by Patrick Appel
Eliza Griswold considers "the science that binds drought to conflict." She focuses on Sudan, a country "within a zone of extreme weather" where "both flooding and drought—seem to be intensifying" likely due to climate change:
No question, weather is one cause of war. As the earth grows warmer, and rains are no longer dependable, farmers no longer know when to plant their crops. Centuries-old cycles are changing, and no one knows how to predict them. As a result, crops fail and that causes famine.
This worsening weather affects herders, too. People who keep cows depend on stable cycles of rain and drought to feed and water their cattle. When the rains fail in the north, they have to push farther south into wetter land that’s already settled by farmers. Here’s one way that religion comes into this cycle: The northern herders, who are nomads, are frequently Muslims, thanks to centuries of travel along trading routes. Across much of inland Africa, as they move south, they run into farmers who are largely Christians or follow traditional religions.
Bam! A collision over land—really over grass for food and drinking water—becomes a collision over religion and identity.
The Dish 