Article in Dagens Nærignsliv (pdf):

Article in Sørnett:

Before that, I worked as Japan Society for the Promotion of Science – United Nations University (JSPS-UNU) Postdoctoral Fellow at the United Nations University’s Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) following my tenure with Columbia University’s Earth Institute.

Photo: Torstein Øen

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Last updated: 8.2.2012

Photo: Torstein Øen

Climate Change and Security Research

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. There is scientific evidence of the human impact on climate change but research on feedbacks between climate change and human interactions is in its initial stages.

In recent years, the study of climate change and security has become the focus of both scholarly work and policy-making. A number of policy reports and individual statements proposed alarmist claims about the impact of climate change on security. In 2007 and under the leadership of the United Kingdom, the United Nations Security Council held its first session on climate change and security.

Others are more cautious to make direct links between climate change and security such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its Forth Assessment Report or the UK-Treasury commissioned Stern Report on the economics of climate change. But can the empirical evidence support these claims? My research on climate change and security aims at examining potential security implications that are most likely to result from the impact of climate change.

Yet, there is another dimension to research on climate and security that relates to the area of energy security: Attempting to mitigate the consequences of climate change is likely to cause new conflicts, when forests are cleared for palm oil plantations, food prices rise as a result of increasing demand for biofuels and more droughts, or when non-democratic governments promote the development of nuclear energy as a means to substitute for fossil fuels.

In addition, I am working on how to measure the economic cost of not mitigating climate change. Click below on a presentation on the relationship between income and CO2 emissions:

Christian Webersik (2010) Climate Change and Security: A Gathering Storm of Global Challenges, Praeger Security International series, Security and the Environment, series ed. P. H. Liotta, Praeger Publishers/PSI.

Christian Webersik (2004) Reinterpreting Environmental Scarcity and Conflict: Evidence from Somalia. D.Phil. Thesis, University of Oxford, Oxford.

Journal Articles

Christian Klose and Christian Webersik (2010) Long-term impacts of tropical storms and earthquakes on human population growth in Haiti and Dominican Republic, Nature Precedings.

Christian Webersik, Miguel Esteban, and Tomoya Shibayama (2010) The Economic Impact of Future Increase in Tropical Cyclones in Japan, Natural Hazards, vol. 55, no.2, Springer.

Miguel Esteban, Christian Webersik, and Tomoya Shibayama (2010) Methodology for the Estimation of the Increase in Time Loss due to Future Increase in Tropical Cyclone Intensity in Japan, Climatic Change, vol. 102, no. 3-4, Springer.

Miguel Esteban, Christian Webersik and Tomoya Shibayama (2009) Effect of a global warming-induced increase in typhoon intensity on urban productivity in Taiwan, Sustainability Science, vol. 4, no. 2, Springer.

Christian Webersik and Clarice Wilson (2009) Achieving Environmental Sustainability and Growth in Africa: The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation, Sustainable Development, vol. 17, no. 4, Wiley.

Christian Webersik (2008) Wars over Resources? Evidence from Somalia. Environment, vol. 50, no. 3, Heldref Publications, Washington D.C.

Christian Webersik (2006) Mogadishu – An Economy without a State. Third World Quarterly, vol. 27, no. 8, Routledge.

Christian Webersik (March 2005) Fighting for the Plenty – The Banana Trade in Southern Somalia, Oxford Development Studies, vol. 33, no.1, Routledge.

Christian Webersik (2004) Differences that Matter: The Struggle of the Marginalised in Somalia, AFRICA, vol. 74, no. 4, Edinburgh University Press.

Book Chapters

Christian Webersik (2013 forthcoming) Climate-related disasters and human security, in: Michael Redclift and Marco Grasso (eds.) Climate Change and Human Security, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.

Christian Webersik (2012 forthcoming) Securitizing Climate Change: The United Nations Security Council Debate, in: Deborah Rigling Gallagher, Norman Christensen and R.N.L (Pete) Andrews (eds.) Environmental Leadership: A Reference Handbook, SAGE , Thousand Oaks, CA.

Christian Webersik (forthcoming 2012) Climate Change, Water and Health: Current Impacts and Future Challenges for Human Security, in: Velma Grovers (ed.) Impact of Climate Change on Water & Health, Science Publishers, Enfield, New Hampshire.

Christian Webersik (forthcoming 2012) Climate-Induced Migration and Conflict: What are the Links? In: Kirsten Hastrup and Karen Fog Olwig (eds.) Climate Change and Human Mobility: Global Challenges to the Social Sciences, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Christian Webersik and Marc Levy (2012) The Role of Natural Resource Management in Reducing the Risk of Conflict Recurrence, in: Carl Bruch, Carroll Muffett, and Sandra S. Nichols (eds.) Governance, Natural Resources, and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding, Earthscan, London.

