ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book is divided into three parts. The first deals with providing empirical evidence on the influence of environmental factors on conflict, both intrastate and interstate. The second part considers the reduction of environmental conflict. The book offers a number of prescriptions for how greater environmental cooperation and conflict management might be achieved. Environmental cooperation issues appear in two forms here. First, environmental degradation and scarcity may prompt groups or states to cooperate in order to solve those common problems rather than fight over the diminished resources. Second, even if environmental factors do promote the outbreak of conflict, this does not mean that such conflict cannot be mitigated or managed. The book concludes with a retrospective on the field of environmental security looking to where it has been in order to suggest where it should go.
