International Security Report

Contemporary Security Issue Briefing

State of the Issue Report: Environmental Issue

International Security

1. Introduction

The term ‘environment’ is defined as the “complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival.”These physical, chemical and biotic factors that encompass our environment create the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual, community or state. However, what if this form of survival or way of life is threatened? Unpredictable environmental change and lack of natural resources has led to sudden natural disasters that leave millions of citizens homeless, penniless, and starving while the state is left in financial debt, domestic political turmoil and therefore insecure.

Our environment cannot be divided and separated like nation-states; rather it is a shared entity that forces interdependency or conflict between states. As a result, the environment can be both a source of risk and an entity to be secured. Due to the over usage of natural resources and our large carbon footprint, it is in our interest to secure the environment by reducing our carbon footprint and cherishing our environment. However, if this idealistic cooperation cannot be achieved, conflict or violence between states is a likely result. Lack of necessary natural resources or environmental change can cause states to react violently in an attempt to remain secure.

The question still stands, why is the environment the biggest threat to our security? The environment impacts every aspect of our lives, with a secure environment a state is able to pursue financial and political interests. However, with an unpredictable ecosystem and sudden natural disasters other financial and political interests are of less importance in comparison to maintaining our current way of life. Environmental sustainability has...