Climate and Conflict [Video]
Publisher: Chatham House
Date: 2022
Topics: Climate Change, Conflict Causes, Conflict Prevention, Disasters
In an ever more challenging security horizon, climate change and the destruction of the natural environment represent some of the most significant challenges. These crises are pushing more states towards conflict and resulting in greater risks of destabilisation. Scarcity of resources, mass migration, food shortages and infrastructure damage are just some of the outcomes that could spark violent conflict as a result of accelerating changes.
Many of the world’s porous borders are at threat from the ‘spillover’ effect of climate change and environmental decline. The precarious nature and vulnerability of some countries place much of our globalized world at risk.
There is a pressing need for decision-makers to identify practical solutions and address the root causes while avoiding the risks and pitfalls of transition. The globalized nature of the climate and many environmental problems means that what happens in one country is not contained to that area. Our increasing interconnectedness and emergent risks of transboundary and cascading nature mean it is in everyone’s interests to tackle these challenges together.