- Environment
- Articles
U.S.-Canada Pact Eases Arctic Fears
CLIMATE NEWS NETWORK: Low oil prices have reduced pressure to exploit Arctic fossil fuels and boosted hopes that the region’s fragile environment and indigenous people may be better protected.
In-depth
United States
- Law & Policy
- Management & Supply
- Articles
- General
Klamath Dam Removal Could Boost Water Supplies
A recently approved deal to remove four dams on the Klamath River could yield more water for farmers in the river’s upper basin and lead to a dramatic improvement in local salmon populations.
- Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs
- Government & Pro-Government Forces
- Op-Eds
At What Point Is a Cessation of Hostilities Broken?
Faysal Itani & Hossam Abouzahr
Senior Resident Fellow, Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East
Faysal Itani & Hossam Abouzahr Senior Resident Fellow, Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East
“Without some form of military pressure on the regime, whether direct or by proxy,” write the Atlantic Council’s Faysal Itani and Hossam Abouzahr, there is no way to force the Assad regime to enter into legitimate negotiations with its opponents.
- Crises & Conflicts
- Laws & Policy
- Q&A
In Limbo: Malian Refugees in Burkina Faso
Three years after the French intervention in northern Mali, thousands of refugees in neighboring Burkina Faso are still afraid to go home. Mali’s conflict may be over, but its border areas remain deeply unstable, with jihadist militant groups still believed to be operating.
- Innovation & Technology
- Laws & Policy
- Articles
- General
Paltry Resettlement Rates in U.S. Ahead of Polls
As one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities heads to the polls in the NYC presidential primary, U.S. refugee resettlement programs are falling short. Today’s Middle Eastern refugees are not afforded the same acceptance as other communities that have become assimilated features of New York life.
- Governance
- Articles
- General
Reports: Arctic Council Due for a Change
HIGH NORTH NEWS: Now in its 20th year, the Arctic Council is due for revitalization. This is the conclusion of two new reports from the think-tanks CSIS in Washington and FNI in Oslo. However, a general consensus about how the organization should look at its next milestone is a long way off.
- Civil Society
- Op-Eds
How Noam Chomsky Betrayed the Syrian People
Sam Hamad
Writer and Analyst, Middle Eastern Affairs
Sam Hamad Writer and Analyst, Middle Eastern Affairs
American linguist and renowned left-wing activist Noam Chomsky’s stance on the Syria uprising turned proxy war is a betrayal of the Syrian people, writes analyst Sam Hamad. He has allowed his steadfast anti-imperialist approach to blind him to the Arab Spring’s complexities and contradictions.
- Geopolitics & Security
- Op-Eds
Canadian Arctic Security: Russia’s Not Coming
Adam Lajeunesse and P. Whitney Lackenbauer
SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow, St. Jerome’s University
Adam Lajeunesse and P. Whitney Lackenbauer SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow, St. Jerome’s University
Russian military operations in the Arctic and on-going political tensions elsewhere in the world are feeding fears that Russian icebreakers will soon be seen charging into Canadian waters. In reality, Canada is highly unlikely to see such a challenge and initiatives aimed at preventing such incursions are certain to fail.
- Environment
- Research
- Articles
- General
Pan-Arctic Monitoring on the Agenda
Maribeth Murray, executive director of the Arctic Institute of North America, says a Pan-Arctic Observing Network could help fill gaps in our understanding of the Arctic and lessen the environmental, social and economic impacts of rapid Arctic change.
- Geopolitics & Security
- Articles
- General
Officials Test Arctic Rescue Capability
In late August, a cruise ship loaded with more than 1,600 people will attempt to sail through the Northwest Passage. A training exercise in Alaska this week will investigate how the coast guards and cruise operator respond to a situation that requires a mass rescue in remote, frigid waters.
- Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs
- Government & Pro-Government Forces
- Articles
- Forum
‘Panama Papers’ Expose Dirty Dealings in Syria
The leak of millions of documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca shows how Syrian companies and regime insiders were able to hide their assets in offshore companies. One of the worst offenders is none other than Bashar al-Assad’s cousin Rami Makhlouf, the wealthiest man in Syria.
- Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs
- Government & Pro-Government Forces
- Q&A
Kodmani: Geneva and the Failing Cease-Fire (Part 1)
As the cease-fire falters and government and opposition representatives prepare to meet in Geneva, Syria Deeply spoke with Bassma Kodmani, a key member of the opposition’s High Negotiations Committee, to learn more about increasing violence on the ground and its effect on the dynamics in Geneva.
- Crises & Conflicts
- Refugee Voices
- Articles
- General
Afghan Refugees Suffer Perils of ‘Post-Conflict’
In light of leaked E.U. plans to return 80,000 Afghan asylum seekers, we explore the conditions that forced civilians to flee in increased numbers in 2015 – deemed the bloodiest year since 2001 – and the limited protection they are offered due to Afghanistan’s post-conflict status.
