Food and Water - Related

Global Hunger and Food Price Volatility in 2012

ecurran — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Early in 2011, food price riots helped trigger one of the most unexpected and significant events of the past decade: the Arab Spring, which saw the downfall of governments in the Middle East, the death of a long-time dictator in Libya, and ongoing strife in Syria and Yemen.

Strategic Partnerships to Build African Scientific Capacity for Agriculture

kate — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The world faces an enormous challenge over the next 50 years, to double the amount of food produced globally, but without further depleting the soil, water, and other natural resources. This challenge will require a great deal of ingenuity and effort, and will rely on the capacity of the scientific community to develop new and improved crop varieties, to combat pests and diseases.

Critical Questions for 2012

ian — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

From international security and regional study to global challenges, CSIS experts will address many of the world's most difficult policy concerns and critical questions in 2012. To kick off the new year, we asked 25 of our scholars to identity what worries them most and what are the biggest opportunities in their respective areas of study.

Somalia Remains the Worst Humanitarian Crisis in the World

sherry — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The drought and famine in the Horn of Africa continues, with the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS Net) recently confirming that the famine in the Middle Shabelle, as well as among internally displaced populations in Afgoye and the Somali capital of Mogadishu, will continue through the end of the year.

China's Emerging Global Health and Foreign Aid Engagement in Africa

jdunton — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This volume is a compilation of papers that were written for the Conference on China’s Emerging Global Health and Foreign Aid Engagement, sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), in Beijing on May 24, 2011, as part of a larger CSIS initiative to examine the global health engagement of the BRIC countries

The Focus on the Horn of Africa Should be on the Famine in Somalia

sherry — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Once again famine rages in Somalia. Experts say at least 30,000 children have already died in this crisis and 750,000 more Somalis, mostly women and children, are in acute need and will begin to die between Thanksgiving and Christmas unless they receive assistance. The famine in the early 1990s killed more than 250,000 Somalis, and this one is projected to kill several times more.

Biofortification: A Partial Solution to Global Malnutrition

sherry — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

In September, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization reported that food prices are 26 percent higher than a year ago and that the prices for staple grains, the main foods for the world’s poor, are 36 percent higher than 12 months ago.

Using Earth Observation Data to Improve Health in the United States

jdunton — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Earth observations enable us to monitor and predict key environmental phenomena and events that can affect our health. Earth observation data can be incorporated into models to help detect, monitor, or predict disease, providing policymakers with the opportunity to control an epidemic, respond more quickly to disease outbreaks, and act to prevent or mitigate the occurrence of disease.

Making Progress on Global Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Challenges

jdunton — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

This report presents conclusions and recommendations offered at a World Water Day Learning Forum, “Making Progress on Global Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Challenges,” held at CSIS on March 21, 2011.

Meeting the Challenge of Drought and Famine in the Horn of Africa

ecurran — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The scale of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the Horn of Africa is becoming clearer by the day. The numbers of people affected by drought and famine are mind-boggling: at least 12.4 million people are in need of emergency assistance across five countries.

The Defense Department’s Enduring Contributions to Global Health

ian — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

In the spring of 2010, CSIS launched a year-long, independent examination of the U.S. Army and Navy overseas medical research laboratories. The impetus was an awareness that despite the laboratories’ impressive scientific accomplishments and contributions to U.S.

Instability and Global Food Supplies

ian — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

World food prices are at an all-time high. The world’s population is growing and is expected to increase by 2 billion people over the next 40 years. Riots in Tunisia, triggered in part by food prices, set off a remarkable chain of events that resulted in the downfall of governments in Egypt and Tunisia, a NATO operation in Libya, and instability in several other countries.

Bridging Knowledge Gaps in Water Management

jdunton — Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

On October 27, 2010, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the federal Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality (SWAQ) cohosted a participatory workshop on domestic and international water issues entitled “Bridging Knowledge Gaps in Water Management.” The event convened federal agency experts and influential thinkers from academia, nonprofit organizatio

Water and National Strength in Saudi Arabia

mDziuban — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Of all the manifestations of Saudi Arabia's spectacular development over the past half century, none presents a starker set of contrasts than water. Oil has helped finance rapid urban development and generous philanthropic and humanitarian projects around the world.

World Water Day

sherry — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: What is World Water Day?

