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ECSP Weekly Watch | September 9 – 13
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A window into what we’re reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program
Fukushima Nuclear Clean-up Begins (The Diplomat)
It has been over 13 years since a massive 9.0 earthquake near the coastline of Japan in 2011 triggered a tsunami that irreversibly damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Failing cooling systems within the plant led to the melting of its radioactive core reactor, which dripped toxic fallout across the plant and in the larger ecosystem. Since that catastrophe, Japan has been devising ways to responsibly clean the waste in Fukushima—and it might be getting closer to a final answer.
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The Arc | Climate Justice in the Arctic: Part 2
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In today’s episode of The Arc, ECSP’s Claire Doyle and Angus Soderberg interview Dr. Benno Fladvad, Junior Professor for Natural Science Peace Research with a focus on Climate and Security at the University of Hamburg. Dr. Fladvad unpacks the potential environmental justice issues that arise as renewable energy deployment across the globe accelerates. Additionally, he also describes the challenges of balancing the demand for rapid decarbonization with equity and justice considerations, drawing on examples from the Saami communities’ experience with green hydrogen and wind development. We also glean Dr. Fladvad’s insights into how energy projects can move beyond ineffective consultation processes toward peacebuilding and justice for marginalized communities. Select quotes from the interview are featured below. -
Can the UPR Advance Global Women’s Rights? Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa
›At the opening of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York this past March, UN Secretary-General António Guterres underscored the importance of stepping up national and global efforts to advance the rights of women. Guterres observed that “many women and girls are also facing a war on their fundamental rights at home and in their communities. Hard-fought progress is being reversed.”
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ECSP Weekly Watch | September 3 – 6
›A window into what we’re reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program
Proliferation of Icebreakers in the Arctic (Foreign Policy)
As climate change-induced melting of ice sheets clears new pathways, the fast-melting Arctic now has a new strategic race: icebreakers. Russia covers over half of what is defined as “Arctic” territory, and it has the largest number of icebreakers in the region. Russia’s attempt to consolidate and expand has led the US and its NATO allies to redefine their own Arctic security strategy.
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Climate Security in South Sudan: A Conversation with Ratia Tekenet
›In today’s episode of New Security Broadcast, ECSP Director Lauren Risi interviews Ratia Tekenet, a Climate Security Expert with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and a former ECSP staff member. In their conversation, Ratia explores how climate change is intensifying South Sudan’s security challenges, creating an immense humanitarian crisis. She also discusses the efforts of UN agencies, the South Sudanese government, and local communities to build resilience and respond to ongoing climate disasters, as well as the need for greater integration of the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus. Select quotes from the interview are featured below. -
Mpox and the Question of Pandemic Preparedness
›Two years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency after a multi-country outbreak of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox). Now, in the summer of 2024, mpox is on the rise again. On August 14, The WHO declared a new public health emergency due to a recent outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other African countries.
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Signs and Signals: Exploring How a Novel Foresight Approach Gains Prominence
›A number of highly respected research entities in the US and abroad—including the US National Intelligence Council and the European Union—produce hefty global trends reports. These valuable in-depth guides inform new policies (such as USAID’s just-released Democracy, Development and Human Rights Policy)—or refresh older ones. They focus on the risks, uncertainties, and opportunities that lie ahead for the international development community, and they can provide an empirical basis to shape ongoing and future aid programming.
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ECSP Weekly Watch | August 26 – 30
›A window into what we are reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security ProgramWorld Food Program Faces Scrutiny Over Fraud in Sudan (Reuters)
As Sudan suffers an immense humanitarian crisis due to an ongoing internal conflict between the Army Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) has provided crucial aid to people displaced by the conflict. Yet its ability to continue this crucial work is now under threat because of allegations of illicit activities made against its top officials in that country. These developments have drawn the attention of humanitarian practitioners and diplomats—who also have concerns regarding WFP’s mismanagement and how it might have contributed to the failure to deliver enough aid in Sudan.
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In today’s episode of 
In today’s episode of New Security Broadcast, ECSP Director Lauren Risi interviews Ratia Tekenet, a Climate Security Expert with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and a former ECSP staff member. In their conversation, Ratia explores how climate change is intensifying South Sudan’s security challenges, creating an immense humanitarian crisis. She also discusses the efforts of UN agencies, the South Sudanese government, and local communities to build resilience and respond to ongoing climate disasters, as well as the need for greater integration of the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus. Select quotes from the interview are featured below.
