1. 07/11/2012
Securitizing the environment
Who is securitizing the “We have to prevent further environmental
degradation. If we fail these problems will cause
environmental discourse, why terrorism, tension and war” (Clinton, 1994)
and what are its potential “The Darfur conflict began as an ecological crisis,
implications? arising at least in part from climate change.” (UN
Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, 2007)
“The next war in the Middle East will be fought over
Itay Fischhendler water, not politics” (Egyptian Foreign Minister,
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Boutrous Ghali)
Linkage of environment and security What are we securitizing?
weak society legitimacy Reliable supplies
supply demand
scarcity
environment conflicts security
abundance
security environmental conflicts security
scarcity
environmental collective security
peace
threat action and Energy security is “reliable and adequate supply at a reasonable price"
building
trust (Bielecki, 2002)
What are we securitizing? What are we securitizing?
Our existence Our values
Climate security is a "stable climate or maintaining a rate of change below Food security is access by all people at all times to enough food for
the dangerous levels for human and ecological systems" (Stripple 2002) an active, healthy life (World Bank, 1986)
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2. 07/11/2012
What resources we securitize ?
Resources What are we What is under Security instruments The “holy” nexus
securitized securitizing? threat?
Water Rights and values -Food production -Desalinization, pollution
- Hydro energy prevention, efficiency
supply uses, virtual water, Thinking about the energy-water-food nexus lifts
-Human hygiene and
health sustainability from a CSR issue to the
Food Entitlements and -Food production -Self-sufficiency strategic…level
values -Employment, -New food markets (International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2012)
welfare state -Group invitations
Energy - Standard and Reliable energy -Energy diversification
quality of life supply -Grid supply
- Political stability -Renewable energy
The Energy-Water-Food Nexus: The Emerging
Environment/ - Life support -Open spaces Challenge to Sustainable Prosperity
Ecology systems - Biodiversity (Forbes, 2012)
- Earth integrity
Climate -Life support systems - All of the above -Energy efficiency
-Political stability, -Reviewable energy
standard and quality -Demand management
of life -Technology transfer
How do we securitize?
TECHNICAL POLITICIZED SECURITIZED The discourse: political VS technical
Component Component Mechanisms
Attribute
Linguistic Discourse Technical Political Political Speech Acts
Linguistic Issue Framing Problems & Risks Existential Metaphors,
Political/secirtized:
Risks Threats Narratives, Frames Rice: Is there a shortage of water?
Linguistic Water Primary Primary / Primary / Non-water linkage, Abu Ala: There is a disaster! There is great shortage of
Centrality Secondary Secondary water treaty
embedded in a larger water in Palestine and Israel (Annapolis-Meeting, 2008)
treaty
Linguistic / Rule- Compliant Compliant Rule- Advocating secrecy
Institutional Observance defiance or force Saeb Erekat: It is like the man who is 220 cm tall and the
Institutional Transparency Med-High Med-High Low Excluding civil Actors
door is 190 cm. I could ask him to bend or I can also
and regimes suggest that we cut his neck. (Annapolis-Meeting, 2008)
Institutional Efficiency Med-High Low-Med Low Rejecting
Consideration Cost/Benefit
Institutional Equity Low-Med Low-Med Med-High Equitable and
Consideration resalable
Water centrality: Efficiency vs. other considerations
primary or secondary resource
Efficiency consideration :
Primary: D1
in the interest of the harmonious development and prosperity of
“emergency situations resulting from suddenly either from natural agriculture, food industry, forestry, and water economy of the
causes or from human conduct and causing an imminent threat to contracting parties (Czech Republic & Slovak Republic 1992)
the Zambezi Watercourse” (Agreement on the Establishment of the
Zambezi Watercourse Commission, 2008)
Other considerations:
Secondary: “The dam entails strategic, social and cultural costs that
"Providing Gaza with water and power is not difficult. They need go far beyond its substantial monetary price” (Fearnside,
to stop the rockets" (Kugler, 2008) 1988).
the motivation for the agreement is “… considering their desire to “with a view to increasing the prospects for peace,
restore security and mutual trust throughout the length of their security, and prosperity in the region” (Red- Dead Sea
common frontier” (1979 water treaty between Iran, Iraq) Water Conveyance Project, 2005).
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3. Slide 11
D1 This quote is incomplete - does not make sense - after the word "from" or "suddenly" should be
another noun
Daniel, 19/10/2012

4. 07/11/2012
Why are we securitizing? Securitization implies:
Rhetorical device aimed at recruiting greater support Placing issues ‘beyond normal politics
Making decisions on the basis of impulse,
The search for new missions that are often
militarily-driven Removing an issue from both the political and
A genuine fear of political instability, conflict and war economic field, where calculation of gains and
losses are no longer dominant.
