In an interesting development it seems that increasingly the issue of climate change and the coming United Nations sponsored summit in Paris are being increasingly portrayed in the light of a threat to global security
In the latest such comment a senior French official has said the UN conference on climate in Paris this year will also be a “conference for peace,” given that global warming threatens the world’s security.
The American newsagency Associated Press (AP) reports government officials from several African and island nations gathered in Paris this week to discuss the implications of climate change for defence issues.
“Climate and international security are closely linked,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said.
Major droughts, floods and famines force people to migrate and “increase the risk of conflicts,” he said.
In addition, making the transition to renewable energy sources will help ease power struggles over the control of oil and natural gas resources, Mr Fabius added.
AP reports defence ministers of neighbouring Chad and Niger described the growing desertification of Africa’s Sahel region as a multiplier of threats, especially in the troubled Lake Chad region, which is facing frequent attacks by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram.
Mahamadou Karidjo, Niger’s defence minister, said his government’s main concern was “to ensure that Nigerien people don’t starve to death” amid climate changes.
Haitian Defence Minister Lener Renauld stressed the importance of curbing global warming.
His Caribbean island is particularly vulnerable to climatic-related events.
“I’m convinced that for this planet, there’s no plan B,” he said.
France will host the UN sponsored climate change conference from November 30 to December 11.
