this activity means we need to situate it within broader contexts.

Climate change is a security concern due to its role as a risk multiplier, aggravating political, social, and economic vulnerabilities, straining resources, and undermining institutions. And as climate change intensifies, its impact on military operations around the world, including UN peacebuilding efforts, will grow in tandem.