Climate Migration: Adding Fuel to the Ethnocentric Fire
Publisher: Terrorism and Political Violence
Author(s): John P. Sullivan and Keelet Townsend
Date: 2022
Topics: Climate Change, Conflict Causes, Disasters, Governance, Renewable Resources
While conflict, crime, and terrorism are persistent geopolitical and human security threats, climate change can be a threat multiplier, affecting geopolitical stability on local, regional, and global scales. This paper provides a qualitative assessment of the literature and geopolitical trends related to climate change, migration, and ethnocentrism in order to evaluate the current situation and future potentials for climate-driven conflict, crime, terrorism, and ethnocentric extremism. The paper concludes that as climate change becomes a major driver of environmental degradation, natural disasters, mass migrations, and urbanization, this will escalate the impetus for violence against migrants, the exploitation of migrants, and anti-migrant politics. Potential implications in terms of terrorism and extremism are discussed.