Scarcity and Strategy in the GCC

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

One of the Gulf Arab region's most pressing challenges over the next several decades relates not to national defense or conventional warfare, but to water. Policymakers traditionally think of the GCC in terms of defense sales and security umbrellas, and international conflict in the region remains a possibility. However, water scarcity and the domestic strains it will create ar

Environmental Issues of a Unified Korea

nanderson — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Considering the present tension between the two Koreas, manifested in the Cheonan-Ham incident, it might sound a little too soon to talk about the issues of a unified Korea. However, as we have seen in the German Unification case, the unification of the Korean Peninsula may come unexpectedly. If it does, the cost will be high.

Global Food Security in the QDDR

mentman — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S.

Water Issues in the QDDR

mentman — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

With more than 80 percent of the global burden of disease related to water, sanitation, and hygiene, and with water scarcity projected to affect 1.8 billion people by 2025, many in the water community have been wondering what the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review will reveal regarding plans for diplomatic engagement and development assistance on global water challenges.

Clear Gold

jdunton — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The real wild card for political and social unrest in the Middle East over the next 20 years is not war, terrorism, or revolution—it is water. Conventional security threats dominate public debate and government thinking, but water is the true game-changer in Middle Eastern politics.

الذهب الزُلال

mentman — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

لن تنبع القلاقل السياسية والاجتماعية خلال العشرين عاما القادمة في الشرق الأوسط من الحروب، أو الإرهاب، أو الثورات، بل من منبع مفاجئ مستتر- إنه المياه.

The UN Millennium Development Goals Summit: 10-Year Anniversary

ian — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: What are the Millennium Development Goals?

African Perspectives on Genetically Modified Crops

jdunton — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The authors gauge the current status of the debate on biotechnology in Africa with a snapshot of three countries at different stages along the spectrum of opinion on genetically modified crops (GMOs): Zambia, where a strong emphasis on the precautionary principle remains very much in place; Kenya, where recent legislation has opened the door to eventual commercialization of GM crops; and South

Paths Forward for the Global Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Sector

jdunton — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

On the afternoon of World Water Day, March 22, 2010, the Global Water Futures Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., hosted an event entitled “Paths Forward for the Global Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Sector.” CSIS organized the event in partnership with several organizations that work to promote access to water and sanitat

The Role of Markets and Trade in Food Security

jdunton — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Achieving greater global food security is a noble goal and, many would argue, a moral responsibility. It is also squarely in the self-interest of the United States, because hunger causes unrest and instability, which in turn affect U.S. national security and commercial interests. Global food security requires a multi-pronged strategy.

The Challenge of Chronic Diseases on the U.S.-Mexico Border

jdunton — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

On March 17, 2010, the CSIS Americas Program, in partnership with the CSIS Global Health Policy Center, the Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF), and the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, hosted a half-day conference entitled “The Challenge of Chronic Diseases on the U.S.-Mexico Border.”

Cultivating Global Food Security

jdunton — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

These recommendations from leaders in government, business, academia, and the nongovernmental and philanthropy communities emphasize the importance of U.S. leadership and commitment to improving food security and making agriculture a priority for broader U.S. development efforts.

Agriculture, Food, and Poverty in Afghanistan

amausner — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

It has taken nearly eight years for the member countries in ISAF, and International Aid donors, to realize just how critical Afghanistan’s agricultural sector is to many of its people.

Adapting for Future Resource Challenges

mentman — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

To date, efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to slow and eventually reverse the negative impacts of a changing climate have received most of the political and popular attention afforded to the issue of climate change.

World Water Day

ian — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: What is World Water Day?

U.S. Universities and International Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

ian — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

This preliminary report focuses on the growing response of U.S. institutions of higher education to the global need for drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (“WASH”) internationally.

Agricultural Productivity in Changing Rural Worlds

jdunton — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Rural worlds are changing rapidly. Information technology has shortened the distances from remote villages to urban centers but has also sharpened the contrasts in ways of life.

U.S. Agricultural Research in a Global Food Security Setting

jdunton — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Agricultural research and development are at a crossroads. The close of the twentieth century marked changes in policy contexts, fundamental shifts in the scientific basis for agricultural R&D, and shifting funding patterns for agricultural R&D in developed countries.

Water and Agriculture: Implications for Development and Growth

jdunton — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

At a time of mounting population pressures, environmental declines, and growing demand for water, the Paul H.

