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In his new book , war and climate reporter Peter Schwartzstein explores the complex relationship between climate change, conflict, and political tensions.

He challenges the often-repeated notion that only a thin veneer of civilisation separates us from a Lord of the Flies-style "war of all against all." Peter argues, as he writes in the book, that there is a wealth of evidence to the contrary: very few people actually welcome clashes.

Throughout the book, Peter takes readers on a journey from battlefields to conference halls, showing how climate change influences wars, conflicts, and political unrest. At one point, he emphasises that the book does not claim climate change is the fundamental cause of these conflicts, such as those in Syria and , but rather that it plays a significant role in exacerbating them in various ways.

The countries Peter covers are wide-ranging, including Bangladesh, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Senegal, and others, and while not all are active warzones, they are regions where climate change contributes to political tension and unrest.

That said, what makes Peter’s reportage so compelling is his exploration of how the climate crisis interacts with local and national issues, providing an intriguing and thought-provoking analysis.

Water access as a cause for Daesh recruitment

Delving into the chapter on the so-called Islamic State (also known as Daesh) offers fascinating insights, as the book explores aspects often overlooked in discussions about how the terror group operated, including the rural/urban divide that played a role in its rise.

For example, access to water seemed to be linked to whether or not people joined Daesh. As Peter writes, “In the villages close to the river, like Huiesh, where most farmers had regular access to the Tigris waters and hence tolerably strong crop yields, few residents had thrown in their lot with the jihadists.�

For those from communities with poor yields and water security issues, the appeal of Daesh was much higher. In 2014, Daesh swooped into these struggling communities, offering money and exploiting their sense of grievance.

Upon reflection, it’s hard to say exactly how many rural people joined Daesh, but as Peter notes, “a full two-thirds of those held as suspected jihadists in Saraya al-Salem’s Samarra jail were farmers.�

A note of caution is needed here, as Peter documents significant prejudice against rural people among urban elites and security forces, with senior officials in Iraq's government and security services looking down on, mocking, and detaining many who may not be extremists, but are simply individuals whom the security forces have deemed suspect.

Egypt versus Ethiopia

When it comes to climate, tensions caused by water access don’t necessarily lead to wars, even if they threaten to. This is what interested me in the chapter about the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia.

The construction of the (GERD) is a source of great political tension between Addis Ababa and Cairo, with Peter making clear in his book: "Ever since Ethiopia broke ground in 2011 on what will be Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam, authorities in Addis Ababa have been engaged in a fierce tussle with downstream and mostly arid Egypt, which depends on the Nile for almost all its fresh water and is consequently terribly wary of anything that it construes as a threat to the river."

Based on Peter’s experiences, tensions over the dam mean security around it in Ethiopia is very tight. Despite years of tension and bellicose rhetoric, both sides have found ways to reach compromises and agreements.

"[Egypt] has proven to be a much more accommodating Nile negotiator, backing away from many of its red lines even as Ethiopia fills the dam without consulting other basin states," Peter says in his book.

But even here, Peter urges caution, as there are limits to how far Cairo might tolerate this going forward. While the Egypt-Ethiopia situation demonstrates the ways states might try to avoid conflict, it might be the case that, in the future, conflict breaks out between the two as Egypt becomes more water-stressed.

'A necessary read' 

Ultimately, The Heat and the Fury offers an interesting perspective on the role climate impacts play in geopolitical, inter-state, and internal state tensions, highlighting how the environment is a key part of our societies, identities, cultures, politics, and economics.

While climate may not be the only causal factor behind political tensions, it does play a significant role in shaping them, especially when political systems have structural issues that prevent them from addressing or managing these challenges.

Moreover, Peter’s book encourages us to think about the intersections between the environment and conflicts that have already shaped our world and will continue to do so in the future, making The Heat and the Fury a necessary read for anyone seeking to understand the relationship between the climate crisis and conflict.

Usman Butt is a multimedia television researcher, filmmaker and writer based in London who read International Relations and Arabic Language at the University of Westminster and completed a Master of Arts in Palestine Studies at the University of Exeter