Climate Change and Deadly Conflict

Oct 11, 2011

Climate Change and Deadly Conflict

Global Warming Heats Up Deadly Conflict

Last year, FCNL released the policy brief “Global Warming Heats Up Deadly Conflict” to educate policymakers and others on the complex ways that climate change can cause or exacerbate violent conflict. This flyer can also be used to educate your community about this increasingly important issue.
FCNL’s work continues to develop in this area because climate change and violent conflict will affect the lives of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.
The Peaceful Prevention of Deadly Conflict team has also put out FCNL flyers on “3 Ways that Climate Change Can Fuel Deadly Conflict…" and "3 Things Congress Can Do to Prevent Climate Wars.”

3 Ways Climate Change Can Fuel Deadly Conflict

Many developing nations struggle with poverty, unstable governments, fragile infrastructure, and ongoing conflict. These challenges can be magnified by the effects of climate change, which can in turn deepen violent conflict and threaten U.S. security interests. FCNL has identified three ways that climate change can fuel deadly conflict.

1) Water Wars in Kenya
As rising temperatures and drought have diminished scarce resources like water and grazing land, long-standing tensions between the Turkana and the nearby Pokot and Samburu tribes have exploded into violent conflict.
2) Natural Disasters and climate Refugees
Refugees International estimates that 36 million people are currently displaced within their own countries as a result of natural disasters. Such events will occur more frequently as climate change accelerates, creating more and more flashpoints for violent conflict.
3) Access to the Arctic
Rising global temperatures are making the Arctic sea increasingly navigable for shipping, fishing, and mining. As the ice becomes less of an obstacle to accessing resources, competition for access will likely heighten. Not only will the fragile ecosystems of the Arctic be put at risk, but competition over resources may lead to international conflict.
PDF version

3 Things Congress Can Do to Prevent Climate Wars

The most significant impacts of climate change for developing countries are desertification, extreme weather events, changes in fresh water distribution, higher rates of infectious disease, and rising sea levels. There are three things FCNL has identified as things congress can do to prevent these impacts of climate lead to Climate Wars:
1) Fund Climate Adaptation
Congress should increase international adaptation funding, which helps the poorest and most vulnerable people adapt to the impacts of climate change, to $25 billion annually.
2) Protect the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Congress must ensure that the EPA can continue regulating emissions to help slow the impacts of climate change.
3) Ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty
The U.S. should join with the 161 countries that have ratified the treaty, which would allow the U.S. to have a stake in territorial disputes in the Arctic.
PDF Version