Extreme Heat and Global Security

A potentially historic El Niño is driving extreme heat worldwide and testing economies, workforces, and national security. CSIS scholars analyze how rising temperatures are reshaping economic growth, workforce productivity, and global competitiveness.

The Heat Tax: India, South Asia, and the New Economics of Heat Readiness

Commentary by Anjali Kaur — June 30, 2026

The Latest on Southeast Asia: “Super-charged” El Niño Impacting Southeast Asia

Blog Post by Lauren Mai — September 3, 2026

Profit from Preparation: Innovations and Opportunities in Disaster Risk Financing in Developing Countries

Report by Noam Unger and Madeleine McLean

Ocean Warming: A Livelihood Threat to Ghana’s Coastal Fishers

Commentary by Emmanuel Akyeampong, John M. Kusimi, and Robert Paarlberg

Disaster Risk Financing in Fragile Contexts: Syria Case Study

Report by Noam Unger and Madeleine McLean

Opportunity Amid Austerity: Three Principles for Resilient Agricultural Growth

Commentary by Colin Christensen

Taiwan’s Climate Adaptation Leadership in the Caribbean: Technology, Capacity, and Strategic Cooperation

Brief by Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Joseph Ruelas, and Isabel Teran

Food and Water Security

Photo: FREDERICK FLORIN/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: FREDERICK FLORIN/AFP/Getty Images
AI and Global Food Security: A Focus on Early Warning Systems

AI promises to improve food security early warning systems, which help inform decisionmakers and prevent hunger before it arises. CSIS experts unpack the risks and benefits of AI-enabled tools for food security early warning systems around the world.

Critical Questions by Emma Curtis, Zane Swanson, and Caitlin Welsh — January 20, 2026

Illustration representing AI applications for food security
The Next Food Revolution: AI to Fight World Hunger

As pressures on global food systems grow, AI could transform how the world anticipates crises, develops improved crops, and produces food. CSIS experts explore how AI can help build a more food-secure world, and what is needed to fulfill its promise and mitigate its risks.

Thumbnail for Securing Africa’s Future Water Needs report
Securing Africa’s Future Water Needs

Sub-Saharan Africa is the world’s most water-insecure region. Its future wellbeing depends on solving its water resource challenges. CSIS examines how governments, service providers, donors, and communities working together can build sustainable water systems.

A woman carries water in front of a surreal desert sunset

Created by Sarah Grace with footage from Getty and Storyblocks
Troubling Waters: Understanding Global Water Security

As the ramifications of the global water crisis grow in scope and severity, understanding the manifold and devastating consequences of water insecurity—in all its forms—is increasingly critical to safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of billions around the world.

“Super-Charged” El Niño impacting Southeast Asia

Photo: CSIS
Beyond the Gulf: How the Iran War Is Fueling Crisis in the Horn of Africa

Featured Videos

Innovations in Disaster Risk Financing

Experts

Noam Unger

Noam Unger

Vice President, Global Development Department and Director, Sustainable Development and Resilience Initiative
Katherine E. Bliss

Katherine E. Bliss

Director and Senior Fellow, Immunizations and Health Systems Resilience, Global Health Policy Center
Caitlin Welsh

Caitlin Welsh

Director, Global Food and Water Security Program
Gregory B. Poling

Gregory B. Poling

Director and Senior Fellow, Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative
Jon B. Alterman

Zane Swanson

Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Global Food and Water Security Program

Related Programs

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The Next Food Revolution: AI to Fight World Hunger

As pressures on global food systems grow, AI could transform how the world anticipates crises, develops improved crops, and produces food. CSIS experts explore how AI can help build a more food-secure world, and what is needed to fulfill its promise and mitigate its risks.

Digital Feature by Zane Swanson, Emma Curtis, Joely Virzi, and Caitlin Welsh — September 17, 2026

The Heat Tax: India, South Asia, and the New Economics of Heat Readiness

Extreme heat is no longer a seasonal hardship in South Asia; it's a structural economic constraint. India lost 247 billion potential labor hours to heat in 2024. The question is whether governments and investors will fund prevention before the losses become unavoidable. 

Commentary by Anjali Kaur — June 30, 2026

Securing Africa’s Future Water Needs

Sub-Saharan Africa is the world’s most water-insecure region. Its future wellbeing depends on solving its water resource challenges. CSIS examines how governments, service providers, donors, and communities working together can build sustainable water systems.

Digital Feature by David Michel — January 29, 2026

AI and Global Food Security: A Focus on Early Warning Systems

AI promises to improve food security early warning systems, which help inform decisionmakers and prevent hunger before it arises. CSIS experts unpack the risks and benefits of AI-enabled tools for food security early warning systems around the world.

Critical Questions by Emma Curtis, Zane Swanson, and Caitlin Welsh — January 20, 2026