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

What’s Next for the Teesta Water Disputes? (The Hindu) 

The recent political upheaval in Bangladesh which led to the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the return of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammed Yunus as leader of an interim government is not the only tumult in this nation. A worsening trend in weather events there has heightened Bangladesh’s exposure to climate shocks and allowed a dispute over the Teesta River to reemerge.

In a new Occasional Paper published by the Wilson Center’s Middle East Program and ECSP, journalist Taylor Luck examines the climate priorities of wealthy and middle-income countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Luck analyzes the policies adopted by MENA states, highlighting gaps and offering recommendations to strengthen climate action in a region strained by both instability and climate change.

Cholera in Southern Africa Linked to Climate Threats (The New Humanitarian)

In Southern Africa, climate change is encouraging rural-to-urban migration that is also creating a public health crisis. Cholera outbreaks have infected 188,000 Southern Africans since 2022, with 4,100 deaths. Zambia currently faces the harshest impacts, with 705 reported deaths and 21,000 infections since October. Its president, Hakainde Hichilema, even called for citizens to move out of cities to prevent the spread of cholera in January—largely due to increasing concern of the diseases’ spread in informal settlements.

Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day (IWD). It is an annual occasion to celebrate the incredible achievements of women and girls globally, while acknowledging the work still needed to push forward to make the critical human rights issue of gender equality a reality.

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

Food, Climate, and Conflict Nexus a Priority at the UN Security Council (Food and Agriculture Organization)

The United Nations Security Council’s High-Level Open Debate takes place in Guyana this week, and the signature event of that nation’s presidency is “The Impact of Climate Change and Food Insecurity on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security.” Several briefers have emphasized the interconnectedness between climate change and conflict, including Secretary-General António Guterres and UNFCCC Chair Simon Stiell.

The world has a sobering debt problem. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the ensuing shocks to commodity prices, governments everywhere have borrowed enormous sums to promote stability and kickstart recovery.