Environmental security
is environmental viability for life support, with three
sub-elements:
• preventing or repairing military damage to the
environment
• preventing or responding to environmentally
caused conflicts
• protecting the environment due to its inherent
moral value.
Preventing or repairing military damage
to the environment
• complex and uncertain international security landscape
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
•
multipolarity (economic, political, military)
increased number of fragile states, national instability, intrastate vs interstate
continued growth and power of non-state actors
multidimensional conflicts (“hybrid” threats)
climate change (nature of operations & impact on military capabilities)
technological advancements (weapons & weaponizable)
militarization of global commons
space, EMP, etc (natural & man-made)
new forms of defense strategies and cooperation
– change of focus from nation-centered to global
– integration of nontraditional security issues in security strategies
• strengthening environmental jurisprudence
–
–
–
–
–
350 environmental courts in 41 countries (WRI)
Convention on Cluster Munitions, NPT
legal provisions for liability and redress, language, mechanisms
Permanent Court of Arbitration for env. damage during armed conflict, ICC
international court on environmental crimes & “rights of Earth”
Water Security Risk Index 2010
>100 water-related conflicts in the past 25 yrs (Pacific Institute)
< 4 billion people in areas of high water stress by 2030 (WEF)
< 10% of world population at risk of displacement by climate change
Global Climate Risk Index 2010
Environmental Performance Index
Ecological Footprint
Source: Maplecroft http://maplecroft.com/about/news/water-security.html
Policies and Discrepancies
by 2030: developing countries will need $75 bill/yr for adaptation
$400 tech dev.
Areas of Disagreement
•
access to the polar regions, off-coast resources, and their use
•
enforcement of MEAs
•
monitoring systems and models
•
security implications of environmental aspects
•
biodiversity protection
•
synthetic biology and nanotech safety strategies
•
implications of new weapons technology
•
nuclear non-proliferation
•
climate change and post-Kyoto strategy
•
outer-space security