The Anatomy of A Silent Crisis The Anatomy of A Silent Crisis

The links between the human impact of climate change and the threat of violence and
armed conflict are particularly important because multiple destabilizing conditions are affected
simultaneously. 163 Below are three examples of how climate change causes instabilities that can lead
to or drive violent conflict:
• Climate change intensifies negative environmental trends like desertification, soil salinisation
and water scarcity; all of which contribute to resource scarcity. Mainly it reduces the supply
of food, fresh water for people and livestock, agricultural produce, and farmer livelihoods.
These conditions can trigger increased competition for food, land and water, creating
situations with a propensity to conflict. This occurs particularly in areas where governments
are not able to provide support or alternative sources of income. Today such situations can
be seen for instance in some dry land belt countries which are home to more than 2 billion
people. 167 Examples include fighting between pastoralists and farmers in the Oromia and
Ogaden regions of Ethiopia, inter-clan fighting in Somalia, and increased fighting during
drought periods in northern Nigeria. 168
• Weather-related disasters often cause destruction and put immense pressures on local
resources. The risks are particularly high when communities are not able to protect and provide
sufficiently for their populations. 161 Developed nations are not immune to this threat. In the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when about 100,000 New Orleans residents were trapped in the
flooded city there were reports of fighting, looting and rape. 169