Climate Security: A Growing Challenge for Global Peace

Current State of the Situation

We are currently facing new kinds of threats that can harm global security and peace. Climate security is becoming a significant topic for governments and military leaders to understand and address. Climate change is creating unpredictable weather patterns, leading to extreme weather events and a scarcity of food and clean water. Similarly, soils are becoming less fertile after droughts, making it very difficult for farmers to grow food.

Another concern is the presence of microplastics in our food, which can pose a danger to human health. We cannot address climate security without acknowledging the collapse of marine ecosystems and the rise in sea levels. Aquatic biodiversity is under severe threat from pollution and ocean warming.

Unfortunately, many countries are not prepared to handle these climate challenges. This is especially true for developing countries that cannot afford to make the necessary changes or create new policies to protect their citizens. This is why climate security is now regarded as a national security concern in many countries.

We Observe Real Examples of Climate Security Threats

Beneath the Surface: The Ocean's Warning

As noted above, our oceans are facing a crisis that affects both the environment and human security. Ocean temperatures are rising rapidly, posing a significant threat to the survival of many marine species. Around 14% of the world's coral disappeared.

Consequently, the fishing industry is losing significant amounts of money because there are fewer fish to catch. This poses substantial economic challenges for countries in Southeast Asia and the Horn of Africa, where millions of people rely on fishing for their livelihoods. This situation also raises concerns about food security. Coastal communities that have always depended on healthy oceans and fishing resources are now struggling to survive. Many fishing families are forced to change their way of life or relocate to other areas in search of employment. This situation can also create social tensions and conflicts in the places where they live.

Water Crisis: The Price of Thirst

Freshwater is becoming increasingly scarce in many regions of the world, creating significant security risks. Some cities lack sufficient clean water, resulting in health issues and social unrest. Rivers and lakes are drying up due to climate change and overuse, resulting in conflicts and disputes among different groups of people who rely on water for drinking, farming, and industry. When rivers flow through several countries, each nation seeks to utilise as much water as possible for its own needs, creating diplomatic tensions that can escalate into military conflicts.

It is also important to note that when people cannot find sufficient water where they live, they are often forced to relocate to other areas. This creates large groups of climate migrants who require new homes and employment opportunities. These migrations can cause tensions between local communities and newcomers, especially when resources are already limited. The scale of mass migration due to water scarcity is unprecedented, with entire communities forced to abandon their ancestral lands. This phenomenon particularly affects sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and parts of South Asia, where prolonged droughts have made traditional ways of life unsustainable.

Water scarcity doesn't just harm ecosystems; it reshapes geopolitics. Countries with control over critical water sources can exert pressure on their neighbours, using water as a strategic advantage. In this way, water becomes a tool of power and a global security concern.

Arctic: Heart of Territory Disputes

As the planet warms and ice melts, new sea routes are opening up. The emergence of these routes offers the potential for faster and more cost-effective shipping between Europe, Asia, and North America, but they're also fuelling geopolitical tensions. The melting ice makes it easier to reach oil and gas-rich soils, making them highly valuable economically and opening up new possibilities, but also creating new conflicts.

The United States, Russia, Canada, Norway, and Denmark, seek to control the new Arctic territories and their resources. Each country claims a part of the Arctic as its own, creating serious tensions among these nations. The Arctic holds an estimated 13% of the world's oil reserves and 30% of its natural gas reserves, making territorial control economically crucial. These territorial claims extend to Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), where nations assert rights over maritime resources up to 200 nautical miles from their coastlines.

Consequently, their military presence in the Arctic region is increasing, with countries building new bases and sending more ships and planes to patrol the area. This military build-up increases the risk of accidents or conflicts that could escalate into bigger problems. The dispute centres not only on resources but also on crucial logistical advantages, including control over new naval routes that could revolutionise global shipping and provide significant economic and military strategic benefits.

While past treaties, such as the 1920 Svalbard Treaty and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, established frameworks for Arctic exploration and resource exploitation, these agreements do not adequately address contemporary challenges. They lack provisions for regulating military presence, addressing climate change impacts, or coping with the unprecedented scale of current Arctic activities. This regulatory gap has created a legal vacuum that contributes to escalating tensions.

The Arctic situation illustrates how climate change can give rise to new forms of international conflict. What began as an environmental issue has evolved into a significant geopolitical challenge that affects global security.

Recommendations for Lasting Impact

To address these climate security challenges, countries and international organisations have taken concrete actions, such as establishing climate adaptation funds, creating early warning systems for extreme weather events, and developing frameworks for managing climate-induced displacement.

However, these efforts remain insufficient and fragmented.

International cooperation between countries remains very weak, though some nations have begun to acknowledge the growing urgency of climate security issues. Many nations do not feel concerned about these issues, or they are not accustomed to thinking about these new types of security risks. Some countries believe that climate change will not directly affect them, so they are reluctant to invest in solutions.

To prevent further escalation, water-sharing agreements between countries that share rivers and lakes are needed, as well as Arctic cooperation treaties.

Additionally, it will be necessary to think very soon about the management of climate migrants, as mass displacement due to environmental degradation becomes increasingly inevitable.

Investing in renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, is crucial, as is building stronger international partnerships to help countries collaborate on addressing these global challenges. Governments must take immediate action with coordinated, decisive measures to protect our future and ensure global stability.