Conflict and social vulnerability to climate change: Lessons from Gaza

Abstract

In societies marred by conflict, the propensity of populations to be harmed by climate hazards is likely to be increased by their exposure to violence and other coercive practices. Stakeholder assessments of climate vulnerability, as reported here for the Gaza Strip, can capture the qualitative experience of harm caused by conflict-related practices as these relate to, and interact with, forecasted climatic risks. The key pathways of climate vulnerability identified by stakeholders in Gaza relate above all to expected impacts on food security and water security. Exploration of these vulnerability pathways reveals conflict-structured non-climatic risks overwhelming forecasted climate risks. The prevalence in Gaza of short-term 'enforced coping' prevents the development of long-term adaptive capacity. Climate vulnerability assessments in (post)conflict environments should acknowledge the methodological and political-policy challenges caused by chronic, non-climatic sources of harm. © 2011 Taylor & Francis

Influence of Climate Change on the Lifecycle of Construction Projects at Gaza Strip

“…Gaza Strip as group of the Palestinian territories is also affected by climate elements such as temperature, rainfall, wind, precipitation, mean sea level, humidity and their fluctuations [25]. Changes in climate 3 KICEM Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management already detected in the region may be instructive in assessing the exposure to those predicted changes.…”

Using a novel climate–water conflict vulnerability index to capture double exposures in Lake Chad

“…Yet, as O'Brien et al (2004) point out, assessments are often undertaken in isolation from ongoing global negative interacting outcomes. This is often the case for social stressors driven by human conflict (Mason et al 2011). However, vulnerability indicators are now widely applied to account for interacting shocks and stressors and in particular to enhance the communicative power of vulnerability assessment findings (Tonmoy et al 2014).…”

“…Yet the literature remains vague regarding how vulnerability analysis may enable identification of interacting variables that shape both the demand for and supply of water, including efforts to restrain water conflict in lakeside villages where climate extremes are a major threat. To anticipate appropriate solutions for resource-dependent societies marred by conflict requires knowledge from the broad fields of climate security, livelihoods and vulnerability science to investigate the structures and processes that shape the propensity for livelihoods to be weakened by exposure to climate stressors and violence (Mason et al 2011). Important aspects include, for example, knowing how people's adaptability is shaped by socio-demographic profiles, livelihood strategies and social/political networks.…”

“…This encompasses situations where human populations are at risk of losing their livelihoods, including loss of life. Assessment of vulnerability in this context opens up considerations for a human security perspective in which attention is given to understanding biophysical exposures and socio-economic strategies to assist vulnerable populations from threats that limit their livelihoods and freedom (Adger 2010;Mason et al 2011). …”

“…It emphasises how contextual conditions influence the exposure and capacities of populations to create new contexts for experiencing and responding to change (Silva et al 2010). This perspective has been applied to understand vulnerability through the lens of conflict-generating social dynamics across national and sub-national scales (Mason et al 2011;Busby et al 2013;Ide et al 2014).…”