Sustainable Development and Resilience Initiative

Leading research and independent analysis on the economic security, business, political, and U.S. foreign policy implications of a changing landscape for global development support and extreme weather

Photo: iLab/CSIS

The world needs public and private investments that advance economic development and resilience in ways that are prudent, market-building, and highly effective. The Sustainable Development and Resilience Initiative is a research and education effort focused on applying an economic security and risk management lens to issues of mounting physical risks and resilience across the Global South. This initiative aims to better inform future approaches and pressing political dialogues at the heart of United States decision-making on global engagement. Keys to success include responsible U.S. engagement, bipartisan political support, innovative business-minded investments, and a wider ecosystem of partners across sectors willing to develop and test various ideas for advancing and improving policies and programs.

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Media Queries

Featured Content

Disasters Are Getting Worse. Is Insurance the Key to Global Resilience?

Video — November 14, 2025

Program Launch Video

All Sustainable Development and Resilience Initiative Content

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Disaster Risk Financing in Real Time: Ghana Case Study

Recognizing the growing impacts of climate change and the increased importance of preparation for extreme weather events, the government of Ghana has undertaken several steps in recent years to enhance resilience by securing prearranged financing for disasters.

Report by Noam Unger and Madeleine McLean — January 12, 2026

Audio Briefs

Experts React: Progress and Setbacks at COP30

An audio version of “Experts React: Progress and Setbacks at COP30,” a new Commentary by CSIS’s Leslie Abrahams, Jane Nakano, Noam Unger, J. Stephen Morrison, Katherine E. Bliss, Mathias Zacarias, Ray Cai, and Alexis Burns. This audio was generated using text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Leslie Abrahams, Jane Nakano, Noam Unger, J. Stephen Morrison, Katherine E. Bliss, Mathias Zacarias, Ray Cai, and Alexis Burns — November 25, 2025

Audio Briefs

Experts React: Progress and Setbacks at COP30

COP30 showcased noteworthy progress while exposing persistent roadblocks in global climate diplomacy. CSIS experts react to the conference’s most significant outcomes and their implications for the future of climate, energy, health, development, and the COP process at large.

Commentary by Leslie Abrahams, Jane Nakano, Noam Unger, J. Stephen Morrison, Katherine E. Bliss, Mathias Zacarias, Ray Cai, and Alexis Burns — November 25, 2025

A New Landscape for Development: Examining Impacts, Capabilities, and Opportunities

Cuts to foreign assistance have been among the most sweeping changes of the second Trump administration. This compendium dives deep into the impacts on fields across the development ecosystem and potential opportunities within this new landscape.

Digital Report by Hadeil Ali, Andrew Friedman, Noam Unger, J. Stephen Morrison, Katherine E. Bliss, Romina Bandura, Caitlin Welsh, David Michel, Rose Parker, and Joely Virzi — November 13, 2025

A New Landscape for Development

Cuts to foreign assistance have been among the most sweeping changes of the second Trump administration. This compendium dives deep into the impacts on fields across the development ecosystem and potential opportunities within this new landscape.

Digital Report by Enoh T. Ebong, Noam Unger, Andrew Friedman, and Hadeil Ali — November 13, 2025