REACH | Syria burned agricultural area analysis (May-June 2019)
A study of satellite data by the REACH Initiative has found that 948,000 acres of agricultural land in Syria was affected by wildfires between May and June 2019.
HRW | Basra is thirsty – Iraq’s failure to manage the water crisis
An investigation into the factors behind the water crisis in Basra Iraq, and the failure of the Iraqi government to address them.
Forensic Architecture | Herbicidal warfare in Gaza
Reconstruction and analysis of herbicide spraying events on the Gaza border that reveals the extent to which Israeli spraying is affecting Palestinian areas, impacting on agriculture and potentially on human health.
UN lawyers approve 28 legal principles to reduce the environmental impact of war
2019 is a hugely symbolic year for the laws protecting the environment in conflict. The adoption of 28 legal principles by the UN’s International Law Commission this month is the first of two major milestones. Stavros Pantazopoulos Looks at what has been agreed, what’s missing and what happens next.
SIPRI | A confluence of crises: On water, climate and security in the Middle East and North Africa
The impacts of climate change are particularly complex in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The region suffers from violent conflicts and severe water scarcity, while climate models show more serious scenarios here than in other regions. This paper explains how the security of the MENA region is inscribed in a new climate reality.
SIPRI | Climate change, peacebuilding and sustaining peace
Policy brief which shows that eight of the 10 countries hosting the largest multilateral peace operations in 2018 were located in areas highly exposed to climate change, yet international efforts to build and maintain peace are not yet taking these emerging challenges systematically into account.
Costs of War Project | Pentagon fuel use, Climate Change, and the costs of war
A paper examining US military fuel use for the post 9-11 wars, which finds that the Department of Defense emits more CO2 than many countries with advanced economies.
Gleick | Water as a weapon and casualty of armed conflict: A review of recent water-related violence in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen
Recent and ongoing conflicts in the MENA have seen the increasing use of water as a weapon and as a target, this paper by the Pacific Institute analyses this trend and considers ways to address it through enhancing protection during conflicts.