What Does Climate Change Mean for Water Security?


Recorded in December 2020.

Global Futures is a podcast about global politics and how rising powers like China and India are changing it. We discuss foreign policy, economics, war and peace, and how the world is changing with experts from across the world.

Climate change is disrupting weather patterns and leading to extreme weather events, such as wild fires, all around the world. Climate-related natural disasters also cause unpredictable water availability, exacerbate existing water scarcities and contaminate established water supplies. In some situations, scarce and valuable fresh water has contributed to conflicts by being a causal factor, target, tool, or weapon. In this episode, we explore what the effects of climate change means for water security around the world and talk to four guests about the weaponization of water, water scarcity, international conflicts over water, and more.

Guests:

  • Scott Moore (Director, Penn Global China Program)
  • Jasdeep Randhawa (International lawyer and policy specialist, currently working in the adaptation team at the United Nations Climate Change agency)
  • Susanne Schmeier (Associate professor, IHE Delft)
  • Michelle Toxopeus (Legal researcher, Helen Suzman Foundation)

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