The Role of Drought and Climate Change in the Syrian Uprising: Untangling the Triggers of the Revolution

This article examines the role of drought and climate change as triggers of the Syrian uprising that started in March 2011. It frames the 2006-10 drought that struck north-eastern Syria in the context of rapid economic liberalization and long-standing resource mismanagement, and shows that the humanitarian crisis of the late 2000s largely predated the drought period. It argues that focusing on external factors like drought and climate change in the context of the Syrian uprising is counterproductive as it diverts attention from more fundamental political and economic motives behind the protests and shifts responsibility away from the Syrian government.