Latest Stories
Apr 9, 2019
An invasive, thorny tree is taking over Africa—can it be stopped?
Mesquite was introduced on purpose from the New World, but the dream of a helpful tree soon turned into a nightmare.
Apr 2, 2019
Sudan’s Bid to Feed the Middle East Left Its Own People Furious
The country could be one of the world’s great breadbaskets. Instead, land disputes and steep food prices have pushed it to the brink.
Mar 30, 2019
The Middle East’s Authoritarians Have Come for Conservationists
Environmental activists pushing for clean water, restrictions on poaching, and action on climate change have faced prison—or worse
Mar 5, 2019
The Brewing Storm: Climate Security Risks in a Fast-Warming North Africa
North Africa is by most measures already an exceedingly hostile environment. It has relatively little arable land, next to no rainfall beyond the narrow coastal strip, and extreme temperature highs, which regularly top 45°C. Such is the region’s stark...
Feb 13, 2019
The History of Poisoning the Well
From ancient Mesopotamia to modern-day Iraq, the threat to a region’s water supply is the cruelest cut of all
Jan 25, 2019
Drought turns part of Iran into a new dust bowl
In this corner of the Middle East, a changing climate and debilitating dust storms have brought life to a standstill.