Climate Change and International Security

Threats Posed by the Effects of Climate Change, 2019

Changes in climate are direct consequences from the manmade processes causing global warming (the Anthropocene era). They are threat for humanity and its sustainable future in two ways – 1. as change of weather patterns which should be tackled through all possible ways for reduction of global warming and bringing the CO2 emissions below pre-industrial levels and 2. as how the change of weather patterns interact with societies – including the ability or inability of governments to effectively manage rapid changes, ensure security and prosperity for their nations, and maintain their legitimacy. Climate change aftermaths are hiding potential threats for societies by disturbing their peaceful living and raising chances for conflicts. By changing the physical landscape extreme weather anomalies influence also the international geopolitical landscape. Most directly, climate change impacts state security by decreasing the readiness of institutions to answer its threats. Therefore, climate change impacts can be explicitly seen as potential security threads (even though they are not traditional security threads) and should be taken seriously into consideration of possible deepening of the caused instability. In this article only this second dimension will be regarded.

Environment Systems and Decisions, 2014

The science is clear that climate change is one of the most important issues facing humanity. The changing climate is already affecting humanity and our economies in many ways. These effects will increase as the climate continues to change, and the effects are expected to increase dramatically over the coming decades. Climaterelated hazards exacerbate other stressors, often with negative outcomes for livelihoods, especially for people living in poverty. Climate change can amplify existing stresses and vulnerabilities among populations and existing threats to security and can indirectly increase risks of violence and violent conflict. This paper is aimed at examining the changes occurring to the Earth's climate, what additional changes in climate are likely to occur over the coming decades, and how climate change could affect global security.

Journal of Strategic Security, 2020

Policy makers, scholars, strategic military thinkers, and intelligence analysts increasingly recognize climate change as a profound multi- dimensional global crisis. The dimensions of climate change have the potential to alter the way people live by presenting a range of environmental, social, economic, political, and social challenges. These include the potential for extreme weather events (hurricanes, storms, floods, heat waves) triggering mass migration, refugees, and depopulation of entire regions as they become uninhabitable due to extreme heat or sea level rise, droughts, degraded water supplies, famine and food insecurity, and health and biosecurity threats trigger humanitarian emergencies.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), 2022

The effects of climate change and global warming on international relations in general, and international security in particular, are examined in this research paper. The paper looks at how climate change could affect international security in a variety of ways. In the recent decade, the role of climate change in geopolitics has shifted dramatically. Climate, from merely being on the sidelines has become an active shaper of geopolitics as a whole. The notion of climate change acting as a threat multiplier will also be explored in detail in this paper. From increased violence due to resource scarcity, to displacement of people because of natural disasters, all of these events impinge on international order and security and will be inspected closely. The changing environment and the events leading up to that create a unique situation where we can look at climate change and geopolitics through the lens of science-backed policies for mitigation and adaptation and map out the impact of these changes on social and political systems of the society. The paper also explores some climate science literature and goes through recommended climate action practices. Geopolitics is heavily influenced by the energy centers in the world and will change with global warming and the exhaustion of fossil fuels. This paper touches on these concerns and attempts at painting a picture of the world with new energy centers and trade routes. This paper above anything else aims at making this understanding part of the approach to an action plan for the future.

American Journal of Environmental Sciences, 2011

Problem statement: Climate change is increasingly one of the most serious national security threats which will have significant impacts on natural and coastal resources, ecosystem, human health and settlements, thereby affecting human wellbeing. At the same time, it is likely to influence of large scale human migration, economic and social depression over scarce natural resources and political systems necessary involve an even higher degree of uncertainty. Crucial for action is addressing climate change threats to small island states and states that are least developed, as environmental destabilization may lead to a major economic, environmental and political crisis that may not just affect these states but the world as a whole. Approach: Literatures were identified for review through a comprehensive search by using electronic and non-electronic databases. Related published literature and documents were searched in a systematic way using a range of key words relating to climate change impacts and national security. Results: The literature review indicates that climate change undermine national security dimensions by increasing environmental degradation, resources scarcity, large scale human migration as well as damage of infrastructure. The review also indicate that climate change undermine environmental dimensions by increasing sea level rise, extreme weather events, freshwater scarcity, land degradation and pollution; undermine economic dimensions by reducing access to and the quality of natural resources and human health, in addition to undermine of political dimensions with the possibility of increased environmental refugees, severe storms and failed economics. Conclusion: Reducing climate-induced threats that contributes to national security, there will need to develop an integrated approach in local and national levels and implement sustainable adaptive strategies as well as climate security.

