Security Council: Environmental degradation triggers violence to reverse environmental degradation helps prevent and handle conflicts
Theo pointed out that environmental protection is "essential to our health, wealth and life."
"He said: "If we keep away from, decrease and reverse land degradation in a right way, we can better prevent and deal with many dispute in the world.""
Threats in change
Today’s threats have changed from conflicts between states to violence mainly committed by non-state actors.
Theo pointed out that an assessment of the root causes of the conflict shows that a large part of it is related to the environment. This may be due to the abundance of monetizable natural resources such as oil, minerals, and wild animals and plants, or the scarcity of land, water and vegetation.
For example, in arid regions, such as the Sahel in Africa, due to land competition, violence often occurs.
Causes of conflict
Theo further pointed out that ecosystem degradation, resource competition or uneven distribution of benefits can also increase vulnerability and increase the risk of conflict.
At the same time, he emphasized that environmental cooperation can "enhance the capacity for conflict handling, prevention and recovery."
He also pointed out that security issues are not limited to violent conflicts, but also include the guarantee of "sustainable livelihoods, health and well-being."
For example, as drought and desertification have caused migration from villages to cities, different types of violence have emerged in the process.
He said: when agricultural crops are harmed by the dry environment, lack of water and due to migration then people dissatisfy with their governments
Risk exceeds solution
Tio said that in the context of the world's dependence on soil ecosystems, the economy is affected by the health of the land, which "catalyzes the impact of environmental degradation on peace, security and stability."
He emphasized that the world's ability to respond to security risks driven by climate change and environmental degradation is not commensurate with the ever-changing threat situation.
Walk forward
Tio said that reducing environmental security risks should focus on "maintaining the earth's ecosystem to produce water, food and clean air" and improving "resource management and society's resilience to natural resource shocks and pressures."
He pointed out that protecting land may bring about a broad cycle of peace, stability, and ecosystem restoration, resulting in "a constructive feedback loop whose benefits far exceed the original intention of protecting the environment."
The front line of environmental degradation and climate change is often the front line of conflict
In a briefing to the Security Council, ICRC President Peter Maurer pointed out that “from the Sahel and Lake Chad region to various war zones around the world, thousands of people are suffering from environmental degradation, climate change and conflict. Suffering."
He emphasized that merely adopting military and security measures to stop conflict and violence cannot establish peace and security.
Maurer pointed out that “we must ensure that those who are most at risk are our priority and urgent attention”, while building and protecting resilient communities from violence is “critical”.
Voice of youth
Inna Modja, the land ambassador, activist, singer and actor appointed by the "Desertification Convention", also gave a speech at the meeting. She said that in the vast Sahel region that traverses Africa from west to east, forced immigration is increasing.
She encouraged the Council to invest in "youth and women" in the region, making them the main "change agents".