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Global Think Tank: Climate Crisis Threatens Peace
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Global Think Tank: Climate Crisis Threatens Peace
Jamal Qaiser, UN Commissioner of the Diplomatic Council: "People will not stand idly by while areas of land wither, famine spreads, drinking water becomes scarce and countries sink into the sea."
Frankfurt/Germany, December, 7th, 2023 – „Climate change is not only a threat to the environment, but also to global security," explains Jamal Qaiser, Commissioner of the global think tank Diplomatic Council, on the occasion of COP28 in Dubai. He explains: "At climate conferences and among climate activists, the debate is mainly about the environmental consequences of global warming for our planet. But it is just as much about the consequences for peace in the world. People will not stand idly by and watch as areas of land wither, famine spreads, drinking water becomes scarce and countries sink into the sea. Climate protection is therefore an important contribution to securing peace."
The climate crisis is destabilizing the world
The global think tank points out the potential for violence if people's living conditions deteriorate due to climate change. Poverty and hunger inevitably lead to tensions, wars and migration.
Jamal Qaiser from the Diplomatic Council cites specific examples: In the African Sahel region, droughts and water shortages are already causing violent conflicts over land and water as well as displacement; in South America, devastating forest fires are occurring with increasing frequency, destroying habitats and leading to conflicts between indigenous peoples and state authorities; and in Asia, the increase in flooding is unmistakable, combined with displacement and conflicts over resources.
Diplomatic Council’s Commissioner to the UN refers to a recent study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), according to which the number of conflicts over water resources has risen by 50 percent in the last 20 years. The SIPRI study assumes that this trend will continue in the coming years. Another study by the World Economic Forum (WEF) from 2022 identifies climate change as one of the five greatest global risks to peace. The WEF predicts that climate change will lead to an increase in conflicts, instability and migration in the coming years.
Europe will not be spared
"Many Europeans assume that the Old Continent will only be marginally affected by climate change. This is fundamentally wrong," postulates Jamal Qaiser. He explains: "The droughts in southern Europe have already led to a shortage of water and agricultural land. The floods in Central Europe have led to displacement and conflicts over resources. And the increasing migratory pressure on Europe due to poverty and wars in other regions of the world has long been evident. This will be dramatically exacerbated by climate change."
Jamal Qaiser calls for concrete protective measures
Peace activist Jamal Qaiser analyses: "The international community is far too focused on decarbonization, i.e. the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as COP28 has once again shown. It is neglecting concrete protective measures to protect people from the worst effects of climate change." He gives an example: "If the rise in sea levels is recognized as unpreventable, then it is high time to build dams. Of course, we must continue to fight the causes, but it is also about protecting ourselves from the effects. However, this is precisely what global politics is neglecting if it only stares at the already unattainable goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees like a rabbit at a snake, instead of drilling wells, building dams, developing sun-resistant food chains and protecting buildings better from hurricanes on a large scale."
Diplomatic Council is a global think tank in consultative status with the United Nations. Its members include members of government, ambassadors, scientists and personalities from business and civil society. The peace activist Jamal Qaiser is involved in the Diplomatic Council as Commissioner to the United Nations for Global Stability.
Further information: www.diplomatic-council.org
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