The negative effects of climate change are already obvious, especially in poor and/or weak states. In certain contexts, where there is poor governance and low institutional capacity, these climate effects might enhance the political instability and risk of conflict in an already vulnerable and problematic situation.
In July 2011, the UN Security Council met to debate the risks of climate change to global peace and security. Now is the time to shift our focus from direct environmental impacts to broader threats at a local level.