Episode 284: Eyes on the Earth, Power in Orbit: Climate Intelligence and the New Geography of Geopolitical Risk with Sabrina Alam

Programme created and produced by Katerina Mazzucchelli  Today, Dominic Bowen hosts Sabrina Alam on The International Risk Podcast to explore the intersection of Earth observation, ESG verification, and the geopolitics of space-based data. They discuss how satellites have become central to sustainability reporting, climate monitoring, and economic decision-making, while also forming part of critical infrastructure and…

Episode 283: Humanitarian Crisis in the Sahel with Dr. Jessica Moody

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil The Sahel stands at a crossroad, it is torn by crisis, instability, and shifting power. Join Dr. Jessica Moody and Dominic Bowen as they dive deep into the region’s unfolding humanitarian emergency. What does ECOWAS’s withdrawal mean for the people? How is Russian influence rewriting the rules? And why are jihadist groups gaining ground?…

Episode 282: Live from Ukraine with Dominic Bowen: The Frontlines of Resilience and the Future of Leadership

Today, our host Dominic Bowen joins live from Ukraine on The International Risk Podcast for a special episode examining resilience, leadership, and hybrid warfare in the heart of Europe’s most critical conflict. In conversation with one of our international relations specialist, Dominic reflects on daily life in Kyiv amid the largest drone and missile attacks since the full-scale invasion…

Episode 281: Protests and Public Dissident in Serbia with Vjosa Musliu

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil In this episode, Dominic Bowen hosts Vjosa Musliu to analyse the growing wave of protests and dissent across Serbia. Together, they examine the EU’s influence, the controversial lithium extraction agreement, and the role of media bias in shaping public opinion. From political repression to Serbia–Kosovo tensions, they trace how civil rights and democracy are…

Episode 280: Paralysis by Consensus: The Collapse of the Plastic Treaty Talks with Christina Dixon and Alexandra Harrington

I am Dominic Bowen, and I am the host of the International Risk Podcast. At 7am on the 15th of August, after ten days of marathon sessions and a final overtime session that stretched more than 24 hours, the Chair of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution formally adjourned INC-5.2. What was meant…

Episode 279: The Role of Organised Crime Groups in The Amazon with César Muñoz Acebes

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil In this episode, Dominic Bowen is joined by César Muñoz Acebes to examine the deepening crisis in the Amazon. They unpack the role of organized crime in environmental destruction, the links to drug trafficking and illegal economies, and the devastating consequences for local communities and global stability. A critical look at how crime, politics,…

Episode 278: Post-Quantum Cryptography and Global Infrastructure Risk with Dr. Michele Mosca

Today, Dominic Bowen hosts Dr. Michele Mosca on The International Risk Podcast to explore the global urgency surrounding post-quantum cryptography and the risks quantum computing poses to modern infrastructure. They discuss how the question is no longer if but when quantum computers will break today’s encryption, the implications for global finance and critical systems, and what governments, businesses, and institutions must do…

Episode 277: Skyrocketing gold prices: 2025 geopolitical risks and trends

On October 7th, 2025, gold prices soared to an all-time high of over US$4000 an ounce, and reached about US$4,380 an ounce on October 20th, a new peak that challenges even the inflation-adjusted records of the 1980s.  Today, we are joined by Dr. Moshe Lander. Moshe is a Canadian economist and Senior Lecturer at Concordia University,…

Episode 276: China’s Push to Build the World’s Largest Hydropower Dam System in Tibet

On 19 July 2025, China began construction on a 60,000-megawatt hydropower project at Medog, with three times the output of Three Gorges and roughly the UK’s entire annual power production. This is a 1.2-trillion-yuan investment (USD 170B) that Beijing frames as clean energy and development. It is located in southeast Tibert, and only 30km upstream…

Episode 275: Hybrid Warfare: The New Normal with Cormac Smith

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil Dive into the ongoing war with Cormac Smith today. Dominic and Cormac discuss Mariupol, whether the war can be considered genocide, the disinformation war, the reality of Russian aggression, war crimes, hybrid warfare, the need for unity, and more! Today we are joined by Cormac Smith. Cormac works at the intersection of…