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Climate Change and PeaceIn order to break the cycle of conflict stewardship of natural resources and the impact of climate change must be addressed. There have been over one hundred armed conflicts since World War II and most of these have been in developing countries. According to Carl Bruch of the Environmental Law Institute, 44% of countries emerging from violent conflicts relapse into conflict within the first five years. Climate change can undermine post-conflict peacebuilding measures if environmental stresses are not taken into account. Consider Darfur. While the conflict takes place between different ethnic populations the root causes of the conflict are, according to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, ecological, and due in part from climate change. A peacekeeping force can help quell the violence. But conflict will continue to take place unless a political solution is found to the crisis of diminishing natural resources necessary for survival. Darfur is most likely the first of many “climate conflicts”. Let’s hope the global community learns some lessons so that where climate change and violent conflict intersect appropriate, effective political solutions are enacted. More Information: More from the NCC:
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