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Syria’s Environmental Woes Fueled Its Long Conflict. Left Unaddressed, They Will Do So Again.
February 28th, 2026
Via New Security Beat, a look at Syria’s environmental woes: I recently returned to Syria for my first peacetime visit. Unsurprisingly, the country is an awful mess. The destruction is somehow slightly more conspicuous than it seemed through a number of trips between 2014 and 2022. People’s exhaustion is palpable, and the economic situation is […]
Read more »Breaking Down Russia’s War on Ukraine’s Water
February 24th, 2026
For four years, Russia has relentlessly attacked not only Ukraine’s territory and troops, but also its vital water systems and resources—from missile strikes on dams to the shelling of water treatment plants and pumping stations. CSIS’s David Michel explains how Russia has weaponized water as a tool of war and the lasting impacts these attacks […]
Read more »Kazakhstan Battles Shrinking Caspian Sea To Keep Key Sectors Churning
February 20th, 2026
Via Nikkei Asia, a look at how Kazakhstan is battling a shrinking Caspian Sea to keep key sectors churning: From Aktau’s seaside promenade, a stretch of gorse flecked with ice separates the city from the waves. The sea, already more than 30 meters from the embankment, is still receding. “You can’t fail to notice it,” […]
Read more »Corpus Christi Tries to Drill its Way Out of a Water Crisis
February 20th, 2026
Via Texas Tribune, an article on how – after killing planned desalination plant – Corpus Christi is trying to drill its way out of a water crisis: After an industrial building boom on Corpus Christi Bay, the city is drilling wells to meet water demand, and rural Nueces County residents say their own wells are […]
Read more »North Koreans Buy River Water From Pullcarts As Pipes Freeze Solid
February 16th, 2026
Via NK News, a report on how newcomers are undercutting established sellers while families mobilize school children to pull handcarts, making water sales a new way to earn amid commerce collapse: Cases of water pipes freezing or exploding have occurred throughout the northern regions of North Korea amid a protracted cold spell. Locals are taking water directly […]
Read more »The Energy Boom Is Coming for Great Lakes Water
February 14th, 2026
Via Circle of Blue, a report on how the Great Lakes’ region’s decision on how to power its growth will determine the future of the Great Lakes: A six-decade history in the Great Lakes region of ecosystem and water protection is being put to the test as a dynamic era of energy investment, rising electricity […]
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