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No, the Panama Canal is Not Running Dry
›Earlier this year the media made much ado about drought conditions constraining traffic through the Panama Canal. But is it really all they’re making it out to be?
The most recent drought conditions started with below-average rainfall in late 2022, and by January 2024 were being described as the worst drought in Canal history. The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) ranked 2023 as the second driest year since 1950. News articles reported cargo traffic was reduced by nearly 40% and that the world faced a $270 billion traffic jam in Panama.
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Environmental Cooperation in the Middle East: A Conversation with Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed
›In today’s episode of New Security Broadcast, Wilson Center Global Fellow and environmental journalist Anneliese Palmer speaks with longtime leader in regional environmental diplomacy and Executive Director of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed. In their conversation, Dr. Hamed unpacks the opportunities and challenges of climate and environmental diplomacy, environmental peacebuilding efforts in Gaza and the Middle East, as well as his role in Jumpstarting Hope, a project that works to provide essential services such as safe drinking water and sustainable electricity to communities in Gaza.
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Flowing Together: Peace and Conflict’s Role in Socio-hydrology
›In an era where water scarcity and disputes over water rights increasingly shape global politics, understanding the nexus between water and peace is more critical than ever. Recent events such as the border clashes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, or continued tensions between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan over the Nile River’s usage, underscore the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to address both the hydrological and social dimensions of water management.
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ECSP Weekly Watch | June 17 – 21
›A window into what we are reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program
Brazil Joins the Rare Earth Minerals Race to Curb Chinese Dominance (Reuters)
Brazil has the world’s third-largest reserves of rare earth minerals. Yet China dominates that market, accounting for 95% of global production. The mining giant is taking steps aims to break this supply chain dominance by creating a robust rare earth industry of its own. The country’s first rare earths mine, Serra Verde, began commercial production in 2024.
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The Future of Central Asian Water Diplomacy
›Central Asia is known for its rich mineral resources and oil reserves, and its unique geographic position between Russia, China, and Iran. But it is also beginning to position itself as a potential leader in water diplomacy. This June, policymakers, academics, and those in the private sector will convene in Tajikistan for the Dushanbe Water Process. In partnership with the United Nations, the country is hosting biennial conferences between 2018-2028; this June will mark the third international high level conference on the topic.
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ECSP Weekly Watch | May 27 – 31
›A window into what we are reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program
Panama’s First Climate-Related Relocation
The Guna Indigenous people of Gardi Sugdub—an island in Panama’s San Blas Archipelago—are moving to new mainland homes in Carti Port’s Isber Yala neighborhood. This move is part of a larger relocation effort supported by the country’s government since 2010 to address the impacts of climate change on its indigenous peoples.
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ECSP Weekly Watch | May 20 – 24
›A window into what we are reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program
Southern Africa’s Drought Offers a Window into the Region’s Climate Future
Southern Africa has been hit by one of its worst droughts in decades, and this calamity highlights the vulnerability of smallholder farmers who rely on rainfed agriculture. For the first time, farmers like Esnart Chogani, who works on a farm just outside Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, were unable to bring in a harvest. The region is normally a major exporter of maize, yet it now has begun importing the grain to meet demand.
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Climate, Conflict, and Changing Demographics Command Attention in New Global Health Security Report
›A new report by the US Intelligence Community highlights what the world stands to lose if it fails to cooperate on global health. The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) “Dynamics Shaping Global Health Security In the Next Decade” outlines the dire effects of climate change, changing demographics, and the erosion of trust in institutions on global health security. The NIE on Global Health Security was made publicly available in April 2024, on the heels of the Biden-Harris Administration’s launch of a new Global Health Security Strategy.
Showing posts from category water security.