With nearly sixty percent of total disaster-related deaths — more than two million since 1970 — the Indo-Pacific is the most disaster-prone region in the world. This number should not come as a surprise considering the region’s massive population, the number of people living at or near coastal areas, and… read more
Perspectives on Chinese Lending and Implications for Oceania
This blog was updated on 7 March 2020 from its original version. China’s lending levels and loan-issuing practices are increasingly topics of analysis for governments and policy wonks. Assessing China’s intentions, its massive Marshall Plan-esque foreign development strategy — the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — and stories of debt… read more
TERA in Oceania: What Does Twenty-first Century Resiliency Look Like?
Oceania needs climate action now. The question is: What kind of action? The impetus for action in Oceania is increasingly focused on adaptation strategies and building resiliency since mitigation efforts have long gestation periods. Adaptation and Resiliency Adaptation is the easier of the two to conceptualize — and recognize. Atoll… read more
Yes, Oceania is Strategically Important: A Case Study on the Marshall Islands
Oceania, a region unknown to many, has an outsized importance to the United States, and it is time the US started paying closer attention. A closer look at the Marshall Islands reveals the region’s historic military importance, American responsibilities in the region, how climate change will increase those responsibilities, and… read more