This document summarizes a presentation on climate change and its implications for national security. It discusses how climate change poses threats to global stability by deteriorating infrastructure, depressing economies and social systems, and challenging political stability. Specific threats include risks to human health, water and food security, and increases in extreme weather events. Weak states and low-lying island nations are most vulnerable. The document concludes that climate change challenges national security by exacerbating issues like poverty, migration, and resource conflicts, and calls for political action, adaptation strategies, and climate security initiatives to enhance nations' resilience.

1. Climate Change and its Implications on
National Security
Presented by
Amith Reddy
Clifton Trujillo
Kyle Hammond
David Willmon

2. Introduction
What is security?
• Soroos (1997) defines security as “the assurance people have that
they will continue to enjoy those things that are most important to their
survival and well-being”.
•
Every nation has a national security strategy.
•
Climate change is potentially the greatest challenge to global
stability.

3. Previous Studies
• Some studies argue that climate change poses a long-term threat to quality of
life.
• Climate-induced events deteriorate or destroy:
o Physical or social infrastructure.
o Economic and social depression over scarce natural resources.
o Political development stability.
• These problems could challenge human survival on the planet.

4. Threats of Climate Change
•
Human health
•
Natural and water resources
•
Human well-being
•
Risk from internal instability and economic weakness.
Environmental Changes
•
Rising global temperatures
•
Reduced water availability and drought;
•
Increased floods and storms;
•
Sea-level rise (threaten human health)
•
Effect on food and water security.
•
A rise in air and water temperature,
•
Erratic rainfall.

5. World map indicating percentage of agricultural water threatened under a
dry climate change scenario

6. Additional Impacts
• Projected sea-level rise could be disastrous
• Threaten the whole economy in low-lying and island states in the world
• Threats on natural and coastal resources
• Threats on Ecosystem
• Undermine the infrastructure of society
• Adversely affects human system

7. Current Study
• Climate change will aggravate existing problems
o Poverty
o Social tensions
o Environmental degradations
o Weak political institutions that threaten state stability
• Climate change is connected to national security issues

8. Sources Used
From electronic and non-electronic databases
• Journals
• Reports
• Proceedings
• Internet Search Engines
• Communicating with colleagues working in this area
of research

9. Studies Found
Studies included:
o Least-developed countries
o Developing countries
• Data, findings, and evidence
o Based on impact to individuals, communities, and national
well-being
o Climate change
o Security threats
• Environmental security
• Economic security
• Political security

10. Climate Change and
National Security
• Overwhelming scientific evidence suggests
climate changes pose many threats to security
and prosperity for humanity all over the world.
• Normally national security fell to government
and the military.
o Concept of human security is based on security and welfare of human
beings.

11. National security is…
• A function of state legitimacy
o People can live in peace when there are no projected threats
against:
• Their welfare
• The stability of political systems
• Economic systems
• Technology
• Ecological systems

12. Floods, storms, droughts,
heat and sea level rise
o Environmental degradation
o Resource depletion
o Large-scale migration
o Spread of disease
o Greater competition for Earth’s resources

13. Rising temperatures, precipitation changes and
extreme weather events could be a threat to
key national economic sectors:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Energy
Industries
Transports
Agriculture
Water and coastal resources
Public health

14. Arguments of Studies Reviewed
• Frequency and intensity of extreme weather
events, forest fires, and sea-level rise will be a
challenge
o For weak and fragile states with poorly performing institutions and
systems of government
o For low lying states and their infrastructures
• Could lead to a major socioeconomic crisis that
affects the whole world.

