Climate security

Climate-related security risks have far-reaching implications for the way the world manages peace and security. Climate security is a concept that summons the idea that climate-related change amplifies existing risks in society that dangers the security of humans, ecosystems, economy, infrastructure and societies. Also climate actions to adapt and mitigate impacts can have a negative effect on human security if mishandled. Climate security refers to the security risks induced, directly or indirectly, by changes in climate patterns. The Global Risks Report 2019 by the World Economic Forum, cited climate change among the most concerning issues. As part of the report a survey cited extreme weather, lack of climate action and natural disasters as the main three problems. The 2017 Global Catastrophic Risks report, issued by the Global Challenges Foundation, highlighted a broad range of security-related topics, among them climate change, and concluded that global warming has a high likelihood to end civilization. Policy interest in climate security risks has grown rapidly and affects the policy agenda in relation to, among other questions, food and energy security, migration policy, and diplomatic efforts. The Global Security Defense Index on climate change evaluates the extents of governments in considering climate change to be a national security issue. The 2018 Worldwide Threat Assessment report states:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0} Within academia, Climate Security is a term found within the umbrella concept of Environmental Security which made its first appearance in the Brundtland Report in 1987. Thirty years down the road, experts and scientists in fields as politics, diplomacy, environment and security have used this concept in an increasing frequency. Climate security refers to the security risks induced, directly or indirectly, by changes in the natural climate. There is high agreement that climate change intimidates security where the term ‘security’ can refer to a broad range of securities involving national, international and Human Security. Human Security is the most fragile as it can be compromised in order to protect national or international security. Scholars analysing conflicts with a climate security rendering have long argued that climate change can adversely affect security and international stability. Recent reports convey the information of collapse of pastoral societies, how terrorist groups seek recruits in dehydrated lands, and how flooding ultimately fed anti-government sentiments. Unstable regions appear to be incapable of surviving climate change-related stresses; instead creating fertile soil for radicalisation, poverty and violent conflict. Scholars of climate security can analyse the chronological order of an escalation, where a changing environment or climate change can be an underlying variable. It is a complex interplay of many political and socio-economical factors where climate change is considered a risk- or threat-multiplier. During the 70's and 80's the Jason advisory group, concerned with security, conducted research on climate change.Climate change has been identified as a threat multiplier, which can exacerbate existing threats. A 2013 meta-analysis of 60 previous peer-reviewed studies, and 45 data sets concluded that, 'climate change intensifies natural resource stresses in a way that can increase the likelihood of livelihood devastation, state fragility, human displacement, and mass death.' In the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), The Pentagon stated: 'The QDR will set a long-term course for DOD as it assesses the threats and challenges that the nation faces and re-balances DOD’s strategies, capabilities, and forces to address today’s conflicts and tomorrow’s threats.' and ' 'As greenhouse gas emissions increase, sea levels are rising, average global temperatures are increasing, and severe weather patterns are accelerating Climate change may exacerbate water scarcity and lead to sharp increases in food costs. The pressures caused by climate change will influence resource competition while placing additional burdens on economies, societies, and governance institutions around the world. These effects are threat multipliers that will aggravate stressors abroad such as poverty, environmental degradation, political instability, and social tensions – conditions that can enable terrorist activity and other forms of violence.' Climate scientist Michael E. Mann stated in his commentary to the 2018 global heat wave that climate change is a national security nightmare.