Advertisement

Climate Conflicts: The Pathways

Chapter
First Online:
  • 625 Downloads

Abstract

This chapter establishes the two components ‘climate’ and ‘conflict.’ The risks climate change poses to security are outlined, as well as the ongoing debate on the connection of climate impacts and conflicts.

Two different scenarios of climate conflicts need to be distinguished: (1) GHG emission leads to climate change which damages a state in a way that this damage simultaneously constitutes a violation of certain rights. (2) The more complex pathway also starts from GHG emissions leading to climate change and damage; however, this damage causes certain reactions within a state that may possibly lead to destabilization. Conflicts could be triggered or accelerated due to this process on the national, international, or even global level.

This chapter examines the different pathways from GHG emission to conflict. The anchor of the chapter is a graphic displaying the different pathways and categorizing the damages according to direct and indirect climate change damages and displaying the different levels of conflict.

Keywords

Climate Change Environmental Degradation Climate Risk Secondary Damage Violent Conflict 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

References

  1. Agrawala S, Ota T, Uddin Ahmed A, Smith J, van Aalst M (2003) Development and climate change in Bangladesh: focus on coastal flooding and the Sunderbans. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, ParisGoogle Scholar
  2. Ansorg T, Donnelly T (2008) Climate change in Bangladesh: coping and conflict. In: European Security Review no. 40, ISIS Europe, BrusselsGoogle Scholar
  3. Ban Ki-Moon (2007) A Climate Culprit in Darfur. In: The Washington Post, Washington, DC, 16.06.2007Google Scholar
  4. Barnet J, Adger WN (2005) Security and climate change: towards an improved understanding. Auswärtiges Amt, http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/cae/servlet/contentblob/389714/publicationFile/4506/17-GF-Barnett.pdf
  5. Borger J (2007) Darfur conflict heralds era of wars triggered by climate change, UN report warns. In: The Guardian, Saturday 23 June 2007, http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/jun/23/sudan.climatechange
  6. Brennan E (1999) Population, urbanization, environment, and security: a summary of the issues. In: Environmental Change & Security Project Report, Issue 5. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, DCGoogle Scholar
  7. Buhaug H, Gleditsch NP, Theisen OM (2008) Implications of climate change for armed conflict. In: Social dimensions of climate change. World Bank Publications, Washington, DCGoogle Scholar
  8. Christiansen SM (2010) Environmental refugees – a legal perspective. Wolf Legal Publishers, NijmegenGoogle Scholar
  9. Darlymple S, Hiscock D, Azad AK, Husain N, Rahman Z (2009) Climate change and security in Bangladesh – a case study. Bangladesh Institute for Strategic Studies, Dhaka, Saferworld, LondonGoogle Scholar
  10. Dworkin R (1998) Law’s Empire. Hart, OxfordGoogle Scholar
  11. Esty DC, Goldstone JA, Gurr TR, Harff B, Levy M, Dabelko GD, Surko PT, Unger AN (1999) State Failure Task Force Report: Phase II Findings. In: ECSP Reports Issue 5. Environmental Change and Security Program, Washington, DCGoogle Scholar
  12. Freestone D, Hey E (1996) The precautionary principle, the challenge of implementation. Kluwer Law International, Alphen aan den RijnGoogle Scholar
  13. German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) (2008) Climate change as a security risk. Earthscan, London and Sterling, VirginiaGoogle Scholar
  14. Gleditsch NP, Nordås R, Salehyan I (2007) Climate change and conflict: the migration link, International Peace Academy May 2007, Coping with Crisis Working Paper SeriesGoogle Scholar
  15. Gleick PH (1993) Water and conflict: fresh water resources and international security. Int Secur 18(1):79–112CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. Goodhand J (2001) Violent conflict, poverty and chronic poverty, Working Paper 6. Chronic Poverty Research Center, ManchesterGoogle Scholar
  17. Hague W, Ellingsen T (1985) Beyond environmental scarcity: causal pathways to conflict. J Peace Res 35(3), Sage Publications, London, Thousand Oaks, CA and New DelhiGoogle Scholar
  18. Heads of State and Government of the NATO Nations (2010) Strategic concept for the defence and security of the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, Nato. http://www.nato.int/lisbon2010/strategic-concept-2010-eng.pdf
  19. Hoffmann FG, Frank G (2009) Hybrid threats: reconceptualizing the evolving character of modern conflict. Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University, Washington, DCGoogle Scholar
  20. Holmes J (2008) Opening remarks by Sir John Holmes, USG for Humanitarian Affairs and ERC at the DIHAD 2008 Conference, http://reliefweb.int/report/world/opening-remarks-sir-john-holmes-usg-humanitarian-affairs-and-erc-dihad-2008-conference