15. United Nations
Development Program
• Reported that flooding affected people’s:
o
o
o
o
o
Homes
Livelihoods
Access to medical facilities
Sanitation
Safe drinking water

16. Natural disasters in coastal areas
• Due to sea level rise, intensive storms, and heavy precipitation
• South Asia, China, and USA
• Most affected would be:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Region’s ecosystems
Biodiversity
Water and agriculture
Forestry
Fisheries
Livestock resources
Political and social stability

17. Problems Caused by
Resource Scarcity
•
•
•
•
Disruption of production cycles
Extreme weather patterns
Reduction in water resources
Drop in agricultural production and decreased
availability to fresh water

18. Atoll Countries
• Most physically vulnerable to sealevel rise because of:
o High ratio of coastline to land area
o High population densities
o Low level of available resources

19. Small island states are at
risk as well
• Examples are Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India
o All situated near major rivers, and deltas prone to flooding
• Bangladesh
o 80% of its land is in the floodplains
o 1/3 under tidal influence
o Drought, desertification and cyclonic events affect:
• Agricultural production
• Human beings

20. Environmental
Dimensions
• Profound ecosystem impact
o Natural resources
o Human dependence
• Major environmental threats
o
o
o
o
Desertification/deforestation
Global warming/ozone depletion
Rising sea-levels
Air and water pollution

21. Importance to Humans
• Resource scarcity
o Fighting/killing over supplies
• Oil, land, water, food
• Terrain/ecosystem changes
o Reported 1.1 billion people lack access to drinkable water
• Contaminants a major concern
o Parasites, pollutants, etc.
o Water is not an optional resource

22. Public Health
• Increase in natural disasters
o Not enough staff/doctors to examine patients
o Access to facilities limited during severe disasters
• Food store declines
o World food stores declined drastically
• 11% in 2007, while price index increased 40%
o Some African countries face future problems
• 50% of agricultural yield reduction by 2020
o Projected 90% decline in revenue from crops by 2100

23. Public Health (continued)
• Suitable land
o Forced migration
• Bangladesh sea-level rising
o 45 cm could result in 5.5 million (10.9%) forced to evacuate
• Hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.
o Affected areas become barren
• Where to occupy next?
o Factors such as soil fertility and stable weather conditions
become increasingly important

24. Economic Dimensions
• Climate change a global security issue
o Many significant effects including:
• Loss of life and property
• Loss of agricultural productivity
• Economic damage
o Note that many impacts are cumulative
• Issues alter and affect one another
• Very rarely are problems independent/isolated

25. Impact on Economic
Growth and Stability
o Damage to both individuals and property
• $6+ billion across 13 Asian and African countries in
December 2004
• $4.45 billion of which was in Indonesia alone
o Most extreme cases
• Some cities at peril of major flooding or submerging
• Completely eradicates any economy for the area
• Hard if not impossible to predict
o Greatly limits growth of nations without stable
climates
• Also affects nations that rely on affected areas exports

26. The Political Dimension
• Climate-induced migration
o Link to political instability
o High population pressures
o Tension between nations
• Drought and Desertification
o Resource scarcity
o Crop failure

27. The Way Forward
• Reduce human contribution
o Lower greenhouse gas emissions
o Learn from the past
• Education
• Climate security

28. Enhancing Climate
Security
• Political priority
• Global dialogue
o Policy implementation
o Assisting other countries
• Programs to address problems
o Awareness
o Ecological degradation
o Preparation for emergency situations

29. Conclusion:
•
Climate change presents a very serious challenge to the security and prosperity for
individuals, community as well as nations especially low-lying island states.
•
Has many potential circumstances & consequences for the physical environment.
•
Some nation-states are facing various stresses eg. temperature increases, change in rainfall
patterns, changes in livestock and agricultural crops, water stress, population growth, rapid
institutional changes, increase of economic inequality and large scale migration.
•
Show consequences for livelihood, settlements patterns, resources pressures, potentially
increasing the risk of social instability as well as political.

30. Suggestions:
•
There is need a political will or commitment to reduce greenhouse gas concentration and
ensure national security.
•
Research for adaptive responses that would prepare for inevitable climate driven events such
as mass migration, disease and food and water shortages to enhance understanding of the
potential impacts of climate change on nations.
•
Understanding the ways of climate change and to cope with the multiple regional stresses in
the context of increasing stresses caused by climate change,
•
Every nation will need to develop an integrated approach in national and regional levels and
implement sustainable adaptive strategies as well as climate security.

31. Questions?