How is global warming affecting existing competition for resources and changing international security priorities? A survey of recent research shows how complex the picture could become. The societal implications of climate change crucially depend on how human beings, social systems, and political in- stitutions respond. Some measures facil- itate adaptation and minimize the risks, others may cause more problems. For instance, populations could respond to environmental hardships by migrating, which would spread potential hotspots of social unrest.4 These developments could turn into security problems, as the 2006 Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change acknowledges: “Climate- related shocks have sparked violent con- flict in the past, and conflict is a serious risk in areas such as West Africa, the Nile Basin, and Central Asia.” [PDF download] More >>>