- Crises & Conflicts
- Innovation & Technology
- Articles
- General
Europe Must Learn from Past Migration Crises
While Macedonian police clash with refugees protesting at Idomeni and returns under the E.U.–Turkey deal slow due to a lack of clarity, researchers at the Forced Migration Review argue that “there is much about earlier migration crises that today’s European policymakers might profitably recall”.
- Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs
- Government & Pro-Government Forces
- Op-Eds
Assad in Complete Defiance of Peace in Syria
Frederic C. Hof
Director, Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East
Frederic C. Hof Director, Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East
It seems there is little left to compel President Bashar al-Assad to comply with the U.N.-led peace process in Geneva, writes Frederic C. Hof. The embattled Syrian leader has flat out rejected the idea of a transitional body, and has used the recess in negotiations to resume bombing civilians.
- Environment
- Research
- Articles
- General
Citizen Science Puts More Eyes on the Arctic
Hunters, tourists and residents are contributing to Arctic research as citizen scientists. Although their numbers remain small for now – they will grow – and their efforts expand the reach of what researchers might access in the Arctic in both time and range.
- Environment
- Infrastructure
- Shipping
- Articles
- General
Report: Upgrade Canada’s Arctic Shipping Corridors
A new report by the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Oceans North Canada calls for a network of shipping routes as part of its roadmap for transforming Canadian Arctic waters into a zone of economic activity that also offers safety and security, protects the environment and respects Inuit rights.
- Human Rights
- Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces
- Articles
- Forum
The Working Children of Eastern Ghouta
Violence, poverty and displacement have affected millions of Syrian children, sometimes forcing them to become the sole providers for their households. In the besieged Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta, many are forgoing their education and turning to the streets to help support their families.
- Law & Policy
- Management & Supply
- Articles
- General
Toilet to Tap: A Potential Quality Water Source
Currently, nowhere in California does direct potable reuse – often referred to as “toilet to tap” – but that could change in coming years. There are a number of reasons why direct potable reuse would be a high-quality option for California to increase its water supply.
- Environment
- Northern People & Health
- Articles
- General
Keeping Whaling Culture and Tradition Alive
On the northern coast of Alaska, indigenous Alaskan teenagers consider their futures while holding on to the language, tradition and whaling culture of their ancestors. “Children of the Arctic” is a year-in-the-life portrait of youth in Barrow, Alaska, and the decisions they must make.
- Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs
- Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces
- Op-Eds
Killing the Islamic State Group in Syria
Frederic C. Hof
Director, Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East
Frederic C. Hof Director, Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East
“To date the Obama administration’s idea of Syrians fighting ISIS out of love of country has centered on the Syrian Army and nationalist rebels eventually linking arms and marching eastward after Bashar al-Assad has obligingly retired … ” writes Frederic C. Hof. “It is a nice image, but when exactly is this supposed to happen?”.
- Environment
- Northern People & Health
- Articles
- General
Ice Melt Increases Indigenous Food Insecurity
YALE ENVIRONMENT 360: Subsistence hunters in the Arctic have long taken to the sea ice to hunt seals, whales and polar bears. But now, as the ice disappears and soaring temperatures alter the life cycles and abundance of their prey, a growing number of indigenous communities face food shortages.
- Energy
- Innovation
- Q&A
Energy Innovation Has Lessons for Water Sector
Our traditional, centralized water systems aren’t going to go away any time soon, but as we modernize and upgrade our infrastructure we’ll need to also add smaller, distributed systems. Newsha Ajami, from Stanford’s Water in the West program, talks about how to drive and fund this innovation.
- Innovation
- Q&A
Tom Ferguson: Why Water Needs Data Management
The water business somehow missed out on the vast availability of operational data that has transformed many other industries. Tom Ferguson of San Francisco startup accelerator ImagineH2O hopes to fix that by nurturing startups working to bring data management to the water sector.
- Innovation & Technology
- Articles
- General
Amid Their Own Crisis, Greeks Stand by Refugees
A product of Greece’s social solidarity movement that arose in the aftermath of a debilitating economic crisis, Platanos is a self-organized Greek group that has been assisting refugees in Greece. As major NGOs pull out from Lesbos to avoid complicity in the mass expulsion of refugees under the E.U.-Turkey deal, Platanos will stay put.
- Agriculture
- Environment & Wildlife
- Innovation
- Articles
- General
Drip Irrigation for Rice Has Habitat Impacts
SACRAMENTO BEE: A 17,000-acre Yolo County farm is experimenting with using drip irrigation on a portion of their field to reduce water use. While the project will save water, some are worried that it will eliminate critical habitat for wild birds that rely on flooded rice fields.
- Laws & Policy
- Op-Eds
HRW: U.S. Sends the Wrong Message to Turkey
Bill Frelick & Alison Parker
Refugee Rights Director
Bill Frelick & Alison Parker Refugee Rights Director
In February, the governor of the Turkish province of Kilis not only said that the U.S. had encouraged Turkey to close its border, he compared Turkey’s restrictive measures with the U.S.’s own actions at its border with Mexico. Bill Frelick and Alison Parker of Human Rights Watch review these claims.
