This fall season once again saw the release of a number of publications on the security relevance of climate change – with varying perspectives and audiences. With a strong focus on the scientific foundations of the climate security debate, the Swedish Defense Agency published the report “On Connecting Climate Change with Security and Armed Conflict”, which promoted a somewhat common storyline: different security concepts underlie the climate security debate. But the discussion if a state-based concept or a human-based approach of security is applied when politicians are talking about climate security is only one focus of the analysis. The report also outlines key research challenges that are of outmost interest for defense communities: Especially the results of extreme climate change scenarios and potential impacts of tipping elements may offer so far unknown consequences for security at all levels since they affect international politics as well as livelihood resources. Accordingly, the authors call for “what if exercises” to be carried out jointly by researchers and policy makers from a broad range of sectors. By doing so, contemporary policy processes can be improved for addressing the challenge of climate security.

A new series of papers on climate security released by the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) offers a stronger policy orientation. Nick Mabey, author of one of the four papers, calls for a more effective “whole-of-government” approach to the risk management of climate change. Such an approach needs to be supported by regular assessment of the effectiveness of climate security action at both national and international levels. The risk-management framework to be applied should expand responsibilities for climate change outcomes well beyond environment and energy ministries. As outlined by this and the other GMF papers there are already some entry points for policy responses such as the development of adaptation strategies in a conflict sensitive way to mainstream climate change concerns into development, foreign and security policies. (Dennis Taenzler)

The report “On Connecting Climate Change with Security and Armed Conflict” commissioned by the Swedish Defense Agency is available as pdf (1 MB) at http://www2.foi.se/rapp/foir3021.pdf

The GMF paper series is available at http://www.gmfus.org/cs/pressroom/viewpressrelease?newsarticle.id=1543

Published in: ECC-Newsletter, December 2010