External Event: Data for Peace Dialogue: Climate and Conflict–Big Data Applications for Climate-Conflict Research and Action

Climate and Conflict–Big Data Applications for Climate-Conflict Research and Action

Event Date: Oct 26, 2021, 10-11 AM EST

Climate change is often looked as one of the greatest risks for peace in the 21st century. Although climate change itself is rarely a direct cause of conflict, its impacts inhibit peace by undermining human security and increasing the impact of other drivers of conflict and fragility. Rising temperature and sea levels, droughts, and intense weather disasters are affecting lives of people throughout the world. In fragile and conflict affected settings, these impacts can especially compound economic, social, and political drivers of conflict, making vulnerable populations less resilient to risks of violence and conflict. Eleven of fifteen countries with worst environmental threat scores are currently classified as being in conflict. Climate change and natural disasters are fulling conflict, and in return, conflict leads to further resource degradation.

‘Big data’ analytics is having a transformative impact on scientific research across disciplines and bringing some positive impacts on climate-conflict research. There has been a significant progress in data availability and quality as well as development of models over the years. Although using Machine Learning (ML) in modeling the global climate systems is not new, ML techniques are still emerging in the socioeconomic aspect of climate change, including climate-conflict research, where many anticipate immense positive impact.

Agenda

10:00 – 10:05 AM Welcome and Intro

• Paige Arthur, Deputy Director, NYU Center on International Cooperation
• Branka Panic, NYU CIC Non-Resident Fellow, AI for Peace Founder

10:05 – 10:40 AM Discussion

• Speakers TBC

10:40 – 11:00 AM Q&A

Register for the event here.