The Conversation: Why is Tackling Climate Change Critical in Ensuring World Peace and Security?

Apr 27, 2022 | The Conversation, UCDavis
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Climate change isn’t a direct driver of conflict. Most scientists agree on this and it’s reflected in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group II Report. There isn’t a straight line between climate-related risks and conflict-related outcomes.

But the Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability report does acknowledge the relationship between climate and human security, which has been a matter of debate among researchers and policy makers. And it provides insights about how climate can, under certain conditions, amplify security risks, with implications for lasting peace. For example, the report’s summary for policymakers emphasises that interaction between climatic and non-climatic factors will result in compounding overall risk and risks cascading across sectors and regions.

What we discovered in this latest climate panel report, and through CGIAR research, is that there are ways to bring the science of food systems, agriculture and climate into security policy and peace building efforts worldwide.