The largest outbreak of Ebola on record has sparked intense second-guessing of authorities around the world, and lack of trust in public institutions was a major factor in its spread through West Africa, wrote Laurie Mazur last month.

We also saw popular posts on new ways to assess water conflict risk; changes to the UN’s population projections; the creation of a new population, health, and environment network in Madagascar; and an examination of what lessons Rwanda might teach about the role of women in post-conflict recovery.

1. The Making of a Tragedy: Inequality, Mistrust, Environmental Change Drive Ebola Epidemic, Laurie Mazur

2. Can We Forecast Where Water Conflicts Are Likely to Occur? Thomas Bernauer and Tobias Böhmelt

3. While China Waits on Shale Gas, Soaring Energy Demands Create Regional Tensions, Qinnan Zhou

4. Why Has the Demographic Transition Stalled in Sub-Saharan Africa? Elizabeth Leahy Madsen

5. Pentagon Releases New Climate Roadmap, Plans for Constrained Training, Challenged Infrastructure, Expanding Missions, Schuyler Null

6. Challenging Patriarchy: The Changing Definition of Women’s Empowerment, Donald Borenstein

7. Empowerment Without Equity? The Uncertain Progress of Rwanda’s Female Peace-Builders, Sarah Meyerhoff

8. UN Further Refines Population Projections: 80 Percent Probability of 10-12 Billion People by 2100, Elizabeth Leahy Madsen

9. New Network Links Madagascar’s Environment and Health Sectors, Laura Robson

10. The Great Anatolian Project: Is Water Management a Panacea or Crisis Multiplier for Turkey’s Kurds?  Ilektra Tsakalidou