Conflict and Climate Change

Catalog description

This course explores whether and how climate change might contribute to the risk of violent conflict within and between countries. Will drought and rising temperatures lead to struggles over a dwindling supply of agricultural land? Will shortages of fresh water cause growing tension over access to rivers and lakes? Will migration in response to economic hardship or rising sea levels bring people into conflict? Answering these questions requires that we not only think about the human and social impacts of climate change but also ask basic questions about what causes political violence within and between countries and how we can assess the contribution of different risk factors. Students will also gain familiarity with some of the methods that political scientists use to explore these issues systematically.