War-Torn Countries Will Often be Hardest Hit Perversely, many countries, which are ravaged by low-level conflict are also some of the world’s poorest and areas of the globe that will be most affected by climate change. Countries at risk include Somalia, South Sudan, Niger, and Afghanistan. According to a briefing, earlier this week by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SPIRI) peace doesn’t stand a chance if climate change continues unabated. “Climate change is directly affecting the dynamics of ongoing conflicts and increasing the likelihood of violent conflict. In addition to increasing the likelihood of violence, climate change challenges government assistance and support dimensions of multilateral peace-building efforts,” the briefing said. Eight out of ten countries hosting the world’s largest UN peacekeeping operations were in areas where the effects of climate change would be greatest. “While you are trying to patch the boat on one side, five more holes open up on the other. Military responses will not be able to address the issue, because while climate change is creating hard security challenges, there are simply no hard security solutions,” Florian Krampe, a researcher on climate change and security at SIPRI, told Deutsche Welle. Krampe explained that if peace is to be maintained in the world’s most vulnerable regions then the way peacekeeping and peacebuilding is managed must change “especially if, by peace, we mean something more than the mere absence of violence,” he said.]]>

Edward Cowley