Yesterday, I had the opportunity to lecture to the Globalisation and Law Masters students at Maastricht University’s Faculty of Law on the “Foundations of Global Law” course.
My lecture examined the emerging dynamics of armed conflicts, particularly the role of climate change and natural disasters in fuelling unrest. Using the Syrian Civil War as a concrete example, we discussed how the prolonged drought from 2006 to 2011 triggered urban migration, economic strains, and, ultimately, political instability, contributing to the outbreak of that war.
I seriously hope this real-world case showed to students that climate change-induced conflicts are not a distant possibility—they are a present and pressing risk.
Many thanks to the course coordinator, Dr Sebastian Reyes Molina, for this opportunity.
Henrique Marcos 