Moving Toward an Environmental Security Framework

By Emily Zimmerman, EAG Intern, Summer ‘21

In an era of significant environmental change that is fueling food insecurity, water and land conflicts, and energy shortages, the links between environment and security are growing more powerful. Environmental security encompasses environmental change, human security, and national security. A nation-state becomes environmentally insecure when an environmental change is destructive enough to weaken the economy, political stability, quality or quantity of natural resources, and the status of military installations. The Energy Academic Group (EAG) is undergoing research to determine the value of incorporating environmental security into existing installation management processes.

Traditionally, national security focuses on visible, tangible threats. Today, these threats are exacerbated by global environmental changes from the effects of climate change, extreme weather, ocean acidification, coastal erosion, depletion of natural resources, and water crises. These are considered “actorless” challenges as there is no clear culprit, but they have the potential to multiply other threats. Naval bases are already experiencing environmental changes that can cause a greater risk to security and stability.

Executive Order 14008 directs the DoD to review the implications of climate change on national security, and to incorporate findings into future planning, modeling, simulations, documents, processes, and analyses. There is currently no existing environmental security framework or plan for naval bases or installations. Research indicates that adding an environmental security framework to existing management of naval bases and installations would reveal vulnerabilities due to environmental change and empower a more proactive approach toward understanding the underpinnings of, preventing, and responding to future conflict.