KARADENİZ 11TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SOCIAL SCIENCES, 2022

With the end of the Cold War, security issues expanded to include non-military threats. Climate change, the effects of which started to be seen more and more with the environmental problems that occurred in the 1990s, started to take an important place in the security agenda. Climate change, which has turned into a global environmental problem, has caused problems such as a rise in sea level, excessive precipitation, desertification in many parts of the world, and a decrease in agricultural production caused by drought. In this respect, climate change has started to become a subject that is discussed and discussed as a security problem in today’s international relations. Problems such as hunger, thirst, poverty, or international migration caused by climate change in many countries directly or indirectly cause security problems on a global scale. Climate change causes threats to individuals, primarily environmental, economic, social, political, and societal. These threats to human security turn into national security threats for governments as well. In addition, the environmental threats of global climate change and the direct effects of its effects on the environment and nature cause it to be evaluated within the issue of environmental security. In this respect, global climate change, which is a direct environmental security problem, is handled in different dimensions. In this study, the relationship between climate change and security has been revealed and the possible security problems caused by climate change have been revealed and examined. Key Words: Climate Change, Global Warming, Environmental Security, Security Problems, Humanitarian Security Problems

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2021): J. Peace Dipl. , 2021

The security paradigm of the world is constantly shifting, and compared to the military and traditional issues, non-military problems are now given significantly greater emphasis. Threats to a person's life and wellness that fall beyond the usual definition of security include climate change. Climate Change has taken a central position on the international forum. The purpose of this study is to analyze climate-driven environmental changes that are anticipated to influence some of the factors that threaten security; undermine livelihoods, increase migration, create political instability or other forms of insecurity, and weaken the capabilities of states to respond to challenges appropriately. Some major international issues such as population growth, pollution, melting of ice glaciers, floods, and droughts are interlinked with the above-said problems and are also becoming the core issues within states and borders. Climate Change may result eventually in a plethora of security risks and threats that can also exacerbate conflicts. The purpose of the study is to examine either climate change is a critical issue or whether the states just politicize it. This study aims to investigate how climate change affects security and public perception to recommend policy solutions to these ever-evolving problems. Security is a multidimensional approach that focuses on an individual's welfare and well-being. Improvement of policymaking in handling the issue of climate change is also a very important factor for peace and human security at the international level.

Conflict, Security & Development, 2009

This work analyses the consequences of climate change and global warming for international politics in general and international security in particular. It focuses on whether and in what way climate change may alter the conditions of international security. From this perspective, the initial effects of climate change will vary according to existing economic, political and social structures in different world regions. Organised violence is more likely in regions with weak states and conflictual inter-state dynamics than in those characterized by co-operative relations. In the short- to medium term, climate change is unlikely to alter the constitutive structures of international security. However, depending on the severity of climate change, these conditions may change over the long term. Such changes will probably depend on the secondary effects that change has on the world and regional economies. Climate change is unlikely to lead to an increase in conflicts in the short- to medium term, but a long-term development marked by unmitigated climate change could very well have serious consequences for international security. The author argues that, although necessary, mitigation and adaptation measures may have consequences for international politics.

Ante Portas - Security Studies, 2018

Climate change generates great controversies in public opinion. Political debacles, scientific feuds and NGOs activities sometimes overshadow objectively defined challenges created by global ecosystem transformation. Nevertheless, discussion about the genesis of climate change is increasingly concentrated on security issues. The author of the presented articles explores the notion of climate change being a threat multiplier in the conflicts of the future. The purpose of the article is to outline a rudimentary prognose of climate change impact on existing and potential conflicts. Several case studies are used in the analysis.