Climate change, if unchecked, is likely to aggravate old and
trigger new tensions in parts of the world, the United Nations
Environment Program (UNEP) warned on Monday.
The UNEP issued the warning at the ongoing U.N. climate change
conference in Bali, Indonesia on the basis of a new report prepared
by German and Swiss Academics titled "Climate Change as a Security
Risk".
The report, which has been prepared by the German Advistory
Council on Global Change, urged the U.N. climate change conference,
which kicked off on Dec. 3 and will end on Dec. 14, to adopt deep
and decisive emission reductions alongside support for
adaptation.
Otherwise, climate change, including more extreme weather
events, impacts like the melting of glaciers, the drying out of big
forest systems and rising numbers of climate refugees, is likely to
overwhelm the ability of many countries to govern and to cope, it
said.
Achim Steiner, U.N. under-secretary general and UNEP executive
director, said, "There are multiple environmental challenges facing
the world .... Climate change is perhaps the most high
profile."
The report comes in the wake of rising concern over climate
change and conflict.
Citing several potential regional hotspots from the report, UNEP
said combating climate change will be a "central peace" policy of
the 21st century.
(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2007)
