The International Risk Podcast

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 to be the final round of talks on a global plastic treaty ended not with...

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, and the environment intersect in one of the world’...

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, busi...

In this episode, Dominic Bowen and Dr. Moshe Lander discuss the recent spike in gold prices in $ per ounce, which is unprecedented.  Find out more about what pushes gold trends, from uncertain geopolitical trends to Trump’s threats on tariffs, and an overall mistrust in governments and institutions worldwide. The conversation also addresses the psychological aspect of the trust in gold as a secure...

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 170 B) that Beijing frames as clean energy and development. It is located in southeast Tibert, and only 30km upstream of India. Delhi hears strategic risk. Tibetans se...

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 authentic leadership & effective communication. He travelled to Ukraine...

In this episode , Dominic Bowen and Dr. Arian Sharifi discuss the events leading to the fall of Kabul in August 2021   and the rise of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan.   Find out more about what the Taliban have implemented in the country, how they managed to secure most of the territory from terrorism, and set a record of complete control of the territory in 50 years since the departure of th...

Today Dominic Bowen hosts Professor Adam Chalmers on The International Risk Podcast to explore the global race for leadership in artificial intelligence. They discuss the United States’ AI Action Plan and China’s AI Plus Plan , how these competing strategies reveal different models of governance, regulation, and ideology, and what this competition means for innovation, global influence, and risk....

Pakistan is once again underwater. In the country’s north—specifically the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—torrential monsoon rains dropped 150 millimeters in under an hour. That’s six inches of rain, fast enough to overwhelm any drainage system. But here, it didn’t just flood streets—it destroyed entire communities. At least 700 people are dead. Over 100 are missing. And in Bishnoi village, 50% of...

Today Dominic Bowen hosts Doug Livermore on the podcast to discuss the rise of authoritarian alliances. They dive into the growing cooperation between China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and their proxies, the economic and military dependencies that underpin these relationships, how authoritarian regimes leverage propaganda and “unrestricted warfare,” the role of countries like Venezuela, Sudan, and...

Today Dominic Bowen hosts Broderick McDonald on the podcast to discuss the future of Syria. They dive into the different external actors and their interests, the challenges that the new government of Syria is facing, the fine line of institutional reform and unity, the need for inclusion of the minority groups, what the impact is of sanctions relief, lessons from Syria for global conflict, and muc...

In this episode Dominic Bowen speaks with Shayan Talabany , Senior Analyst and Advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change , about shifting U.S. strategies in the Middle East and what they mean for governance, security, and economic opportunity across the region. They explore how the U.S. retreat from interventionism is reshaping regional power balances, whether self-reliance can bring s...

When we think about flashpoints between India and Pakistan, most people picture borders, bombs, or Kashmir. But the most strategic weapon in South Asia today may not be nuclear—it’s water. The Indus Water Treaty has been called one of the world’s most successful peace agreements, surviving wars, nuclear standoffs, and decades of political hostility. But in April this year, India suspended the trea...

With the Zapad Military exercises occurring again near the Polish border, Dominic Bowen has Antoine Renaux on the podcast. They analyse the challenges of NATO, Russia's probing operations, NATO's response, and more importantly, NATO's preparedness. Find out more about Article 5 and the potential scenarios, why hybrid warfare and cyber attacks are the future and the geopolitical risk...

The student-led protests in Serbia have been going on for months. Today we have Saša Dobrijević on the podcast to discuss: The government response to the protests The current situation in Belgrade What the Drivers are behind the Protest Government Manipulation Media Influence International Influence International Relations And much more! Saša Dobrijević is an international journalist and reporter...

In this episode Dominic Bowen and Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan explore antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a geopolitical flashpoint. Find out more about how drug resistance has already crossed the red line with untreatable infections, why AMR is not a future threat but a present crisis claiming 1.3 million lives annually, and how the erosion of antibiotic effectiveness undermines cancer care, surgery,...

In this episode Dominic Bowen and Professor Kimberly Clausing examine the return of tariffs to the centre of U.S. economic strategy and the risks this shift creates for the global economy. Find out more about how protectionism and populism are reshaping U.S. trade policy, why tariffs act as a hidden tax on consumers and small businesses, the political dynamics driving short-term wins over long-ter...

In this episode Dominic Bowen and Dr. Jamie Shea unpack NATO at a moment of historic change. Find out more about how fear has re-emerged as a unifying force within the Alliance, the political and economic challenges of reaching unprecedented defence spending levels, industrial bottlenecks and Ukraine’s role as a partner in innovation and supply, the rising threat of hybrid warfare from cyberattack...

Today Dominic Bowen hosts David Dunn back on the podcast. They discuss the recent Alaskan Summit and its global implications. Find out more about the symbolic wins for Putin, and which ones they are exactly. The American unpreparedness and what its implications are, what the result is for Ukraine, how the EU decided to respond, transatlantic relations and how they are going to change, and much mor...

Dive into the intricacies of the Houthis with Nadwa Al-Dawsari ! Nadwa and Dominic discuss the background of the Houthis, where they come from, what their ideology is, what influence they have, economical and geopolitical implications both for Yemen and the world, how they currently govern Norther Yemen, what the international response should be to the Houthis, and much more! Nadwa Al-Dawsari is a...

In this episode Dominic Bowen and Yaroslav Lissovolik dive into the challenges and opportunities of BRICS! Find out more about the economic Asymmetries and power dynamics, consensus and decision-making, future strategies, BRICS' role in global governance, Russia's position, future cooperation, BRICS plus, international risks and opportunities, and more! Yaroslav Lissovolik worked in the...

In this episode Dominic Bowen and Dr. Audrye Wong dive into how Beijing is recalibrating power and influence in a turbulent world. Find out more about China’s two-pronged response to US decoupling, sharpened economic coercion and rare-earth export controls, charm offensives across the Global South, Belt and Road’s “small yet beautiful” recalibration, BRICS and BRICS Plus positioning, propaganda an...

Dive into the intricacies of Iranian Nuclear Power with Kenneth Katzman. Find out more about whether Iran has nuclear bombs, what Russia's role is and whether Russia even plays a role, what Iran's strategic motivations could be, the implications and consequences of the US and Israel's military actions, whether there are Iranian opposition groups, and more! Dr. Katzman is a Senior Ad...

A difficult topic, one that we keep seemingly talking about without our governments doing anything - The ongoing genocide in Gaza.  Dominic and Assem Dandashly discuss the paradox of aid and conflict, the reality on the ground in Gaza, the Western (and international) hypocrisy and what the inevitable consequences are of this hypocrisy, the role of Western democracies, the full erosion of Internati...

A different episode today where Dominic hosts one of his colleagues Elisa Garbil   on the Podcast! They dive into Elisa's top 5 International Risks and debate why these are so important. Listen to the episode to find out which risks she finds important, what Dominic finds of them, and what their argumentation is towards why this is an important top 5. They discuss the episodes of: Mauro Lubra...