Research Brief: Conflict, Climate Change and Environmental Degradation

Abstract

This research brief examines the interconnected challenges of climate change, environmental degradation (ED), and armed conflict. The brief highlights the complex relationships between natural resources, ED, and organised violence through multi-sited examples of habitat destruction, pollution, water scarcity, oil and gas-related conflicts, and deforestation. Every such fragile setting exhibits an intricate interwovenness of climate change and ED into the tapestry of sociopolitical and economic violence. Effectively addressing the causes of armed conflict influenced by environmental factors necessitates a contextualised understanding of this dynamic. The research brief also acknowledges the differential impacts of ED's consequences on marginalised populations while highlighting the potential for women to play a transformative role in addressing ED and insecurity.