How to Create a New Climate for Peace

The G7 commissioned an independent report to address the threats to international security from climate change including competition over resources, volatile food prices and natural disasters. Weak states and poor governance exacerbate the problems: The Ethiopian government’s policy of selling privately owned land in the face of a food shortages has left indigenous minorities without farmlands or sources of income, spurring ethnic conflict; Syria’s misallocation of resources led to mass migration of rural populations to urban centers ill-equipped to deal with an influx; countries throughout South Asia must contend with both unprecedented flooding mixed with water shortages. Countries can expect many natural disasters related to climate change. To avoid conflicts over resources, the report urges, governments should develop plans that integrate humanitarian, developmental and security priorities. – YaleGlobal