conflict

"Two decades ago, the rains in southern Sudan began to fail. The drying of sub-Saharan Africa derives, to some degree, from man-made global warming. It is no accident that the violence in Darfur erupted during the drought."

The last 50 years have seen no less than 1,800 international disputes over water, 37 of which have become armed military conflicts. Population increases, rises in standards of living, and climate change all contribute to make this an increasingly dangerous and urgent issue.

The jets that weave all day long over Gangneung are a reminder that for the past 60 years Korea has been a country divided and at war with itself. Gangneung, with its windfarm, solar panels, and cherry blossoms, lies less than 100 miles (160 km) from the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, the world’s last remaining Cold War border.

This week, as springtime blooms, a series of events unfolded which threaten to destabilize the delicate balance between the North and the South.