Foreword

It is fitting that the topic of water security, through the launch of this Analytical Brief, figures among the many celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of World Water Day on 22 March 2013 and the 2013 International Year of Water Cooperation. In recent years, the issue of water security has been gaining traction in the global political agenda and earning attention from national governments at the highest level, in particular for its links to peace and national security, but also for its implications for development issues.

Where the Rain Falls: Innovative study unravels relationship between climate change, food insecurity and migration in the Global South

At the UN Climate Change negotiations, speaking on behalf of the 48 countries in the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group, its Chair Dr. Pa Ousman Jarju stated, “This new report sheds light on the possibilities and constraints we face in our fight against climate change. Ignoring this knowledge can either mean our collective success or failure in stemming the pathways to loss and damage."

Brussels, 11 October 2012. Environmental degradation is a significant factor that reduces the adaptive capacity of societies to deal with disaster risk in many countries around the globe. The balance sheet for the ten years from 2002 to 2011 is alarming: 4,130 disasters, over one million dead and economic losses of at least 1.195 trillion US dollars. This is demonstrated by the second edition of the WorldRiskReport launched in Brussels today.

When considering climate change, indigenous peoples and marginalized populations warrant particular attention. Impacts on their territories and communities are anticipated to be both early and severe due to their location in vulnerable environments, including small islands, high-altitude zones, desert margins and the circumpolar Arctic. Indeed, climate change poses a direct threat to many indigenous societies due to their continuing reliance upon resource-based livelihoods. Heightened exposure to negative impacts, however, is not the only reason for specific attention and concern.

by Obijiofor Aginam

PUBLISHED 2012•06•26

Based on his chapter in a recently published book, UNU-ISP’s Obijiofor Aginam discusses the indiscriminate deployment of rape by combatants and the breakdown of public health infrastructure in war/conflict zones, and calls for effective reparation for HIV-infected victims of rape in post-conflict societies.

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Dramatically increased international agricultural commodity prices from 2007 to mid-2008 brought food inflation and greater incidence of poverty and malnutrition to developing countries. Higher food prices in 2011 threaten to repeat that crisis. The international community responded strongly to these concerns in 2008 and 2009, promising greater financial support for food aid, safety nets, and agricultural development.

Changes in Climate Trends Impacting Livelihoods and Food Security in the Sahel and West Africa

A new study has found that the impacts of changing climatic conditions on the availability of natural resources, combined with population growth and weak governance, have led to greater competition over scarce resources and to changing migration patterns in the region.

Joint study calls for major investments in climate change adaptation to reduce the risk of conflict and forced migration

Outcomes of the fifth UNU-EHS Summer Academy of the Munich Re Foundation Chair on Social Vulnerability

25 – 31 July 2010, Hohenkammer, Germany

Introduction