A long-term study of climate and conflict determined that in places with large populations and a history of political exclusion of ethnic groups, nearly one-third of the wars initiated in the last 40 years were preceded by a climate disaster.

So, what is the connection between climate emergencies and armed conflict? Why do climate disasters escalate political disputes? And what can we do about it?

Scott Carney is an investigative journalist, anthropologist, and New York Times bestselling author. Dr. Jason Miklian serves as a senior researcher at the Center for Development and the Environment at the University of Oslo. Together they are the authors of The Vortex: A True Story of History’s Deadliest Storm, an Unspeakable War, and Liberation.

On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Scott and Jason join Ross to discuss the geopolitical landscape of South Asia after World War II and explain how the 1970 Bhola Cyclone led to the genocide of 3 million people and triggered the Indo-Pakistani War.

Scott and Jason describe how the conflict between West Pakistan, East Pakistan (later, Bangladesh) and India played out geopolitically with the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union and offer insight into President Nixon and Pakistani President Yahya Khan’s roles in furthering the Sino-Soviet split.

Listen in to understand why climate disasters serve as catalysts for war, what lessons we can learn from the fight for Bangladesh, and what we can do to prevent armed conflict in the wake of climate emergencies moving forward.

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Resources

The Vortex: A True Story of History’s Deadliest Storm, an Unspeakable War, and Liberation by Scott Carney and Jason Miklian

Scott Carney

Scott Carney on YouTube

Center for Development and the Environment at the University of Oslo

What Doesn’t Kill Us: How Freezing Water, Extreme Altitude, and Environmental Conditioning Will Renew Our Lost Evolutionary Strength by Scott Carney

Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh

George Kennan and Containment

The Sino-Soviet Split

‘Fortress India: Why Is Delhi Building a Berline Wall to Keep Out Its Bangladeshi Neighbors?’ in Foreign Policy

The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson