From Yemen to South Sudan, climate and water stress seen worsening conflict

(Reuters News, 28 Aug 2019) "I don't see big, shooting wars but I think you will have an increasing frequency of very localised conflicts and tensions".

Social and political tensions fuelled by climate change have yet to translate into international military confrontations, but local conflicts are heating up due to pressures such as drought and water scarcity, officials and researchers said on Wednesday.

In fragile states like Yemen and South Sudan, competition for scarce natural resources is increasing while a growing need for humanitarian aid undermines states' ability to deal with climate risks, said Johan Schaar of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

"I don't see big, shooting wars but I think you will have an increasing frequency of very localised conflicts and tensions that could then escalate into much more," Schaar told the Thomson Reuters Foundation at World Water Week in Stockholm.

Climate-related disasters often force people from their homes, putting a strain on the communities into which they move and stirring grievances, he added.

In South Sudan, the world's newest country, climate change is shortening and delaying the rainy season, while almost 80% of the rural population is affected by droughts and floods, said Alier Oka, undersecretary at the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.

External link

Reuters News, 28 Aug 2019: From Yemen to South Sudan, climate and water stress seen worsening conflict