This summer, brutally hot temperatures, deepening water scarcity, and spiking fertilizer costs have put North Africa’s agricultural sector under intense pressure. Host Alistair Taylor is joined by Mohammed Mahmoud, CEO and founder of the Climate and Water Initiative and lead for Middle East Climate and Water Policy at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health, to unpack the region’s food and water security challenges. Drawing on Mahmoud’s new report card on agricultural sustainability in North Africa, they explore the diverging picture across the region, why some countries have weathered the strain better than others, and what it will take to build a more resilient and secure food system.
Outlook for Sustainable Agriculture in North Africa: Report Card Assessment
This report assesses the future sustainability of agriculture across North Africa using a multidimensional approach that considers the dynamics of water, climate, land, and economics. To enable this assessment of sustainable agriculture across the region, the author evaluates water resources reliability, water use efficiency, agricultural land sustainability, and the food sector economy for Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania, and provides recommendations for action.
When the Strait of Hormuz closed in March, fertilizer prices spiked within weeks, triggering a food security crisis across North Africa and the Sahel. Host Alistair Taylor is joined by MEI Senior Fellow Intissar Fakir to explore what it means for the region, unpack the link between food security and regional stability, and assess how the strait’s reopening could impact those affected.
What more can be done to resolve the problem in Western Sahara?
Mr. (Carne) Ross, Undersecretary General Miyet, and I have be trading opinions for six months and it is clear that Mr. Ross has no intention to propose or agree on any kind of political settlement or compromise, regardless of arguments to the contrary. It is time to quit deluding ourselves and allowing the refugees to be used as hostages in an effort to advance the cause of a few thousand Polisario rebels. Rather, we should reach out together for a common middle-ground solution.
This Opinion was first published on Reuters.com on October 11, 2012
Assertions and opinions in this policy paper are solely those of the above-mentioned author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Middle East Institute, which expressly does not take positions on Middle East policy.
After Benghazi: Diplomacy With a State; War Within
This article was first published by The Huffington Post on October 2, 2012
Assertions and opinions in this publication are solely those of the above-mentioned author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Middle East Institute, which expressly does not take positions on Middle East policy.
Libya, the third largest country in the African continent (1.75 million km²), shares 4,400 km of border with six other countries, four of which are Arab countries. It has a vast coastal area on the Mediterranean (nearly 2,000 km). For such a large country, its population density is very thin — there are barely six million inhabitants.
Slain U.S. Ambassador Thrived On Tough Assignments
This story first appeared on NPR.com on September 12, 2012
Chris Stevens, the U.S. ambassador killed in an attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was a very special diplomat. He made a career of going to difficult places and insisting that he witness tumultuous events firsthand.
Stabilizing the Sinai Peninsula – An Agenda For Action
MEI Podcast, 7 September, 2012 Foundation for Middle East Peace, Middle East Institute, Churches for Middle East Peace, and Americans for Peace Now invite you to a program Stabilizing the Sinai Peninsula – An Agenda For Action with Ambassador (ret.) Arthur Hughes Former Director General of the Sinai Multinational Forces and Observers (MFO) and Geoffrey Aronson Director for Research and Publications Foundation for Middle East Peace Friday September 7, 12:00-1:30 PM Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 1779 Massachusetts Ave., NW Washington, DC Rising lawlessness and violence and an inc
Stabilizing the Sinai Peninsula – An Agenda For Action
MEI Podcast, 7 September, 2012 Foundation for Middle East Peace, Middle East Institute, Churches for Middle East Peace, and Americans for Peace Now invite you to a program Stabilizing the Sinai Peninsula – An Agenda For Action with Ambassador (ret.) Arthur Hughes Former Director General of the Sinai Multinational Forces and Observers (MFO) and Geoffrey Aronson Director for Research and Publications Foundation for Middle East Peace Friday September 7, 12:00-1:30 PM Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 1779 Massachusetts Ave., NW Washington, DC Rising lawlessness and violence and an inc
تُعد المجلة الرئيسية لمعهد الشرق الأوسط أقدم مطبوعة محكّمة مكرّسة لدراسة الشرق الأوسط الحديث، وتغطي المجلة الرئيسية في المعهد السياسة والمجتمع والثقافة في المنطقة.
