Drought, food insecurity and radicalism in Northern Bangladesh

Aug 2, 2014 | Insight on Conflict
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In recent year’s climate change and other environmental factors has increased food insecurity in Northern Bangladesh. Ishak Mia asks if there is a link between food insecurity and radicalism in the region.

Bangladesh has been experiencing significant changes in environmental conditions over the last 30 years due to the effects of climate change and India’s regulation of trans-boundary water resources. Environmental change-related risk factors such as water scarcity, drought, and river erosion pose new challenges for Bangladesh, not only in terms of adapting to shrinking resources but also in terms of facing different types of social effects.

Food insecurity has multi-faceted social, economic and political effects, but it can possibly destabilize the country by promoting violent radicalism under poor governance systems. There is generally limited attention paid to adaptation factors to environmental change as drivers of insecurity and conflict. From the above analysis it is quite evident that adherents of militant organizations are mainly the victims of persistent food insecurity, drought and seasonal unemployment.

In the context of northern Bangladesh, the nexus between drought, food insecurity and radicalism is becoming clear. Although the government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards militancy and has achieved major successes in its anti-militancy drive, the JMB’s roots in these communities still remain. The threat of radicalism would not fully abate unless the problem of food insecurity and its adverse effects are properly handled.

Read more: http://www.insightonconflict.org/2014/07/drought-food-insecurity-radicalism-bangladesh/