Global Trends 2025 – The rise and fall of nations

The National Intelligence Council has just released its Global Trends 2025 Study. Some of the key highlights addressed in this study talk about

The whole international system—as constructed following WWII—will be revolutionized. Not only will new players—Brazil, Russia, India and China— have a seat at the international high table, they will bring new stakes and rules of the game.
The unprecedented transfer of wealth roughly from West to East now under way will continue for the foreseeable future.
Unprecedented economic growth, coupled with 1.5 billion more people, will put pressure on resources—particularly energy, food, and water—raising the specter of scarcities emerging as demand outstrips supply.
The potential for conflict will increase owing partly to political turbulence in parts of the greater Middle East.

One key aspect is significant and needs to be mentioned. The political and economic influencing power of the US will go down dramatically. The US Dollar is loosing its dominant role as the key currency. Food and resource shortages are becoming bigger. If was referring to that in my Key Note at the Project Risk Management conference and talked about the impact for Project Managers.

All that supports our strategy applied for the last couple of years. To have as many work options as possible. Not from an industry or profession perspective, but from a country perspective. If a nation is rising and you have the option to work there is mitigating your risk to suffer during the crises.

You can download the full Study here.

Another great book to read about the reasons why former nations have risen and fallen is The Wealth and Poverty of Nations: Why Some Are So Rich and Some So Poor by David Landes.