Climate, Drought and the Syrian Crisis

March 13, 2018
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-By Aspen Ono, a senior majoring in environmental sciences and international studies

 
The civil war in Syria that began in 2011 is a cautionary example of the worsening impact of climate forces on an already dire situation. A severe drought from 2006 to 2010 set in motion a volatile chain reaction that pushed the Syrian population over the edge and undermined the legitimacy of the al-Assad regime. The struggles in the countryside stoked the fires of government opposition and triggered the mass flight of refugees from the country. This podcast highlights the issues and lessons to be learned from the Syrian tragedy.
 

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Châtel, Francesca De. “The Role of Drought and Climate Change in the Syrian Uprising: Untangling the Triggers of the Revolution.” Middle Eastern Studies, vol. 50, no. 4, 2014, pp. 521–535., doi:10.1080/00263206.2013.850076. 

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