Enhancing U.S. Leadership on Drinking Water and Sanitation

jdunton — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

In the United States, domestic support for greater investments in projects dedicated to improving global health through addressing water, sanitation, and hygiene issues has gathered momentum in recent years. In 2005 President George W.

South Asia Monitor: Triumphalism and Uncertainty in Post-Prabhakaran Sri Lanka - July 01, 2009

udukkipati — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The decision of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to lay down their arms and the May 19 death of their leader Velupillai Prabhakaran at the hands of the Sri Lankan army marked the end of 25 years of intermittent bloody conflict that had convulsed the island.

Declaration on U.S. Policy and the Global Challenge of Water

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The United States now has the opportunity to take a global leadership position on a critical resource—water—that will become even more critical in the future. The world over, water is intricately linked to the stability and security of communities and nations, human health, education, economic prosperity, humanitarian relief, and stewardship of the physical environment.

Global Water Futures

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

U.S. policies on the range of pressing international water-related issues—humanitarian relief, human health, economic development, environmental stewardship, and stability and security—are fragmented, underresourced, and insufficiently coordinated. In particular, both the U.S.

South Asia Monitor: Running on Empty: South Asia's Food and Fuel Crisis - August 01, 2008

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The rapid rise in global food and energy prices has created political and economic stress all over South Asia with serious strategic implications for India, Pakistan, and the region at large. The energy crisis is the most immediate. With oil hovering around $120 a barrel, developing nations with high energy demands like India and Pakistan are particularly vulnerable.

A Call for a Strategic U.S. Approach to the Global Food Crisis

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In May 2008, in response to the growing global food crisis, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) launched a task force to assess the rising humanitarian, security, developmental, and market impacts of rising food costs and shortages. Its cochairs, Senators Richard G. Lugar (R-IN) and Robert P.

The Shrinking Effectiveness of U.S. Food Aid

Online Africa Policy Forum — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Even before food prices started inching up during the 2005-06 growing season in the northern hemisphere, the World Food Program reported a troubling trend: donor countries were contributing less food for emergency relief at a time when the number of food emergencies had doubled to nearly 30 every year.

Food Riots in Haiti Threaten Progress

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In the four years since the UN Stabilization Force (MINUSTAH) entered Haiti, there has been progress in security on the streets. And after security, the political stability of the nation was advanced by a successful election that returned René Préval to a second term as president.

Water and Energy Futures in an Urbanized Asia

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Urbanization is taking the world by storm. In the last 107 years, the proportion of humanity living in cities has skyrocketed from 13 to 50 percent. This trend can be expected to continue. The United Nations predicts that 60 percent of the global population will live in cities by 2030.

Below the Surface

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

In the last few weeks, we have seen a torrent of articles and news reports on the subject.

South Asia Monitor: Running on Empty: India's Water Crisis Could Threaten Prosperity - February 8, 2007

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Residents of South Delhi's Greater Kailash neighborhood are intimately familiar with India's water-scarcity problem. Every evening in this middleclass neighborhood, the air fills with the hum of socalled booster pumps that suck water from the publicwater main and fill large overhead tanks.

AIDS and Hunger in Africa: Challenges and Responses

Online Africa Policy Forum — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0500

As the multi-faceted impact of the AIDS hyper-epidemics across southern Africa continues to intensify, we are witnessing the development of dangerous new interactions that threaten the trajectory of national social and economic development. Recognition of the complex, long-wave aspects of the AIDS crisis has been slow to dawn.

A Green Revolution for Africa

Online Africa Policy Forum — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0400

After decades of progress, grim numbers have been recorded in recent years on global hunger. This year, about 850 million people across the world do not have sufficient food. The number has been climbing.

Future Watch, July 2006: Taking Stock of Global Water Challenges and U.S. Foreign Policy

Sat, 15 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0400

U.S. policy on international water now stands at an inflection point. Late last year Congress approved legislation that would streamline the process by which U.S. international water policy was formulated and increase the level of resources allocated to water as part of U.S. development assistance.

Water Makes Sense

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Addressing Our Global Water Future

Fri, 30 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0400

On September 28, 2005, after a year of extensive background research, two conferences hosted in February and March 2005, and collaboration with several experts, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Sandia National Laboratories released a White Paper outlining the major conclusions of the Global Water Futures project.