Imagine living in a country where breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage are overshadowed by an all-encompassing silence, where the only sound is that of economic struggles and social challenges. This is the reality for many Albanians today. As someone who cares deeply about the environment and sustainable development, you might find it intriguing to explore how Albania’s pressing issues are intertwined with environmental concerns. By addressing these challenges holistically, we can pave the way for a brighter future for Albania and its citizens. Forced Migration and Environmental Degradation Economic hardship and lack of opportunities have driven many Albanians to […]
Category: Geopolitics
The Interwoven Threads of Food, Geopolitics and the Environment
Imagine sitting down to a meal with friends and family, enjoying the flavors and aromas of your favorite dishes. Now, consider how the food on your plate connects you to farmers across the globe, the policies of distant governments, and the health of our planet. Now that is a complex tapestry between food, geopolitics and environment which influences global stability, economic development, and ecological health. Understanding these interconnections is crucial for addressing the challenges of the 21st century. Food as a Geopolitical Tool Food has always been a fundamental human need, but its role extends far beyond mere sustenance. It […]
Animals in Diplomacy
The role of animals in diplomacy has often been underestimated, but if looked at carefully one will get a glimpse into a future where international relations may take a more compassionate and holistic approach.
Understanding Water Diplomacy
Water diplomacy recognizes that water is essential for life, economic development, and environmental sustainability, and that its equitable and sustainable management is crucial for social stability and peace. By fostering dialogue, building trust, and promoting joint problem-solving, water diplomacy seeks to find inclusive and sustainable solutions to water-related issues, ensuring that the needs of all stakeholders are considered and conflicts are minimized.
Geopolitics: An Introduction
Geopolitics has acquired a new dimension and responsibility in the present-day world. Its importance can be attributed to the cleavage-ridden plural society, where people seek to preserve and spread their distinctiveness and regional claims, many times organized politically. There are several determinants in geopolitics such as maritime waterways, frontiers, population composition, resources among others. Frontiers, synonymous to boundaries, have gained prominence with rise of global economy. They define the sovereignty of nations, which is closely intertwined with state resources- their utility and management contingent to the topography of the nation states. A large number of landlocked nations exist in […]
US- China Trade War amidst COVID-19
This is not the first time that the world has faced a bio-threat. Back in 2003, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak resulted in 8000 cases and 800 deaths. The world came together, acting promptly by imposing immediate quarantine in some cases community quarantine and syndromic surveillance to contain the pandemic. Cut to 2020, we are faced with a new pandemic (COVID-19) and the world cannot be more divided than this. While there are lives lost in excess of 15000 world over to this virus, nations are yet to, China & the US, come together and fight this pandemic. Rather, […]
Geopolitical Realities of Resource Rich Africa (Part Two)
One of the salient aspects of the African geopolitics, as discussed in the earlier post, is the covetousness of African natural resources. Both the global powers and the emerging powers are interested in getting access to these African riches (environment resource), which in turn determines the nature of political relations between the countries and individual African States. However, natural resource richness can also lead to disparities within states threatening to hamper any kind of cooperation. As such, there are two factors influencing this fragmentation: Natural distribution of resources, making some countries more affluent than others. For instance, Africa is well […]
Geopolitical Realities of Resource Rich Africa (Part One)
Natural topography shares a complex relationship with the economy, polity and society of a country. Representing the geographical aspect— which includes physical landscape (mountains, waterbodies etc.), human elements and natural resources— it plays a critical role in shaping the international relations of States. This is reflected specially in case of Africa which is well endowed with natural resources, and has significant reserves of minerals and raw materials in comparison to the world; sometimes of minerals unique only to the continent, such as coltan. This has enabled the African nations to build strategic foreign relations and form geopolitical equations with countries […]
India and its Energy Sovereignty
In recent times, India has been pitted to overtake Japan as the third largest economy by 2030 and yet the India’s macro-economy doesn’t seem to be robust as the rupee has continued to slide against downwards, and can be expected to be cheaper than ever by end of the year. Part of the problem lies in India’s dependency on oil imports. Until now India had a smooth ride owing to the oil price crash from $100 to $40. However, now the prices have climbed back to $75 making India vulnerable to factors such as inflation, increasing current account deficit and […]
THE POLITICS OF SUSTAINABLITY
The years 1992 and 2015 are historic for the environment movement, wherein each of the years witnessed important treaties and conferences, redefining plethora of academic and policy initiatives of past, present and future. Be it the Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Climate Treaty, Agenda 21 or Rio Declaration on Environment and Development among others. These signal to a major shift in international commitments to both sustainability and development. Conversely, pinning down the technical, normative or political definitions of sustainability is a difficult prospect. Over the years, especially due to rising incidence of natural catastrophe, it has come to resonate more with […]
