Latest Stories
Jul 22, 2019
Iraq races to save last of Middle East's forests from burning
Firefighters and police are up against illegal loggers, border guards—and ISIS.
Jun 17, 2019
This vanishing forest protects the coasts—and lives—of two countries
Rising waters and illicit logging are killing the trees in the Sundarbans, the natural wall that protects the India-Bangladesh coast.
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,…
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.
Jan 16, 2019
The slow crawl towards water disaster
From drought to dam dramas, the Middle East continued its grim water trajectory in 2018