USIP’s Raymond Gilpin, director of the Center for Sustainable Economies, talks about the big projects in 2012 to help Afghanistan, Nigeria, and other countries manage their natural resources – and what the center will focus on in 2013.
January 10, 2012
USIP’s Raymond Gilpin, director of the Center for Sustainable Economies, talks about the big projects in 2012 to help Afghanistan, Nigeria, and other countries manage their natural resources – and what the center will focus on in 2013.
- In Afghanistan: “The potential reduction in foreign assistance and the drawn down in U.S. troop levels has been a challenge for Afghanistan fiscally and in terms of political preparedness. An important dimension to this question is whether or not Afghanistan’s wealth of mineral resources will be part of the solution or part of the problem,” says Gilpin.
- In Nigeria: “USIP’s project in Nigeria statistically analyzes the relationship between attacks on energy infrastructure and prospects for economic development and peace in Niger delta area and Nigeria as a whole.”
- Looking forward: According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Pakistan will be severely water-stressed country by 2030. “USIP’s project in this area tries to find way to insure that Pakistan is prepared, not just to adapt, but also to mitigate some of the supply-side issues and focus more strategically on the demand-side challenges,” says Gilpin.