Christian Webersik and Alec Crawford (2012) Commerce in the Chaos: Bananas, Charcoal, Fisheries and Conflict in Somalia, in: Helen Young and Lisa Goldman (eds.) Livelihoods, Natural Resources, and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding, Earthscan, London.

Research Reports

Miguel Esteban, Christian Webersik, David Leary (2009) Nanotechnology, Ocean Energy and Forestry – Making Climate Change Mitigation Work, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Report, Commonwealth Secretariat, London.

Miguel Esteban, Christian Webersik, David Leary and Dexter Thompson-Pomeroy (2008) Innovation in responding to climate change: Nanotechnology, Ocean Energy and Forestry. UNU-IAS report, United Nations University, Tokyo.

Christian Webersik and Clarice Wilson (2008) Environment for African Development: A Sustainable Future through Science and Technology. UNU-IAS report, United Nations University, Tokyo.

United Nations Development Programme (2008). Post-Conflict Economic Recovery: Enabling Local Ingenuity, Crisis Prevention and Recovery Report- United Nations Development Programme/Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (UNDP/BCPR).

United Nations Development Programme (2001) National Human Development Report Somalia 2001, United Nations Development Programme, Nairobi.

Conference Proceedings

Christian Webersik (2011) Security trade-offs of climate change mitigation. Joint Nordic Conference, Copenhagen, 24-25 November 2011.

Christian Webersik (2011) Climate Change and Human Security: Facing Future Challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. 17th annual conference of the International Sustainable Development Research Society (ISDRS), New York, USA, 8-10 May 2011.

Christian Webersik (2011) Governing Natural Resources for Peace: Re-Thinking Post-Conflict Peacebuilding Frameworks. Session chaired at the 52th Annual International Studies Association Convention, Montreal, Canada, 16-19 March 2011.

Christian Webersik and Christian Klose (2010) Another Easter Island? Climate change, human insecurity and politics in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Presented at Climate Change and Security, 250th Anniversary Conference organized for the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters, Trondheim, Norway, 21-24 June 2010.

Christian Klose and Christian Webersik (2010) Geohazards and their impacts on the political stability in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Presented at the 2010 Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., 14-18 April 2010.

Christian Webersik (2010) Climate-induced migration and conflict: What are the links? Presented at an International Conference on Climate Change and Human Mobility, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 12-14 April 2010.

Christian Webersik (2010) Climate Change and Security: Global Challenges for the 21st Century. Presented at Statsviterkonferansen, University of Agder, Kristiansand, 6-8 January 2010.

Miguel Esteban, Christian Webersik, and Tomoya Shibayama (2009) Estimating the Indirect Costs of Non Adapting Infrastructure to an Increase in Typhoon Intensity in the Asia-Pacific Region. Presented to the 5th International Conference on on Asian and Pacific Coasts (APAC 2009), Singapore, 13-16 October 2009.
Christian Webersik, Miguel Esteban (2009) Estimation of the economic effects of an increase in typhoon intensity in the Asia Pacific Region. Presented at the Global Conference on Global Warming, Istanbul, Turkey, 5-9 July 2009.

Christian Webersik, Miguel Esteban, and Tomoya Shibayama (2009) Climate Change and Human Security: Measuring the Economic Loss due to Future Increase in Tropical Cyclones. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association (APSA), Toronto, Ontario, 3-6 September 2009.

Miguel Esteban and Christian Webersik (2009) Estimation of the economic effects of an increase in typhoon intensity in the Asia Pacific Region. Presented at the Global Conference on Global Warming, Istanbul, Turkey, 5-9 July 2009.

Christian Webersik (2009) Making Forest Preservation in Asia Work. Presented to Workshop on Vulnerability and Resilience of Land Systems in Asia, Beijing, 15-17 June 2009.

Christian Webersik (2009) Linking Drought to Conflict: Making Research Relevant for Policy. Presented to the IHDP Open Meeting, 7th International Science Conference on the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change, Bonn, 26-30 April 2009.

Christian Webersik, Miguel Esteban, and Tomoya Shibayama (2009) The Economic Impact of Future Increase in Tropical Cyclones in Japan. Presented to the IARU International Scientific Congress on Climate Change, Copenhagen, 10-12 March 2009.

Christian Webersik, Miguel Esteban, and Tomoya Shibayama (2009) Measuring the Economic Loss due to Future Increase in Tropical Cyclones in East Asia: Potential for Conflict or Cooperation? Presented to the 50th Annual International Studies Association Convention, New York, NY, 15-18 February 2009.

Christian Klose and Christian Webersik (2008) Understanding Socio-Economic Impacts of Geohazards Aided by Cyber-Enabled Systems. Presented to the AGU (American Geophysical Union) Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 15-19 December 2008.

Christian Webersik (2008) Drought and Political Violence in sub-Saharan Africa. Presented to the 49th Annual International Studies Association Convention, San Francisco, CA, 26-29 March 2008.