  21. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2008) Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report, AR4. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New YorkGoogle Scholar
  22. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2012) Managing the risks of extreme events and disasters to advance climate change adaptation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New YorkGoogle Scholar
  23. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2013) Summary for policymakers. In: Climate Change 2013: the physical science basis, AR5/WG1, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New YorkGoogle Scholar
  24. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2014) Summary for policymakers. In: Climate Change 2014: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Part A: global and sectoral aspects, AR5/WG2, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New YorkGoogle Scholar
  25. International Crisis Group (2004) Darfur Rising – Sudan’s New Crisis. ICG Africa Report N°76, International Crisis Group, Nairobi, BrusselsGoogle Scholar
  26. Islam S, Miah S (2003a) Banglapedia – National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, vol 3. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Prime Art Press Ltd., DhakaGoogle Scholar
  27. Islam S, Miah S (2003b) Banglapedia – National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, vol 4. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Prime Art Press Ltd., DhakaGoogle Scholar
  28. Islam S, Miah S (2012) Saline soil. In: Banglapedia – national encyclopedia of Bangladesh. http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Saline_Soil
  29. Joehnk TF (2006) The Great Wall of India. The Economist, 16 November 2006Google Scholar
  30. Jonas H (1982) Das Prinzip Verantwortung – Versuch einer Ethik für die technologische Zivilisation, 3rd edn. Insel Verlag, Frankfurt am MainGoogle Scholar
  31. Knudsen A, Strand A, Paasche E (2013) War and migration. In: The encyclopedia of global human migration. Blackwell Publishing Ltd., OxfordGoogle Scholar
  32. Lee JR (2009) Climate change and armed conflict: hot and cold wars. Routledge, New YorkGoogle Scholar
  33. Majumdar B (2007) Border fence draws barbs from trapped Indian farmers. Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSDEL206634
  34. Marr S (2000) The Southern Bluefin Tuna Cases. Eur J Int Law 11, Oxford University Press, Oxford, New YorkGoogle Scholar
  35. Podesta J, Ogden P (2007–2008) The security implications of climate change. The Center of Strategic and International Studies and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In: The Washington Quarterly, pp 115–138 WinterGoogle Scholar
  36. Raz J (1985) Authority, law and morality. Monist Int Q J Gen Philos InquiryGoogle Scholar
  37. Reuveny R (2007) Climate change-induced migration and violent conflict. Political Geography 26(6):656–673. Elsevier Ltd., PhiladelphiaGoogle Scholar
  38. Smith D, Vivekananda J (2007) A climate of conflict – the links between climate change, peace and war. International Alert, LondonGoogle Scholar
  39. Sondrop E, Patel P (2003) Climate change conflict and health. Trop Med Hyg 97(2), MarchGoogle Scholar
  41. Sullivan G (2008) Climate change: cooperation and human security. In: Kurtz L (ed) Encyclopedia of violence, peace and conflict, vol 1 A–F, 2nd edn. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Boston, HeidelbergGoogle Scholar
  42. United Nations Environment Programme (2007) Sudan – post-conflict environmental assessment. United Nations Environment Programme, KenyaGoogle Scholar
  43. United Nations Development Programme (2013). http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2013_EN_complete.pdf, pp. 25 ff
  44. Verstegen S (2001) Poverty and conflict: an entitlement perspective. Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Conflict Prevention Network, BerlinGoogle Scholar
  45. Waldmann J (2004) Risiken III. Umweltzerstörung, Ressourcenknappheit, Bevölkerungswachstum, Migration. In: Rinke B, Woyke W (eds) Frieden und Sicherheit im 21. Jahrhundert, Leske und Budrich OpladenGoogle Scholar
  46. Wolf AT (2006) A long term view of water and security: international waters, national issues, and regional tensions Corvalis. http://www.wbgu.de/fileadmin/templates/dateien/veroeffentlich ungen/hauptgutachten/jg2007/wbgu_jg2007_ex08.pdf
  47. World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) Our Common Future, Annex to General Assembly. U.N. document A/42/427Google Scholar
  48. World Meteorological Organization (2014) Atlas of mortality and economic losses from weather, climate and water extremes (1970–2012). http://library.wmo.int/opac/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=16279
  49. Yancheva G et al (2007) Influence of the intertropical convergence zone on the East Asian monsoon. Nature 445:74–77CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Faculty of Business and EconomicsLeuphana University LüneburgLüneburgGermany

Personalised recommendations

Cite chapter

Buy options