Infotext

Environmental conflicts

This map layer provides information on the countries in which environmental conflicts have arisen to date.

Example: How to read the map:

In Ethiopia, environmental conflicts have occurred in the course of climate change and degradation.

Data sources:

• Carius et al. (2006): World Map of Environmental Conflicts

  Following on from theoretical studies on approaches to definitions and categorization, Carius et al. published the “World Map of Environmental Conflicts” in 2006, which examined a large number of case studies for the first time. To this end, empirical conflict data were analyzed and systematically entered into a database. Although at a global level it was impossible to identify predominant types, the authors were able to single out various regional types of environmental conflict. The results of this study were also published in the German Advisory Council on Global Change’s (WGBU) flagship report “World in Transition: Climate Change as a Security Risk”. The authors of the study point out that the number of conflicts examined is too small to carry out a meaningful classification by type – the majority of known environmental conflicts have not yet been scientifically examined.

• Ackva et al. (2015): ECC Factbook

  The ECC (Environment, Conflict and Cooperation) Factbook was developed in the course of the G7 report “A New Climate for Peace” and illustrates, on the basis of more than 100 case studies, the complex relationships between climate change, environmental changes, and state fragility.
  The report, in which different independent think tanks from Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States were involved, analyzed the effects of climate change on the stability of states. The report’s key message is that climate change constitutes one of the main threats to security in the 21st century. With the help of the ECC Factbook, 116 conflicts in total can be compared with regard to causes, intensity and effects.

Links:

• Carius, A., Tänzler, D., & Winterstein, J. (2006). World Map of Environmental Conflicts: Approaches to typological classification. Expertise for the flagship report “World in Transition: Climate Change as a Security Risk”. Berlin: WBGU.{pdf} (German)
• Ackva, J., Pohl, B., Detges, A., Defard, C., Noorbergen. B., & Rustige, J. (2015). The ECC Factbook. Berlin: Adelphi.