Climate security and a vulnerability model for conflict prevention: a systematic literature review focusing on African agriculture

Abstract Background Climate change poses credible threats to the livelihoods of many. This paper addresses how climate change adaptation can help counter the increased risk of violent conflict that is associated with these climatic changes. Extant climate-conflict links however, involve a complex in...

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Main Authors: Daniel Pearson, Peter Newman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2019-02-01
Series:Sustainable Earth Reviews
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42055-019-0009-6
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author Daniel Pearson
Peter Newman
author_facet Daniel Pearson
Peter Newman
author_sort Daniel Pearson
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Climate change poses credible threats to the livelihoods of many. This paper addresses how climate change adaptation can help counter the increased risk of violent conflict that is associated with these climatic changes. Extant climate-conflict links however, involve a complex interaction of many factors that mediate the impact of climate change. Thus, adaptation methods should not focus simply on the direct impacts of these changes. Methods This paper, using the Systematic Literature Review method, conducts an analysis of the climate-conflict and climate adaptation literature covering 46 papers, with a geographical restriction of Africa and focusing on the quantitative comparative literature. Results This SLR had two key aims, first to understand how links and common areas of understanding between the climate-conflict and climate adaptation fields of research could inform future empirical quantitative research into the notion of climate adaptation as conflict prevention. And secondly, how future quantitative comparative climate conflict research could be informed. It suggests a Vulnerability Model that assists in understanding how vulnerability, understood through the lens of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity, can provide researchers and policy makers with the various factors, both direct and indirect, which can identify where violent conflict might occur. Simultaneously, it illustrates what factors influence the adaptation needs of an agricultural community and hence how adaptation could reduce the risk of future violent conflict. Future quantitative comparative climate-conflict research could also benefit by using disaggregated sub-national data, focusing on agricultural communities using variables that draw on the Vulnerability Model.
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spelling doaj.art-e464bb9807584a1b93171f34988012822023-09-02T17:05:51ZengBMCSustainable Earth Reviews2520-87482019-02-012112210.1186/s42055-019-0009-6Climate security and a vulnerability model for conflict prevention: a systematic literature review focusing on African agricultureDaniel Pearson0Peter Newman1Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP)Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP)Abstract Background Climate change poses credible threats to the livelihoods of many. This paper addresses how climate change adaptation can help counter the increased risk of violent conflict that is associated with these climatic changes. Extant climate-conflict links however, involve a complex interaction of many factors that mediate the impact of climate change. Thus, adaptation methods should not focus simply on the direct impacts of these changes. Methods This paper, using the Systematic Literature Review method, conducts an analysis of the climate-conflict and climate adaptation literature covering 46 papers, with a geographical restriction of Africa and focusing on the quantitative comparative literature. Results This SLR had two key aims, first to understand how links and common areas of understanding between the climate-conflict and climate adaptation fields of research could inform future empirical quantitative research into the notion of climate adaptation as conflict prevention. And secondly, how future quantitative comparative climate conflict research could be informed. It suggests a Vulnerability Model that assists in understanding how vulnerability, understood through the lens of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity, can provide researchers and policy makers with the various factors, both direct and indirect, which can identify where violent conflict might occur. Simultaneously, it illustrates what factors influence the adaptation needs of an agricultural community and hence how adaptation could reduce the risk of future violent conflict. Future quantitative comparative climate-conflict research could also benefit by using disaggregated sub-national data, focusing on agricultural communities using variables that draw on the Vulnerability Model.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42055-019-0009-6Climate changeAdaptationViolent conflictVulnerability
spellingShingle Daniel Pearson
Peter Newman
Climate security and a vulnerability model for conflict prevention: a systematic literature review focusing on African agriculture
Sustainable Earth Reviews
Climate change
Adaptation
Violent conflict
Vulnerability
title Climate security and a vulnerability model for conflict prevention: a systematic literature review focusing on African agriculture
title_full Climate security and a vulnerability model for conflict prevention: a systematic literature review focusing on African agriculture
title_fullStr Climate security and a vulnerability model for conflict prevention: a systematic literature review focusing on African agriculture
title_full_unstemmed Climate security and a vulnerability model for conflict prevention: a systematic literature review focusing on African agriculture
title_short Climate security and a vulnerability model for conflict prevention: a systematic literature review focusing on African agriculture
title_sort climate security and a vulnerability model for conflict prevention a systematic literature review focusing on african agriculture
topic Climate change
Adaptation
Violent conflict
Vulnerability
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42055-019-0009-6
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AT peternewman climatesecurityandavulnerabilitymodelforconflictpreventionasystematicliteraturereviewfocusingonafricanagriculture