Climate cycles are driving wars: When El Nino warmth hits, tropical conflicts double

Wednesday, August 24, 2011 - 13:30 in Earth & Climate

In the first study of its kind, researchers have linked a natural global climate cycle to periodic increases in warfare. The arrival of El Nino, which every three to seven years boosts temperatures and cuts rainfall, doubles the risk of civil wars across 90 affected tropical countries, and may help account for a fifth of worldwide conflicts during the past half-century, say the authors.

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