Maoists threaten to blow up dams in Nepal. Drought drives conflict in Darfur. Students protest in Paris. Some violent conflicts on today's front pages have deep roots in environmental degradation and rapid population growth. But these roots are often overlooked in favor of more visible explanations—a deadly oversight that threatens our understanding of violence, and with it, our security.

Bringing together authors from Nepal to Norway, from the university to the military, the 11th edition of the Environmental Change and Security Program Report explores how powerful underlying forces may engender war—or lay a foundation for peace.

According to some experts in the Report, protecting natural resources and stabilizing population growth must be part of these conflicts' long-term solutions. Others say the evidence does not support this strategy. But all agree that more research will lead to a more nuanced understanding of the links connecting environment, population, and security.