The root cause for many violent conflicts throughout history indicates that on a number of occasions, conflicts have transpired because of various non-military reasons. The fight amongst the states for resources is not a rare phenomenon. The future threats to security are perceived to be more from depletion of natural resources and the degrading quality of the environment. The recent approval for Kyoto protocol should be viewed in the backdrop of this strategic reality.

Eight years of global environmental debate has borne fruit with the recent enactment of the Kyoto global warming pact. Kyoto is one of the most intricate environmental treaties ever attempted. It requires industrialized countries-but not developing ones-to make specific cuts in their output of greenhouse gases (GHG). The developing world produces six times less pollution per resident than the industrialized world.

Under the 1997 Kyoto agreement, rich industrialized countries would be committed to reduce emissions of six GHG by a timeframe of 2008-2012. The treaty needs to be ratified by no fewer than 55 countries, accounting for at least 55 percent of global emissions in 1990. The European Union had lobbied for this treaty for many years and finally the protocol has come into being because of the support given by Russia. Countries like Australia and the US have rejected this protocol on the pretext of national interests saying that the damage the treaty would cause to its economy would be phenomenal.

Currently, many countries are planning to invest more in the areas of Climate Technologies. These are the technologies that minimize GHG emissions and thereby reduce their environmental "footprint". Climate technology is an important part in the efforts to decrease GHG emissions and increase GHG sinks (vegetation and soils that absorb and store significant amount of CO2). During last few years a number of technology cooperation programmes have been initiated internationally, to encourage the use of technologies that will reduce GHG. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has also acknowledged the importance of technology cooperation and encouraged parties to promote and cooperate in the development, application and diffusion, including transfer, of technologies.

Carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels are a prime cause of climate change, and it is widely acknowledged that a low carbon energy future is essential to limit the extent of that change. Low carbon technologies will bring many benefits to manufacturing and engineering industries. There is huge scope for improving energy efficiency and promoting the uptake of existing low carbon technologies like PV, fuel cells and carbon sequestration.

The major contributor to global warming is air pollution which mainly occurs because of transportation, energy production, and industry. Energy consumption has increased substantially all over the world during last few years. It is predicted that the energy demand in countries like India and China is going to increase multifold in near future. This is going to put additional burden on the environment and hence there is a need for induction of 'green technologies'. The scope for improvement is tremendous. Energy and industrial production processes should shift from heavy fuels to natural gas. There is a need for generation of energy from renewable sources, especially wind and solar energy as are improvements in transportation system.

A significant impact of global warming is likely to be on water supplies. Today, the hidden cause of many recent wars has been oil. But, this traditional cause of conflict is likely to be over taken by water. It is predicted that future wars are going to be 'water wars'. The water sources for many states, with few exceptions of underground aquifers, lie across borders and in some cases involve many sovereign states in the basin. This gives an opportunity to the states to demonstrate their ability to control the flow of water to its neighbors, and on many occasions this attitude provokes an angry reaction from the neighbors.

At present, the Americans are blaming the rapid industrialization in South Asian countries like India for causing widespread pollution and stating that as a reason for not joining the protocol. However, countries like India and China being developing industrial economies are not supposed to reduce their GHG emissions as per the Kyoto protocol. However, there is a need for countries in the region to adapt willingly to 'green technologies' and think beyond the legalities of the protocol.

The eight years lobbying for Kyoto protocol portray the resentment the states demonstrate for taking corrective measures in spite of being aware of the realities. The failure on the part of the United States and Australia to join the protocol clearly demonstrates that states always value domestic interests more than any thing else. Naturally, when such interests are hampered and diplomacy does not offer any solutions to them then the states may opt for war. Let us hope that protocols like Kyoto may help towards bringing 'environmental corrections' which otherwise have the potential of becoming basis for conflicts.