The pros of securitization The cons of securitization
It draws attention away from more proximate environmental
causes and problems.
It puts the environment on the agenda
It perpetuate inequalities between those who did manage to
put their problems on the agenda and those who could not.
Some indications that it mobilizes power and policy
makers It negates prioritization because all issues can become
securitized
Environmental security skeptics Directions for research
Securitizing the environment is a rhetorical device aimed at What resources are we securitizing?
drumming up greater support for measures to protect the
environment (e.g Levy, 1995) Who is securing the environmental discourse?
‘Rhetorical attention-getting' (Deudney, 1990). How do we securitize the resource and discourse?
Calling for the de-securitization of natural resources discourse What variables encourage a securitized discourse?
Subscribing mechanisms for de-securitization: What are the implications of a securitized discourse?
o data sharing, virtual water , JWC
How can we reconcile between competing securities?
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5. 07/11/2012
First Test case:
the U.N. Commission for Sustainable Methodology & Data
Development
Content analysis of statements (CSD 12 -15) :
Goal: Identify if the statements are securitized
Reviewing the implementation of Agenda-21 Identify what is being securitized
Policy guidance for future Sustainable Development Identify the solutions suggested
Promote dialogue and build partnerships
Statistical analysis
Multivariate regression
Process:
Annual open forum
Each year is devoted to several specific topics
Our database State vs. human security
CSD12 & CSD13
Water
CSD14 & CSD15
Energy
(water)
Number of % of Number of % of 100%
Observations Total Observations Total 23% 90%
30% 34%
Statements 366 100.0 696 100.0 80%
Statements submitted by states 233 63.7 430 61.8 13% 70%
unclear 22% 60%
Statements submitted by non-
133 36.3 266 38.2 28%
state actors state 50%
Statements referencing security 70 19.1 130 18.5 human 40%
65% 30%
Statements by states
41 11.2 74 10.6 48%
referencing security 38% 20%
Statements by non-state actors 10%
29 7.9 56 8.0
referencing security 0%
Overall Non- States
states
What are they securitizing ? State vs. human security
(water) (energy)?
100%
90%
80%
59% 61% 58% 70%
unclear 60%
state 50%
human 40%
23% 30%
31% 37%
20%
16% 10%
10% 5% 0%
Overall Non- States
states
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6. 07/11/2012
What are they Securitizing in Energy?
Examples for securitized statements
• Addressing political unrest caused by sharp
increases in oil prices (Sweden).
• Stability in respective regions… are among key
factors impacting energy security (Azerbaijan)
• The Energy Strategy of Armenia is to enhance
[its] energy independence
Water Variables
What encourages Securitization? Variable
Type
Variable name Variable Description Units of
measurement
Composit WPI Aggregate water poverty index developed by Sullivan 0-100
e (2002) and Lawrence, Meigh and Sullivan (2002)
Resource ARWR Annual renewable water resources per capita m3/cap/year
Endowme
nt and IRWR Internal renewable water resources per capita m3/cap/year
Use
Variables Withdrawals Water withdrawn as share of total IRWR %
Waterdependence Share of IRWR originating in other countries %
Socio- Agrpop Population in the agricultural sector %
economic
and Agrgdp Agricultural value added as share of overall Gross %
Political Domestic Product
Variables
GDPcap Gross Domestic Product per capita 2000 US$
Popgrowth Annual population growth %
Politicalstability World Governance Indicators (WGI) index of political 0-100
stability and absence of violence published by the World
Bank (2010). Values represent 2003 data.
