A University of Maryland Grand Challenges Grant supported project led by Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice Gary LaFree is examining the link between rising sea surface temperatures and political violence.
Dr. LaFree and his team are analyzing geocoded events recorded for the past 30 years in databases on terrorism (Global Terrorism Database) and armed conflict (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data) in 109 coastal nations across the globe as part of their study. The goal of the project is to better understand past violence and also provide projections of future threats related to the effects of climate change.
The research team presented preliminary results of the project in September 2024 at the European Society of Criminology meetings in Bucharest, Romania. The title of the session was “Extremism in Times of Uncertainty.” The team members are also working on their first refereed publications.
In addition to these activities, Dr. LaFree established a partnership with the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. Last summer, he spent a week at WZB and discussed this project with their research staff. The WZB Berlin Social Science team is working on similar projects and the two teams have agreed to share results and papers. Dr. LaFree is also planning a return trip to Berlin to present results.
For more information about this Grand Challenges project, visit: https://research.umd.edu/climate-change-political-conflict