Conflict Resolution and Environmental Scarcity

The third, fully revised and updated, edition of Contemporary Conflict Resolution written by Oliver Ramsbotham, Tom Woodhouse and Hugh Miall has just been released and includes a chapter on ‘Environmental Conflict Resolution.’

The authors – three of the most eminent conflict resolution experts writing today – track the debates around environmental scarcity and degradation and the relationship to conflict. Key themes such as ‘Tragedies of the Commons’ and conflicts of interest over climate change are addressed as well as multilateral and other responses.

The authors argue that “The social cost of mitigation and adaptation is far lower than the cost of unrestricted climate change. The problem is that different individuals, interest groups and states perceive very different costs and benefits, and institutions capable of balancing global costs and benefits do not yet exist” (p. 297).

Different strategies and analytical approaches are examined by the authors who conclude that “The supreme test for the human species is to learn collectively how to understand and anticipate … ‘unintended’ systemic effects of human action and, even at this late hour, to succeed in adapting conflict resolution approaches for overcoming local ‘tragedies of the commons’… to a global setting” (p. 304).

More information (including ordering) can be found on the Polity website.