Dear Friends of the Environmental Security Program, 

Since the Environmental Security Program began its work four years ago, the sustainable and cooperative management of shared water resources has constituted a critical component of our research, analysis, and public engagement. Today, we are launching a new website, “Conflict Basins: Regions at Risk,” to serve as the knowledge hub for this endeavor. The site features an introduction to our work and links to our publications and analyses. In the coming days and months we will be adding new research, upcoming projects, and additional features including video, animated graphics, and podcasts. We invite you to come visit the site, and to return in the future, to follow our continuing efforts and to share your own work and suggestions.

Around the world, decision makers must increasingly navigate difficult choices and trade-offs as water demand in many major transboundary basins approaches or even exceeds available renewable supplies. In the coming years, expanding economies, growing populations, and continuing global climate change will place unprecedented new pressures on the world’s fresh water. Sharpening competition between countries and communities dependent upon the same rivers and aquifers couldundermine regional stability and threaten international security.

The Environmental Security Program has identified eight of these “conflict basins” for further study, seeking to illuminate the emerging governance challenges and to advance cooperative strategies to manage crucial common water sources. Stimson is currently conducting research on the Niger, Nile, Indus, and Mekong basins – as well as on civil society initiatives to improve collaboration on transboundary rivers worldwide – and plans to extend this effort to the other basins in the future.

As always, we welcome your support and look forward to opportunities to work together going forward.

Warm regards,

David Michel

Director, Environmental Security Program