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

Declining Fish Stocks Threaten Lake Tanganyika Fishing Communities (Al Jazeera) 

For the millions who live on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, fishing is a way of life that has sustained generations. However, recent declines in fish production in the world’s largest freshwater lake have devastated Tanzania’s fishermen and prompted questions of the sustainability of the decades-long practice.

Regional climate change impacts have driven the 20% drop in fish production in Lake Tanganyika over the past four years, as warmer water temperatures and slower winds inhibit circulation of nutrients that feed fish and algae. Increasingly, fishermen are turning to government-subsidized fish farming or other sectors to make up for lost sales.  

In the face of these challenges, nonprofits like Nature Conservancy are stepping in to fill gaps in the policies of Tanzania’s government. Using buoys to mark breeding sites near the shoreline—and other efforts to make fishing more efficient—are being taught to fishermen to reduce the industry’s environmental impact. The crisis at Lake Tanganyika is an illustration of climate change’s devastating local effects, which pose a complex threat to the lives and livelihoods of communities by constricting resources and enflaming social tensions.   

READ | Managing Fisheries Conflict in the 21st Century: A Role for Regional Management Organizations?

Illegal Miners Evicted from the Amazon’s Yanomami Indigenous Territory  (Mongabay)  

The encroachment of illegal miners has posed a threat to the health of the Amazon rainforest and the Indigenous communities that call it home for many years. But recent successes in evicting them from the Yanomami Indigenous territory have restored hope that the security and biodiversity of the region can be preserved.  

Under the administration of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s, miners contaminated rivers with mercury and chased away game, which led to a 330% increase in deaths from malnutrition and 22,000 cases of malaria. Current President Luiz Inácio da Silva has made restoring the health of the territory a priority, and his government has deployed a task force of health and security agents to expel miners and provide crucial health services. Local communities in the Yanomami territory are celebrating the return of plant and animal species and improved living conditions since the miners were expelled. 

Long-term concerns over the health effects of mercury contamination in Yanomami’s rivers from mining activities remain present, and locals fear that miners may return if the government withdraws from the region. Thus, the region’s future security depends on the willingness of the Brazilian government to continue to halt illegal mining operations in the Amazon.  

READ | Climate Security and Critical Minerals Mining in Latin America: How Can Business Help?

Combating Climate Change: Anticipatory Action Frameworks in Bangladesh  (Relief Web) 

Over 4.1 million households in Bangladesh face exposure to climate hazards from landslides, monsoons, and drought. To combat the growing risk of such disasters, the Bangladeshi government has implemented Anticipatory Action (AA) into national disaster management frameworks to provide crucial warnings and resources to vulnerable communities.  

Anticipatory Action programs can provide early warnings and cash support to mitigate effects of disasters before they occur. In 2024, Bangladesh reached nearly 430,000 individuals in 20 districts prior to monsoon floods, flash floods, cyclones, and heatwaves using AA.  

The country’s successful use of AA to deal with disaster impacts was highlighted in a recent report by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and the Bangladesh’s Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR). Yet further funding is necessary to expand AA frameworks to the 54% of households in Bangladesh which currently remain unsupported. If the MoDMR can close these funding gaps and strengthen outreach to affected populations, AA integration promises further significant reductions in fatalities and damage to coastal communities during climate-related disasters.  

LISTEN | The Arc | Dr. Mizan Khan on Loss and Damage and Bangladesh’s Role as a Climate Adaptation Leader