SOMA Newsletter

Author

Soma Mater
February 16, 2026

Welcome to the SOMA MATER weekly newsletter.

At SOMA MATER, we specialize in delivering comprehensive research and advisory services with a focus on Food & Water Security and Net Zero Transition in the MENA Region. In order to support our subscribing clients in navigating these topics and understanding the regional narrative, we produce monthly Food and Water Security and Net Zero Transition Intelligence Reports, along with our in-depth analysis and insights.

This weekly newsletter highlights the top 3 stories from the past week in Food and Water Security and Net Zero transition, along with SOMA MATER's analysis and perspective.

How are countries like the United Kingdom redefining national security to include environmental threats, and what are the implications for food security?

How are Gulf countries still advancing water security through infrastructure investment and technological innovation?

How could a new Russian approach to agricultural trade be evolving beyond traditional grain exports?

Sustainably yours,

The SOMA team

When Nature Calls (for Backup): New Security Threat Isn't What You Think

#FoodandWaterSecurity

A new assessment from the United Kingdom government classified global biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse as a national security threat. It applies the same analysis used for military and geopolitical risks, showing the shift in how environmental degradation is understood at government levels. Ecosystem degradation already threatens U.K. prosperity and security, with risks expected to intensify without major intervention.

6 critical ecosystems—the Amazon rainforest, Congo rainforest, boreal forests, the Himalayas, and South East Asia's coral reefs and mangroves—are the most vital for U.K. national security (Figure 1). All critical ecosystems are on a pathway to collapse, with degradation happening across every region. The consequences include: crop failures, intensified natural disasters, and infectious disease outbreaks. This degradation is also expected to trigger geopolitical instability, conflict, and increased competition for scarce resources like water and food.

Figure 1

The U.K. currently imports 40% of its food and cannot produce enough domestically to feed its population based on current diets. Without significant improvements to food system resilience, the U.K. is unlikely to maintain food security if ecosystem collapse drives global competition for resources. The countries best positioned to adapt will be those that invest in ecosystem protection and restoration while developing resilient food systems—a strategic imperative for national security planning.

SOMA’s Perspective:

Governments are now recognizing environmental degradation as a national security threat—a reality SOMA has been pointing to for some time. What is significant here is not the threat itself, which has always existed, but the institutional acknowledgment. Nations are beginning to treat ecosystem collapse with the same analytical rigor applied to military and geopolitical risks.

Sources:

From Drain to Gain: How the Gulf is Turning Water Woes into Opportunities

#FoodandWaterSecurity

Ras Al Khaimah is advancing its water infrastructure with a new wastewater treatment plant. The facility will treat 60,000 cubic meters of wastewater daily, distributing recycled water across a 26km network dedicated to irrigation and cooling in vital sectors. This is RAK's first public-private partnership in infrastructure, with a consortium led by Etihad Water and Electricity, TAQA Water Solutions, and Saur International operating under an agreement with the government.

The partnership model sets a precedent for future collaborations while strengthening the emirate's environmental infrastructure. This commitment to water resource management reflects a broader regional trend of prioritizing water security through innovative delivery models.

Meanwhile, the Water Oasis in Saudi Arabia is now operational, becoming the world's largest integrated water innovation hub. It enables research on desalination efficiency, wastewater reuse, and digital water management through laboratories and pilot-scale testing capabilities. Recent developments in Saudi water R&D include a King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)-developed desalination membrane that operates with substantially lower energy demand—technology now being evaluated at pilot scale.

SOMA’s Perspective:

Water infrastructure investment across the GCC continues to accelerate. From Saudi Arabia's Water Oasis to RAK's new wastewater treatment facilities, the years where the topic of ‘water’ was overlooked are now coming to an ending. As major projects come online in Emirates like RAK, they will generate substantial volumes of wastewater, which infrastructure must be able to accommodated for.

Sources:

Seeding The Future: Russia Exporting Know-How, Not Just Kernels

#FoodandWaterSecurity

Russia is reshaping its role in global agriculture—moving beyond simple grain sales to become a technology provider. It plans on offering its seeds and farming technologies to buyers like Egypt, anticipating export markets to shrink as nations boost their own production. This marks a strategic pivot, backed by its achievement of 70% seed self-sufficiency in 2024 and its supply of breeding seeds to 35 countries in 2025.

Russia also aims for a 50% growth in agricultural exports by 2030. To support this, it is diversifying its trade infrastructure with new terminals, increased rail shipments to Asia, and Caspian Sea routes to Iran. Perhaps most notably, Russia plans to cut out intermediaries and sell directly to end buyers—possibly reshaping traditional grain trading dynamics.

This push comes amid intense global competition. Argentina has reduced export taxes on wheat, corn, and other grains, potentially spurring increased trade. Meanwhile, global wheat production is hitting record levels. For Egypt and other buyers in the Middle East and Africa—who currently receive 78% of Russia's wheat—the technology partnership model could enhance food security.

SOMA’s Perspective:

This is a recurring story that SOMA has been tracking. For Egypt, access to Russian seed technology may mean a change in its food security situation—but the transition is not without complexity. Adopting new seed varieties requires corresponding improvements in agricultural practices, infrastructure, and critically, water management. In a region already facing severe water stress, increased production capacity means little without the resources to sustain it.

Sources:

SOMA MATER is writing Intelligence Reports on the topics of Food and Water Security and Net Zero Transition. If you’d like to know more, contact us through the link below:

https://wkf.ms/3BmPiPo