Paper short abstract:

This paper examines whether climate change induced water insecurity in South Africa is a driver of local conflicts. It argues that water insecurity has a negative effect on human security, freedoms and intertwines with other local socio-economic and political factors to trigger local conflicts.

Paper long abstract:

Climate change induced environmental changes are overwhelming adaptive capacities of many societies which are poor and vulnerable, especially in Africa. This erosion of adaptive capacities poses a number of local and national security risks with potential to cause conflicts. Within the climate-conflict nexus discourse, this paper examines whether climate change induced water insecurity in Chris Hani District (South Africa) is partly a driver of local conflicts. It primarily analyses whether there is a causal relationship between hydro-climatological changes and water related local conflicts. It argues that water insecurity has resulted in increased competition for the commodity and this has subsequently bred social disagreements and tension as community members disagree on water use priorities. These community tensions provide an avenue through which to understand how environmental stress (water insecurity), has potential to intertwine with other local socio-economic and political factors to trigger local conflicts. Further, from a human security perspective, water scarcity has a negative effect on the security of local people. Water insecurity is denying locals some of their freedoms since they can no longer 'exercise their choices safely and freely' and is thus a threat to local people's 'freedom from want' since it denies them access to a basic element of human existence. The paper concludes by arguing that given the complexity of all conflicts, the emerging climate-conflict nexus needs careful contextual analysis especially in an environment where other socio-economic and political factors have historically been the main drivers of community conflicts.