- Op-Eds
Arctic Sovereignty and Security: Updating Our Ideas
Wilfrid Greaves and P. Whitney Lackenbauer
PhD, the Department of Political Science and the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto
Wilfrid Greaves and P. Whitney Lackenbauer PhD, the Department of Political Science and the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto
Alternative definitions of “sovereignty” and “security” are emerging in the post-Cold War period. Scholars must update their interpretations of the words to be more inclusive if we are to reduce the vulnerability and increase the resilience of Arctic societies.
- Energy
- Management & Supply
- Op-Eds
Protecting Aquifers From Oil Industry Pollution
Maya Golden-Krasner and Natalie Risner
Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity
Maya Golden-Krasner and Natalie Risner Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity
Residents near San Luis Obispo County’s Price Canyon are concerned the Environmental Protection Agency will approve an aquifer exemption application allowing oil companies to dispose of wastewater in aquifers. This may be one of dozens of aquifers at risk from potential pollution.
- Laws & Policy
- Q&A
Higher Risk of Psychosis Among Refugees
A study published in the British Medical Journal has found that refugees in Sweden have a substantially higher risk of schizophrenia and nonaffective psychotic disorders than other migrants. We spoke with the study’s lead author, Anna-Clara Hollander of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute.
- Governance
- Articles
- General
Arctic Council Meeting Looks to the Future
At last week’s meeting in Fairbanks, Alaska, the U.S. called on the Arctic Council to think less about the short term and instead reflect on how its work on climate change and resilience can improve the wellbeing of the people living in Arctic communities in the years to come.
- Law & Policy
- Management & Supply
- Op-Eds
A Call for Water Infrastructure Resiliency
Cindy Wallis-Lage
President, Black & Veatch’s Water Business
Cindy Wallis-Lage President, Black & Veatch’s Water Business
World Water Day provides a reminder of how vulnerable water supply is in many places across the world, including California. But an increased focus on water infrastructure resiliency can help sustain a finite water supply even as population growth and climate change add additional pressures.
- Crises & Conflicts
- Laws & Policy
- Refugee Voices
- Articles
- General
Hunger a Currency of Survival at Dadaab
In this first part of our series on Refugee Cities and how they have become their own microcosms, we interview Ben Rawlence, author of City of Thorns, about the trials and tribulations of half a million people trapped in Kenya’s Dadaab, the largest recognized refugee complex in the world.
- Economics
- Management & Supply
- Articles
- General
Five Important Facts on World Water Day
Designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, World Water Day helps put a spotlight on a range of global water issues. While water scarcity and pollution are most severe in developing countries, the United States has its share of concerns, too.
- Civil Society
- Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces
- Op-Eds
Locals in Idlib Take on al-Nusra Front
Ali Melhem
Contributor, Rozana Radio
Ali Melhem Contributor, Rozana Radio
There’s growing hostility between al-Qaida’s branch in Syria and the locals of Idlib. After attempting to disrupt popular protests in the streets of Maarat al-Numan last week, the insurgent group then pushed a popular branch of the Free Syrian Army out of town.
- Environment
- Shipping
- Articles
- General
Turning the Lens on Arctic Shipping’s New Era
Shipping in Arctic waters is expected to rise as sea ice thins and melts, particularly along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. Bernice Notenboom’s new film Sea Blind looks at the risks and environmental costs involved in Arctic shipping – and plots a path towards a more sustainable industry.
- Articles
- General
As Greenland Ramps Up Mining, Who Will Benefit?
With its newly accessible onshore and offshore mineral wealth sought by companies spanning the globe, mining developments remain a controversial topic in Greenland. At the heart of the debate is whether the boom will benefit or exploit the job-hungry local population.
- Law & Policy
- Management & Supply
- Op-Eds
Fixing the State Water Project
Arve Sjovold and Carolee Krieger
Chief Cost Scientist, Santa Barbara’s Tecolote Research, Inc.
Arve Sjovold and Carolee Krieger Chief Cost Scientist, Santa Barbara’s Tecolote Research, Inc.
The State Water Project should make several important changes because it is currently failing to serve sustainable farming interests, cities and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. These changes would help make sure the project meets the needs of residents, the environment and the economy.
- Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs
- Government & Pro-Government Forces
- Opposition Groups & Rebel Forces
- Op-Eds
Cease-fire and Prospects for Success in Geneva
Mohammad Othman
Freelance Journalist
Mohammad Othman Freelance Journalist
While the two-week truce in Syria has allowed for the resumption of peace talks in Geneva, if Russia and the United States do not act now to pressure both sides to agree on a transitional government, they may risk losing their last opportunity at a negotiated settlement.
- Laws & Policy
- Op-Eds
The Refugee’s Dilemma: Stay Put or Risk Death
Neal Keny-Guyer
Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Corps
Neal Keny-Guyer Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Corps
Many people trapped in extreme poverty, chronic violence and instability are willing to risk everything to build a better life in Europe or beyond. Closing borders will not stop people from seeking new routes to safety. We must find bold, smart fixes, writes Mercy Corps CEO Neal Keny-Guyer.