This week on Babel, McKinley Knoop interviews Jon Alterman, Natasha Hall, and Will Todman about the Middle East Program's new report, "Sustainable States: Environment, Governance, and the Future of the Middle East." They discuss the origins of the report, the crucial role of trust in public service provision and governance, and how the team conducted research during the Covid-19 pandemic. To end, Jon talks about why think tanks and security-minded policymakers in Washington should care about seemingly mundane topics, like public utilities and local governance.

Jon Alterman, Natasha Hall, and Will Todman, "Sustainable States: Environment, Governance, and the Future of the Middle East," CSIS, April 2021.

Jon Alterman, Natasha Hall, and Will Todman, "Sustainable States: On the Ground," CSIS, April 2021.

Wassim Chaabane, "Decentralized Waste Management in MENA Countries: Lessons from Tunisia," CSIS, May 6, 2021.

Mohammed Al-Saidi, "Virtue out of Necessity: Yemen’s Lessons on Resilience and Infrastructure Planning," CSIS, March 25, 2021.

Jessica Obeid, "Failure to Power: The Need for Decentralized Renewable Energy Models," CSIS, March 18, 2021.

Karim Elgendy, "Post-Oil Cities in the MENA Region: Lessons from Doha," CSIS, March 18, 2021.