One year after the Draghi Report Conference | Berend Kwak & Ron Stoop
HCSS Strategic Analysts Ron Stoop and Berend Kwak joined the European Commission’s High-Level Conference: One Year After the Draghi Report. Attended by Ursula von der Leyen, Mario Draghi and leading voices from academia, think tanks, business, European institutions, Ron and Berend were invited thanks to their publication of the HCSS Draghi Report Series last year, which explores the long-term implications of Draghi’s recommendations. Read to find out which 6 key messages stood out from the Conference and keep an eye out for the second edition of this series, reflecting on Draghi's vision one year later.
ISPI | Laura Birkman in MED This Week on developments in the MENA region
Laura Birkman contributed to the ISPI’s MED This Week newsletter. The MENA region, already grappling with instability and conflicts, is also facing the growing impact of climate change. Laura Birkman gives her perspective on The Iraqi-Turkish dilemma: can water crisis pave the way for better cooperation?
New Paper | Uncovering the Climate–Conflict Link: Mapping the Causal Pathways in Iraq
Environmental conditions like drought, heat, and soil stress are increasingly linked to armed conflict, but the exact pathways remain unclear. In a new study, Ninoslav Malekovic, Maarten Vonk, Laura Birkman, and Tim Sweijs use advanced causal analysis on Iraqi subdistricts to reveal how these conditions—especially when paired with high energy demand and dense populations—can drive violence through complex chains of resource and demographic pressure. Their findings highlight where and why conflict is more likely, offering a foundation for targeted interventions to prevent violence before it unfolds.