Christian Webersik (2007) Drought and Conflict: Agricultural Dependency and Conflict Risks in sub-Saharan Africa. Presented to the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association (APSA), Chicago, IL, 30 August-2 September 2007.

Christian Webersik (2005) The Charcoal Trade in Southern Somalia – An Economy without a State. Presented to Presented to Fourth Horn of Africa Conference, Lund, 14-16 October 2005.

Christian Webersik (2005) Environment, Conflict and Statelessness in Somalia. Presented to the 6th Open Meeting on the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change, Bonn, 9-13 October 2009.

Christian Webersik (2005) The Need for International Integration: The Case of Eritrea, Presented to African Studies Conference (Gaudy), St Antony’s College, Oxford, 27-29 June 2005.

Christian Webersik (2004) Bargaining for the spoils of war – The Somalia National Reconciliation Process, Presented to Third Horn of Africa Conference, Lund, 27-29 August 2004.

Christian Webersik (2003) Fighting for the Plenty – The Banana Trade in Southern Somalia. Presented to a Conference on Multinational Corporations, Development and Conflict, Oxford, 6 December 2003.

Christian Webersik (2001) Reinterpreting Environmental Scarcity and Conflict: Evidence from Somalia. Presented to the 4th Pan-European International Relations Conference, University of Kent at Canterbury, 8-10 September 2001.

Christian Webersik (2000) Methodological Pitfalls in Addressing the Link between Environmental Scarcity and Violent Conflict. Presented to the Conference, Environmental Resources, Conflict, Co-operation and Governance, University of Bradford, 17-18 May 2000.

Popular Media Appearances and Policy Briefs

Erik Pettersen (2011) Tror Mubarak ender opp i eksil, Sørnett, Interview with Christian Webersik, 2/2/2011, Available at http://sornett.no/archives/32190

Christian Webersik (2010) Økonomiske incentiver gir effekt, Dagens Næringsliv, 22/9/2010, p42.

Christian Webersik (2010) What will climate change mean for human security? OurWorld 2.0, United Nations University. Available at http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/

Anette Os (2010) Vil vekke klimasoverne, Fædrelandsvennen, Kristiansand, 8/2/2010, p10.

The Economist (2010) Security and the environment; Climate wars: Does a warming world really mean that more conflict is inevitable? Trondheim, 7/10/2010, vol. 396 no. 8690, p59-60.

Line Torvik and Sidsel Jørgensen (2009) Klimaendringar og tryggleik, Interview with Christian Webersik, TEFT, Forskingsmagasin frå Universitetet i Agder, no. 2.

Miguel Esteban, Christian Webersik, David Leary (2009) Nanotechnology, Ocean Energy and Forestry – Making Climate Change Mitigation Work, Climate Action, London.

Miguel Esteban, Christian Webersik, David Leary and Dexter Thompson-Pomeroy (2009) Cutting Emissions through Innovation, OurWorld 2.0, United Nations University. Available at http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/

Christian Webersik (2008) Sudan Climate Change and Security Factsheet, United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS). Available at http://www.ias.unu.edu/

Christian Webersik and Manish Thapa (2008) Nepal Climate Change and Security Factsheet, United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS). Available at http://www.ias.unu.edu/

Christian Webersik (2008) A Call for Action on African Food Security, OurWorld 2.0, United Nations University. Available at http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/

Christian Webersik

Webersik is currently working as associate professor at the Department for Development Studies, University of Agder, Norway.

Before joining the Centre he was at the United Nations University‘s Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) in November 2007 to research links between drought and political violence. His general research interests are the role of natural resources in armed conflict, climate change and security, and post-conflict development.

Before becoming a JSPS-UNU Postdoctoral Fellow, Webersik briefly worked as report writer for the United Nations Development Programme’s Bureau of Crisis Prevention and Recovery (UNDP-BCPR).

Before that, he worked at the Earth Institute at Columbia University where he was hosted by the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN). Read here more about my time at the Earth Institute: “In 2002, Christian Webersik spent months on and off in war-torn Somalia, conducting interviews with both the elite and the layperson for his research on the link between armed conflict and natural resources.“

Following his doctorate he was Assistant Professor of political science at Asmara University, Eritrea.

In the past, Webersik worked in a number of conflict situations with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

He gained insights into the climate change regime working for the UN Climate Change Secretariat in Bonn (UNFCCC).

Seeing the planet as an integrated system, Webersik continues to be interested in understanding in how humans interact with their environment, and to what extent environmental change plays a role in armed conflict.

Webersik holds a D.Phil. from Oxford University (Politics and International Relations) where he studied the political economy of war and the role of natural resources in conflict in Somalia, a M.Sc. from Oxford University (Politics Research), and a M.A. from the Free University in Berlin (Political Science).

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