An alternative to rebuilding Iraq’s dangerously unstable Mosul Dam? Rapprochement between Turkey, Iraq, and the Kurds, writes Azzam Alwash for the Middle East Program in last month’s most-read story. Cooperation over water could be a mechanism for building stability and restoring vital natural resources.

Water, water, everywhere. Water stories accounted for half of the most read last month. New Wilson Center Fellow Sherri Goodman outlined three principles to creating a “water-ready” world. Heather Chen highlighted a four-part update by the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation on Lake Turkana as the Gibe III Dam begins operation. Florian Krampe outlined results from a research project in rural Nepal on the effects of small hydro projects. And Alec Crawford and Angie Dazé explained lessons learned about incorporating migrant populations into conservation projects around Lake Albert.

The problem seems simple: More people living in dense, low-lying cities means more people are vulnerable to flooding, storm surge, and sea-level rise. But the solution is not, writes Linda Shi in last month’s most-read story. Efforts to build resilience to the effects of climate change too often exacerbate inequalities, leaving the poorest and most marginalized just as bad off, if not worse, as before.

The good news is that some of the big land deals reported in Africa after the 2007-08 food crisis may have evaporated once companies realized the precarious land and legal frameworks they were stepping into. The bad news is that small farmers don’t have the same luxury, writes Landesa CEO Chris Jochnick in last month’s most-read story.

Conflict always wins the headlines, but in some ways, 2015 was the year of cooperation. From COP-21, the Millennium Development Goals, and the Sustainable Development Goals to disaster risk reduction, financing for development, and the G-7, the list of far-reaching international agreements is incredible.

As the Paris Conference of Parties drew near, climate change was on the mind in November. Five of the six most-read stories touched on climate change in some way.

When public order collapses, so does the weather forecast, and that has big implications for peacebuilding, according to a recent report on the importance of restoring meteorology systems in fragile and conflict-affected countries.

Water, energy, and demography – these were the themes of the most popular stories from last month. It seems natural resources and their consumption are on people’s minds.