Pamela Berkowsky, founder and president of the public affairs consulting firm Blue Sapphire Strategies, is a former senior Defense Department official. Pamela Berkowsky is also Senior Executive Defense Consultant to the South Florida Defense Alliance, a 501(c)(6) coalition of public, private and non-profit entities that seek to unite, champion and grow the military and defense/homeland security investments in South Florida (https://www.southfloridadefensealliance.org/about-us-1). One of the Alliance’s key areas of effort is in the resiliency arena, developing measures to enhance infrastructure, operational and personnel readiness and resiliency at South Florida’s numerous military installations and commands. In early 2021, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14008 directing a “whole of government” approach to tackling the climate crisis. With regard to the Department of Defense, it directed the Secretary of Defense to assess the security implications of climate change and to incorporate climate change and its potential impact into analysis, war-gaming and simulations. As a result, in October 2021, the Department published its Defense Climate Risk Analysis (DCRA) which closely followed the release of DOD’s broader “Climate Adaptation Plan.” The DCRA assessment focuses on the national security risks presented by global warming. One particular area of climate hazard singled out in the report is the vulnerability to sea level rise of island-based US military installations and facilities across the Indo-Pacific region. It highlights the possibility that China and other adversaries could take advantage of disruptions at these bases to expand their regional influence. Another potential risk relates to how “internal and external tensions” might be aggravated in various countries due to climate-driven resource scarcity. Resulting competition for basic resources could inflame international instability and pose increased security risks. In addition to the likelihood of growing instability between and within nations, the operational demands on DOD to supply urgent disaster relief and humanitarian aid could dramatically increase.

1. DoD’s “Climate Risk Analysis” Explores
National Security Risks
Pamela Berkowsky

2. Introduction
Pamela Berkowsky, founder and president of the public affairs consulting firm
Blue Sapphire Strategies, is a former senior Defense Department official. Pamela
Berkowsky is also Senior Executive Defense Consultant to the South Florida
Defense Alliance, a 501(c)(6) coalition of public, private and non-profit entities
that seek to unite, champion and grow the military and defense/homeland
security investments in South Florida
(https://www.southfloridadefensealliance.org/about-us-1). One of the Alliance’s
key areas of effort is in the resiliency arena, developing measures to enhance
infrastructure, operational and personnel readiness and resiliency at South
Florida’s numerous military installations and commands.

3. In early 2021, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14008 directing a
“whole of government” approach to tackling the climate crisis. With regard
to the Department of Defense, it directed the Secretary of Defense to assess
the security implications of climate change and to incorporate climate
change and its potential impact into analysis, war-gaming and simulations.
As a result, in October 2021, the Department published its Defense Climate
Risk Analysis (DCRA) which closely followed the release of DOD’s broader
“Climate Adaptation Plan.” The DCRA assessment focuses on the national
security risks presented by global warming.

4. One particular area of climate hazard singled out in the report is the
vulnerability to sea level rise of island-based US military installations and
facilities across the Indo-Pacific region. It highlights the possibility that China
and other adversaries could take advantage of disruptions at these bases to
expand their regional influence. Another potential risk relates to how
“internal and external tensions” might be aggravated in various countries
due to climate-driven resource scarcity. Resulting competition for basic
resources could inflame international instability and pose increased security
risks. In addition to the likelihood of growing instability between and within
nations, the operational demands on DOD to supply urgent disaster relief
and humanitarian aid could dramatically increase.