Global Classroom: ICE Case Study Assignments
Assignment 5: The Conflict - Environment Overlap
©James Lee
Ice Assignment #5: Conflict - Environment Overlap
This section attempts to synthesize the conflict and environment attributes
into common categories built on common attributes. This includes the type
of conflict and environmental risk, the level of strategic interest, and
the dispute outcome.
12. Environment-Conflict Link and Dynamics
A case may be a direct conflict over an environmental issue (such as access
to resource) or indirect (the decline of resources leads to conflict). Direct
cases are more often associated with short-term and indirect cases with
long-term issues. This makes a difference in preventative terms.
a. Direct (i.e., Resource)
b. Indirect (i.e., Scarcity)
Make a causal diagram. Think of the relations in term of direct (+) imapcts,
where a rise in Variable A causes a rise in Variable B. An iverse
realtions (-) is where a the rise rise in Variable A causes a decline
in Varibale B. Also, consider the types of variables: there are levels (totals),
rates (how fast they change), and auxillary variables (used to consider
other types of impacts).
13. Level of Strategic Interest
This category represents an ordinal variable, in locating the spatial scope
of interest in the case. The interests range from small to big in terms
of geography and by implication, level of strategy. The attribute also indicates
the level of alliance activity.
| a. Outside Earth's Atmosphere
b. Global
c. Multilateral
d. Regional
e. State
f. Sub-state
14. Outcome of Dispute
Outcomes in these types of conflict are often nebulous and a matter of perspective.
This set of outcomes takes the position of the decision-maker in the environmental
conflict. The position is from the standpoint of the decision-maker.
a. Victory
b. Yield
c. Stalemate
d. Compromise
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