Home pagePress CenterIn the Media An op-ed published in the International Herald Tribune by Julianne Smith and Alexander Lennon was quoted by the Christian Science Monitor,"Could Climate Change Aggrevate Terrorism?"
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An op-ed published in the International Herald Tribune by Julianne Smith and Alexander Lennon was quoted by the Christian Science Monitor,"Could Climate Change Aggrevate Terrorism?"
As representatives from 130 countries gather in Bali this week, observers are warning them to consider closely the impact of climate change on terrorism and security. And Bangladesh, an impoverished nation recently devastated by cyclone Sidr, is seen as a particularly troubling flash point.
An opinion piece in The International Herald Tribune this week sounds a warning:
We are not talking about terrorists targeting the United States for its contributions to climate change or its failure to come up with a global solution. Nor are we referring to the fact that the Middle East stands to become even more volatile in the years ahead due to water shortages. Climate change will exacerbate global terrorism by increasing both migration and the likelihood of state failures - two factors that have been known to have a major impact on the threat of radicalization.
The fallout has global implications, say the authors, Alexander T. J. Lennon and Julianne Smith, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies:
While climate-induced migration could lead to instability in any corner of the globe, the impact will be most pronounced in the developing world. As Northern Africa, South Asia, and possibly the Middle East become increasingly unpleasant or unbearable environments, some of these refugees will flee northward along existing migration routes to Europe. Europe's longstanding challenge to integrate Muslim immigrants and the resulting impact it has on radicalization could easily worsen. Home to over 20 million Muslims, Europe has struggled in recent years to find ways to incorporate growing groups of foreign nationals into society at large.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a private, tax-exempt institution focusing on international public policy issues. Its research is nonpartisan and nonproprietary. CSIS does not take specific policy positions; accordingly, all views, positions, and conclusions expressed in these publications should be understood to be solely those of the authors.
