Migration and conflict

Migration and conflict

An argument can be made that rising ethnic conflicts may be linked to competition over natural resources that are increasingly scarce as a result of climate change (Wilbanks et al.., 2007:365)According to a literature assessment by Wilbanks et al.. (2007:365), other factors need to be taken into account. It was suggested that major environmentally influenced conflicts in Africa have more to do with the relative abundance of resources, e.g., oil and diamonds, than with resource scarcity.

On this basis, Wilbanks et al.. (2007:365) suggested that predictions of future conflicts due climate change should be viewed with caution.

With high confidence, Schneider et al.. (2007:787) predicted that stresses such as increased drought, water shortages, and riverine and coastal flooding would affect many local and regional populations With medium confidence, it was predicted that these stresses would lead, in some cases, to relocation within or between countries. This might have the effect of exacerbating conflicts, and possibly impose migration pressures.

Zhang et al also concluded that climate change drives conflict