Second test case:
Multi-variate logistic Multi-variate logistic regression
regression for water variables for energy variables What intensifies competition
Independent Coefficient Independent Coefficient
Variable Variable between securitized discourses:
ARWR -3.34E-06 Energyusecap -0.0003
IRWR 1.65E-06 Fossilreservescap 62.151
The case of solar farms in Israel
Withdrawals 0.005* Fossilusepercent -0.0174
Waterdependence 0.029*** Energyimports 0.001
Agrpop 10.693*** Fuelexports -0.01
Agrgdp -0.055 Fuelimports 0.0317
CO2cap 0.151
GDPcap 0.0001*** GDPcap 0.00007
Popgrowth 0.100 Popgrowth -0.726**
Politicalstability 0.175 Politicalstability -0.056
Island 0.826
Constant -3.471 Constant 0.39
Pseudo R2 0.29 Pseudo R2 0.121
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7. 07/11/2012
Triggering variables
A rush towards solar farms in the Negev
Growing Diminishing
Demand Supply
2011: a new master plan to speed up
small/medium farms
Resource multiple uses
Enabling variables
scarcity of resource
conflict
70 local solar farms initiatives submitted for
Disaster
approval (430mgs on 10,000 donams)
Ten large farms initiatives (1000 mgw; 25,000
Competition over
agenda setting politicized donam)
decision
adaptive making
capacity
scarcity
Competing security
discourses
What encourages competing security discourses
The Israeli case: competition over land Triggering variables
land geo-strategic regulation gas-discovery Institutional
scarcity events events events setting
energy security discourse
Scarcity of land and water
Multiple uses for land in the Negev appropriated and scarce land
• Army (55%) Food security Ecological
security
Traditional (military)
security discourse
Climate security
discourse discourse
discourse
• Ecological needs (30%, coincidence with army)
• Food requirements (8%)
competing security
discourses
Examples for securitized statements
there is a need to allocate more training
areas to the army beyond the 48% to
accommodate the security threats(Zohar,
84 protocols spanning 10 years whereby solar 2004)
energy was discussed
energy is the life drug of Israel
Half the protocols had at least one statement (Minister of Infrastructure, 2004)
containing securitized discourse
there is a threat to our plant due to green
182 securitized statements gas emissions (Minister of Infrastructure,
2004)
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8. 07/11/2012
Climate Energy Ecology
6% 1%
Affordability
Economy Independency 19% 21%
Biodiversity
47%
Humanity Public health
11%
Life support 79%
Life 94% 22%
Reliability system
Unclear
Unclear
Unclear
Food Traditional
Confidentiality
15% 12%
27% Flight safety 3%
Affordability 17%
Military traning
Reliability
73% 53%
Unclear Operational
capability
Unclear
Issues %. of securitized Forum
securitized statements
Parliamentarian
Council
National Planning
committees
Regional Planning
Committee
Technical
Forum 1
0.9
Parliamentarian
0.8
Competition Index 2
0.7
National Planning 0.6
Climate 8.8% 37.5% 87.5% 6.3% 6.3% 0.0% Council
0.5
Energy 40.1% 64.4% 58.9% 35.6% 4.1% 1.4% Regional Planning 0.4
committees 0.3
Ecology 7.7% 14.3% 7.1% 71.4% 14.3% 7.1%
Technical 0.2
Food 6.0% 9.1% 27.3% 54.5% 18.2% 0.0%
Committee 0.1
Traditional 37.4% 57.4% 5.9% 60.3% 20.6% 13.2% 0
Average 52.2% 35.7% 46.2% 12.1% 6.0% Date
Third test case: Distribution of
Israeli-Palestinian Annapolis Negotiations Observations Partially-
Securitized
Risks: 8%
Data Set n=3
Israel-PLO Interim Water Agreement Fully-
Securitized
Negotiation protocols of 48 Annapolis meetings of Risks: 29%
high level and technical officials in 2007-2009 that n=11
Problems:
discuss water 63%
n=24
Source: leaked “Palestine Papers” to Al Jazeera
Gives insight into actual negotiations, rather than
just end product (e.g., treaty analysis) Total Observations: 38
Identify events that represents standing issues to
negotiate
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9. 07/11/2012
Securitization Fulfillment Ratio 8
(in fully and partial securitization) Distribution of Risk Claims by Referent Object
7
Condition Fulfillment Not Fulfilled
6
Referent Object 100% 5
“Proper” Speech Act 5% 95% 4
3
Point of No Return 45% 55% Israeli
2
Palestinian
Way Out 95% 5% 1
0
Audience Acceptance 70% 30% Economic Socio-Political Environment Human Safety
0.45
The division of water centrality by Forum Type
100% 0.4
Type of Securitization by Forum
90%
0.35 State
80%
0.3
70%
Human
60% 0.25
n=14
50%
0.2
40%
0.15
30%
0.1
20%
Political Committee
10% 0.05
Non-Political 0%
0
Primary Secondary
Political Non-Political
The potential effect of securitization
Hinders cooperation:
"When we reach an understanding about borders and the
land, then it will become easier for us to talk about water”
(Annapolis negotiations, 2008)
Encourages cooperation:
“the motivation for the water agreement is … considering
Their desire to restore security and mutual trust
throughout the length of their common frontier”
(1979 water treaty between Iran, Iraq)
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