Video/Microlecture: Did Drought cause the Syrian Civil War?

A short video from the Yale Climate Communications series titled ‘Drought, Water, War, and Climate Change’ on climate change as a catalyst for crises. The video discusses how climate change potentially contributed to the drought in Syria causing large scale human migration, poverty, political instability and, possibly, the civil war.  

Students will learn about how global warming and rising temperatures has an effect on the natural resources of a state. They will also learn about various factors that could have caused the civil war in Syria such as large-scale migration from farmland to urban areas and the subsequent collapse of the state. Students will further learn about the implications of the civil war on global geopolitical alliances and global security. 

Use this tool to help your students find answers to: 

  1. Discuss how climate change may have caused the drought in Syria from 2007-2010.
  2. Discuss how climate change and the drought could have contributed to the civil war in Syria.

About the tool: 

Tool NameDrought, Water, War, and Climate Change
DisciplineSocial Sciences, International Relations 
Topic(s) in DisciplineInternational Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, War, Civil War, Security, Human Migration
Climate Topic Disasters and Hazards; Climate and Society; Policies, Politics, and Environmental Governance; Climate Change and Food Security 
Type of tool Video/ Microlecture (5 min 45 secs)
Grade LevelHigh School, Undergraduate 
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish 
Translation
Developed byYale Climate Connections
Hosted atYouTube
LinkLink
AccessOnline
Computer SkillsBasic

%d bloggers like this: