Global Food and Water Security Program

Leading research, analysis, and policy recommendations to improve global food and water security

Around the world, food insecurity and malnutrition contribute to social and political unrest, and thwart human and economic development. Russia’s war in Ukraine has disrupted global agricultural markets and worsened food insecurity among nations already dealing with the lingering shocks from Covid-19, ongoing effects of regional conflict, and increasing impacts of climate change. And while climate change is limiting access to freshwater, demand for freshwater is increasing across sectors—including agriculture, which accounts for the majority of global freshwater use and is the greatest nonpoint source of water pollution. Water security at the household level is likewise critical to food security and nutrition everywhere.

The CSIS Global Food and Water Security Program conducts independent research and analysis and provides policy recommendations to address dynamic threats to global food security and global water security, with a distinct focus on the relationship between global food and water security policy under the CSIS Project on Water Security. 

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Photo: Copernicus Sentinel Data 2025

Photo: Copernicus Sentinel Data 2025

Satellite Imagery Shows Tehran’s Accelerating Water Crisis

Tehran’s water crisis is rapidly worsening, as imagery analysis shows its key reservoirs fall far below typical seasonal levels amid years of sustained drought. 

Commentary by David Michel, Will Todman, and Jennifer Jun — November 25, 2025

Tracking Gaza’s Descent into Famine

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CSIS Charts — August 22, 2025

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What Causes Water Conflict?

Growing water demands, mounting environmental stresses, and poor management practices increasingly strain global water supplies. Violent conflicts over access to and control of water systems are rapidly rising as competing users assert their claims to vital resources.

Commentary by David Michel — November 8, 2024

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

Ocean warming has made the collapse of Ghana’s fisheries virtually inevitable, and overfishing by foreign and local fishers contributes to the problem. CSIS-affiliated experts share insights on transitioning Ghana’s coastal fishing communities to alternate livelihoods. 

Commentary by Emmanuel Akyeampong, John M. Kusimi, and Robert Paarlberg — October 8, 2024

Audio Briefs

Conflict, Hunger, and Famine in Sudan

An audio version of “Conflict, Hunger, and Famine in Sudan,” a new Critical Questions by CSIS’s Zane Swanson, Anita Kirschenbaum, and Caitlin Welsh. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Zane Swanson, Anita Kirschenbaum, and Caitlin Welsh — September 16, 2024

Audio Briefs

Conflict, Hunger, and Famine in Sudan

Less than two years after the outbreak of civil war, famine conditions are confirmed in Sudan. With ceasefire talks faltering and a near-complete lack of humanitarian access, conditions continue to deteriorate for 26 million Sudanese facing acute food insecurity.

Critical Questions by Zane Swanson, Anita Kirschenbaum, and Caitlin Welsh — September 11, 2024

Roadmap to Resilience: USAID's Updated Resilience Policy

Join the CSIS Global Food and Water Security Program for a discussion on USAID's updated Resilience Policy for improving the well-being of people, communities, and countries in the face of increased shocks and stresses.

Event — July 30, 2024

Roadmap to Resilience: USAID’s Updated Resilience Policy

The CSIS Food and Water Security Program hosted an international expert panel to discuss the enduring relevance of resilience in global development and how USAID's Resilience Policy will contribute to greater impact and more efficient implementation of our collective programming.

Transcript — July 30, 2024

Audio Briefs

Gaza: The Impacts of Famine Will Last Generations

An audio version of “Gaza: The Impacts of Famine Will Last Generations,” a new Critical Questions by CSIS’s Zane Swanson and Caitlin Welsh. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Zane Swanson and Caitlin Welsh — June 21, 2024

Audio Briefs

Gaza: The Impacts of Famine Will Last Generations

The consequences of famine and war are not resolved when the fighting stops. CSIS experts Zane Swanson and Caitlin Welsh discuss how Gazans will likely carry the physical, mental, and social impacts of hunger and conflict throughout their lives and across generations.

Critical Questions by Zane Swanson and Caitlin Welsh — June 20, 2024

Audio Briefs

From Farm to Ship to Fork: The Role of Maritime Insurance in Facilitating Global Food Trade

An audio version of “From Farm to Ship to Fork: The Role of Maritime Insurance in Facilitating Global Food Trade,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Thibault Denamiel, Emma Dodd, Joseph Glauber, William Alan Reinsch, and Caitlin Welsh. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Thibault Denamiel, Emma Curtis, Joseph Glauber, William Alan Reinsch, and Caitlin Welsh — June 11, 2024

Audio Briefs