Climate Change, Natural Resources & Conflicts

Learn about key concepts and recent developments on the nexus of climate change, natural resources, and conflicts.

This course explores how climate change and international and national climate policies impact conflicts. The course introduces the key economic, political, and social concepts that have served to hypothesize and investigate the causal linkages between natural resources and conflicts. It looks at the technological and policy drivers of Greenhouse Gas Emissions since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and explores the foundations of global and climate policies, with a focus on the more recent developments that have taken place since the 2015 Paris Agreement was reached. Bringing these two discussions together, students explore, reflect upon, and discuss which regions and countries are affected, and how different stakeholders can contribute to mitigating climate-induced conflicts.

Course objectives

• Gain an overview of key social science concepts developed to understand natural resource conflicts;
• reflect on the technological and policy drivers behind rising Greenhouse Gas Emissions since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution;
• learn how global climate policy has evolved since the 1990s and why the 2015 Paris Agreement was hailed a success;
• look at examples of conflicts linked to natural resources and potential and actual policy dilemmas underpinning these;
• reflect on the impacts of climate change on different regions, the responses and coping mechanisms people pursue, and the climate policies that governments develop;
• reflect on the role of the private sector, including the financial sector, on financing the energy transition and nature-based solutions;
• exchange experiences and become part of a community of practice.

Experts

• Dr Evelyn Dietsche, Associate Fellow, swisspeace and Member of the World Bank Inspection Panel (Course Lead)
• Dr Martina Santschi, Senior Researcher & Senior Program Officer, Statehood & Conflict, swisspeace
• Omar Metwally, Program Officer, Mediation Team, swisspeace
• Samantha Gamez, PhD Candidate, Mediation Program, swisspeace
• Philipp Mumenthaler, MSc Student in Environmental and Natural Resources Economics, University of Copenhagen

Is this course for you?

This course is designed for practitioners and academics interested in complementing their own experiences with current conceptual insights and practical knowledge on the nexus of climate change, natural resources and conflict.

Is this course a good match for you? If unsure, do not hesitate to contact us.

Certification and admission requirements

Successful participants are awarded a Certificate of Attendance.

The course is open to the public. It is also part of the swisspeace continuing education program CAS Peacebuilding Essentials offered annually by swisspeace and the University of Basel.

Candidates must have:

• a university degree in a related discipline such as political science, law, economics or sociology
• at least two years of professional experience;
• a good command of English.

Unfortunately, we cannot provide scholarships for this course. Participants (or their employer) must be able to cover the tuition fee.

Logistics

• The course consists of preparatory readings and a 3-day on-site training (Wednesday to Friday). The course schedule is 9h00-12h30 and 14h00-17h30 (may be subject to change).
• The course will take place at kHaus, a dynamic urban meeting place and cultural center situated in the heart of Basel along the picturesque Rhine River. Conveniently situated, the venue is easily accessible via public transportation, merely a 15-minute journey from the Basel SBB train station.
• All courses are taught in English.