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Kazakhstan: Wheat, Climate and Global Stability
Kazakhstan is huge, and hugely important on the international scene, yet we rarely hear about it. In terms of land mass, Kazakhstan is a massive country – the ninth largest in the world. It is also one of the largest producers of wheat, featuring in the top ten list of nations for that distinction.
It’s wheat-production capacity places it at the center of a Central Asian triumvirate that is critical for maintaining the stability of the global food market. According to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (and as highlighted in a recent piece on Al Jazeera), Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine alone have the capacity to meet “half of the world’s grain export needs.” (more…)
Security Implications of Glacial Melt in Central Asia
The Central Asian region is of critical strategic importance to the United States and its NATO allies. That is why, on top of environmental and humanitarian concerns associated with the phenomenon, rapid glacial melt in the region should be a top concern for national security planners and practitioners. (more…)
When National Disasters Go Global: Drought in the U.S., Food and Global Insecurity
This blog post also appeared on the humanitarian news site AlertNet, as well as Climate Progress and Reuters.
The national Drought Monitor recently declared a drought for almost 80% of the contiguous United States, ranging in intensity from “abnormally dry” to “drought-exceptional.” Five days ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture followed by declaring disasters in 26 U.S. states. This is the largest national disaster area ever declared. But while the drought is obviously a serious concern for the U.S. (historically, droughts are the nation’s most costly natural disaster), it also has worrying implications for other countries that are tied to the U.S. through the global food market. Coupled with other recent extreme weather events across the globe, the U.S. drought could have a globally destabilizing influence. And while it is too early to tell exactly why these events are happening, in the way that they are happening, recent reports show that climatic changes are a part of the story. (more…)
Putin’s Flood: Climatic Events, Governance and Global Security
Climate change will place enormous stresses on the fragile states of the world, but it also has the capacity to affect the ability of more developed nations to govern effectively, which will have consequences for global security. Take Russia. Last week’s floods in the Krasnodar region were the worst natural disaster in the area in a decade, bringing a month worth of rain in a matter of hours. A recent Foreign Policy article asks the question of whether or not the devastating floods were “Putin’s Katrina.” Criticisms rest on the government’s inability to warn citizens before the flood, and get them out of harm’s way. Despite seemingly being a failure of local governance, a torrent of blame is being aimed at the national government, and government in general. More blame may be on the horizon, as the floods damage critical Russian grain, metal and crude oil exports. (more…)