A window into what we’re reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program

The Success of Community-based Conservation in Africa (Yale 360)

Across Africa, herders once seen as threats to wildlife have now become vital conservationists. In a transformative shift from “fortress conservation” to community stewardship, they are protecting iconic species like elephants and lions as they coexist with their livestock.

An NGO based in Vermont, Maliasili, reports that community-run conservancies now outpace state-protected areas in safeguarding biodiversity. They point to examples like Kenya’s Northern Rangelands Trust, a network of 45 conservancies, which seeks to revitalize wildlife populations and foster rural economies through tourism and carbon credit initiatives.

Despite their success, however, these conservancies face long-term hurdles such as dependency on external funding, social tensions from tourism dynamics, and questions over carbon credit schemes. Yet these testimonies demonstrate why community-based conservation offers a compelling alternative to current conservation methods to achieve global biodiversity targets.

READ | Africa’s First Climate Summit: From Victim to Leader?

Hidden Casualties: Myanmar Crisis Poses Global Health Security Risks (The New Humanitarian)

Armed conflict and political instability since a 2021 coup have combined to devastate Myanmar’s healthcare system. The tumult has led to a resurgence of diseases (including malaria, TB, and HIV) which threaten regional and global health security.

Military control over critical medical supplies such as malaria nets in Myanmar and the destruction of healthcare facilities have exacerbated this already dire situation, which has left millions in that nation without essential care. Yet the crisis also is creating ripple effects for Myanmar’s neighbors, including Thailand and China. There are over 2 million registered Myanmar workers in Thailand, yet estimates conclude that the nation hosts many more undocumented workers. This information gap makes it difficult to collect precise data on the spread of the disease.

As UN agencies and NGOs work to expose the extent of the crisis, the spread of drug-resistant malaria and the displacement of millions into conflict zones heightens the risk of regional outbreaks. Health experts warn that Myanmar’s failures could reverse decades of global progress in disease eradication, underscoring the urgent need for international cooperation to prevent a broader catastrophe.

READ | Climate, Conflict, and Changing Demographics Command Attention in New Global Health Security Report

Tackling ‘Waste Colonialism”: Thailand’s Plastic Ban (Al Jazeera)

Thailand rang in the new year by enacting a prohibition on plastic waste imports. For years, the country was a top destination for developed nations’ plastic waste, but the new law that took effect on January 1, 2025, aims to reduce toxic pollution from poorly managed disposal practices.

Humans discard around 400 million tons of plastic waste a year. Wealthy countries account for the majority of the world’s annual plastic waste, and they often export it to poorer countries to reduce costs and exploit a weaker regulatory environment. and lower costs. This “waste colonialism” exacerbates health and environmental crises in recipient nations.

An international agreement on plastics proved elusive in 2024, but there is continuing pressure on the UN to ratify a binding treaty to reduce plastic production as bans emerge in nations and regions around the world. Thailand’s action not only signals a growing resistance to receiving the waste of wealthy countries in the global south, but it raises questions about the global responsibility to tackle plastic pollution.

READ | How plastic is fueling a hidden climate crisis in Southeast Asia