Ģ����ý

Natural resources, including water, land, and forests, have long been recognized as sources of contention, and sometimes even violence. Macro trends like population growth and climate change can exacerbate these issues, particularly in areas of scarcity. Population growth adds more pressure to a limited amount of resources, while climate change impacts resource availability and quality. In recent years, climate change has even been recognized as a threat multiplier, “aggravating stressors...such as poverty, environmental degradation, political instability, and social tensions.” Climate change does not directly cause conflict. Instead, its effects (e.g., rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns) can lead to environmental impacts (e.g., loss of grazing land for cattle), which can result in socioeconomic tensions (e.g., farmers and herders competing for resources). This document looks at this chain of reactions which contributes to an increased risk of conflict, worse in contexts with weak governance, high rates of poverty, income equality, and existing social tensions.