Project Syndicate: Weathering the Violence of Climate

Severe weather threatens livelihoods and increases despair. A study from University of California, Berkeley, connects rising temperatures with suicides among Indian farmers. Other studies demonstrate that aggression increases with hot temperatures. “As global temperatures rise and droughts become more common, political agitation, social unrest, and even violence will likely follow,” explains Gulrez Shah Azhar for Project Syndicate. Food and water shortages exacerbate conflicts, and the Center for Climate and Security has identified 12 areas of concern where conflict could “engulf large populations, and spill across national borders” – including the Arctic, coffee-production nations, coastal cities and key waterways. The article offers recommendations including addressing root causes of poverty as well as improving land management, water conservation, disaster preparedness, management of human migration during times of crisis because “As the climate shifts, entire regions could become uninhabitable.” Climate change is a global security threat. – YaleGlobal