Zizhan (Azua) Luo
Zizhan (Azua) Luo is an intern with the Environmental Change and Security Program and is pursuing a dual Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Environmental Science at American University.
Her experience teaching climate science to students in rural China and doing research on ocean pollution and international marine policy have fueled her passion for environmental security.
Email: zizhan.luo@wilsoncenter.org
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ND-GAIN Updates Climate Adaptation Index: Good News for Myanmar, Bad News for Brazil
›As climate change leads to more weather variability and natural disasters, the need for adaptation is more urgent than ever. The Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN) aims to enhance understanding of adaptation and inform the public and private sectors on actions and investments.
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Climate-Induced Migration in the Philippines, and Mercy Corps’ Resilience Work in Ethiopia
›Recent rises in temperature and typhoon frequency and intensity have resulted in more internal migration in the Philippines, according to an article by Pratikshya Bohra-Mishra et al. in Population and Environment. The authors conclude that temperature change and natural disasters, such as typhoons, can have a significant effect on short-distance, sub-national migration because they reduce rice yields, which is used as a proxy for agricultural productivity.
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Caribbean Governments Huddle to Discuss Climate Adaptation Plans
›As more climate change seems locked in – some estimates suggest a 1.5-degree Celsius (2.5 degree Fahrenheit) rise above pre-Industrial averages is guaranteed – more governments are allocating resources to adaptation. Caribbean communities that contribute very little to climate change are some of the most vulnerable, and representatives from many met in October 2016 in Grenada to share experiences and build technical capacity.
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Water and the Rise of Insurgencies in the “Arc of Instability”
›Water scarcity has contributed to an “arc of instability” characterized by conflict and displacement that stretches from West Africa to the Middle East, said a panel of experts at the Wilson Center on March 1. Two authors from an upcoming compilation of case studies on water security and violent conflict by World Wildlife Fund gave overviews of challenges in Nigeria and Iran and recommendations for U.S. engagement.
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A Journalists’ Guide to Energy and the Environment in 2017
›“Turbulent and possibly revolutionary times are ahead for U.S. energy and environmental policy,” said Bobby Magill, a senior science writer at Climate Central, at the Wilson Center on February 3. “If there’s one message the Trump Administration is sending about environmental and climate regulations, it’s this: The future will not look like the past.”
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Ocean Fish Stocks on “Verge of Collapse,” Says IRIN Report
›The world’s ocean fish stocks are “on the verge of collapse,” according to a special report from IRIN. Already small fishers in poor countries are reeling, turning to ever-more destructive techniques and suffering from poor health and dwindling livelihoods.
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Reaching Accord on Land Grabs, and Household Perceptions of Climate-Conflict Vulnerability
›Large-scale land acquisitions, otherwise known as “land grabbing,” are often believed to lead to resistance from affected local communities. According to an article by Ruth Hall et al. in The Journal of Peasant Studies, however, “political reactions ‘from below’ to global land grabbing have been vastly more varied and complex than is usually assumed.”