Climate Change: A Growing Security Threat Highlighted by NATO
Last week, leaders from over 30 North American and European countries gathered in Washington to address critical security threats at a NATO summit. Central to their discussions was an escalating threat: climate change. NATO's comprehensive report unveiled the multifaceted ways in which climate impacts—ranging from heat waves to ocean acidification—pose significant challenges to security infrastructure, military personnel, adversaries, and disaster response efforts.
Human Impacts on Military Personnel
NATO military personnel, often the first responders to disasters, are uniquely susceptible to climate extremes. The past year saw nearly 30 international military deployments to manage climate-related emergencies across 14 countries, including notable missions in Slovenia and Greece. In the United States, over 600 military personnel were dispatched to combat the devastating wildfires in Hawaii in 2023, marking one of the largest single-hazard responses in recent history.
Soldiers regularly face harsh conditions such as dust storms, intense rainfall, and droughts—conditions projected to worsen as climate change progresses. Recent years have seen an increase in "black flag weather days," where operations must be halted or limited due to temperatures exceeding 95°F, posing severe health risks.
Looking forward, Allied military forces must adapt to hotter temperatures and increasingly unpredictable environments. This adaptation includes preparing for more frequent assistance to civilian authorities during disasters.
Climate Change and Human Conflict
Jason Bordoff, founding director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, explains that climate change exacerbates resource scarcity, potentially leading to conflicts over vital resources like water and food. This scarcity can also trigger large-scale migrations, destabilizing regions, and straining national security by causing humanitarian crises and increasing pressure on resources and infrastructure in receiving countries.
Impact on Arctic Security
The Arctic region faces significant challenges as melting sea ice and dwindling fish stocks could heighten competition and human activity in previously inaccessible areas. This scenario presents logistical hurdles for security monitoring and underscores the need for robust environmental policies.
Infrastructure Challenges
Extreme weather is causing severe damage to NATO members' military equipment and infrastructure. For instance, the July 2023 wildfire in Greece spread to a nearby ammunition depot, resulting in explosions. Arctic bases are threatened by both fire and thawing permafrost, destabilizing structures built on frozen soil. This thaw could also expose Cold War-era military waste, potentially contaminating the environment.
Ocean and Air Operations
Climate change alters ocean chemistry, impacting submarine sonar operations. Rising temperatures and acidification reduce sonar detection ranges, complicating the tracking of enemy submarines. Additionally, warmer air temperatures are affecting naval helicopter operations, making takeoffs more difficult and reducing cargo load capacities.
Cyber Risks and Disinformation
NATO's report also highlights the cyber risks associated with climate change, such as climate disinformation campaigns. Russia, a key NATO adversary and major oil and gas exporter, has been identified as a primary source of online disinformation against the green energy transition.
NATO's Climate Action
At the summit, world leaders emphasized the urgency of addressing climate change to safeguard security. Despite criticisms of NATO's carbon footprint, the organization is committed to integrating climate considerations into its political and military strategies. The "Climate and Security Action Plan" aims to reduce emissions from military activities and prepare forces for extreme conditions.
Efforts are underway to enhance the resilience of military bases against rising sea levels and extreme weather, with improvements to drainage systems, fortified buildings, and retrofitted critical infrastructure.
Other Climate-Related News
- Former president Donald Trump announced J.D. Vance as his running mate for the upcoming election. Vance has shifted from advocating climate action to opposing clean energy.
- An unprecedented number of gray whales have been feeding in San Francisco Bay, likely due to changing water temperatures affecting their Arctic feeding grounds.
- Increasing contact burns are being reported in the U.S. as extreme heat waves heat sidewalks and roads, posing significant risks to vulnerable populations.
- Birds in New York City are attacking drones deployed to patrol for sharks, causing concerns about the impact on local wildlife.
- Farmers on the Eastern U.S. coast are exploring saltwater-resistant crops like salt hay as sea levels rise.
Last week, world leaders from over 30 countries in North America and Europe convened in Washington to discuss NATO security threats, highlighting climate change as a major concern. NATO's report details how climate impacts, such as heat waves and ocean acidification, affect security infrastructure, military personnel, adversaries, and disaster response. Military personnel are particularly vulnerable to climate extremes, responding to numerous climate-related emergencies annually. The report notes increased operational challenges due to extreme weather, like "black flag weather days" with temperatures exceeding 95°F, which halt operations to avoid health risks.
Climate change also exacerbates resource scarcity, potentially leading to conflicts and large-scale migrations, destabilizing regions, and straining national security. In the Arctic, melting sea ice and dwindling fish stocks are expected to increase competition and human activity, complicating security monitoring.
Extreme weather is damaging NATO members' military equipment and infrastructure. For instance, wildfires threaten tactical operations, and thawing permafrost destabilizes bases in the Arctic. Rising ocean temperatures and acidification impair sonar detection in submarine operations, while thinning air due to warmer temperatures challenges naval helicopter operations.
Cyber risks, such as climate disinformation campaigns, are also highlighted, with Russia being a major driver of green energy transition disinformation. NATO leaders emphasized the urgency of addressing climate change to protect security, despite criticism of NATO's carbon footprint from military activities.
NATO has established the "Climate and Security Action Plan" to integrate climate considerations into political and military agendas, including emissions reduction from military activities and preparing forces for extreme conditions. Efforts are also being made to make military bases more resilient to rising sea levels and extreme weather.
The article also mentions other climate-related news, such as Donald Trump's new running mate, gray whales in San Francisco, increasing contact burns due to extreme heat, bird-drone conflicts in NYC, and farmers exploring saltwater-resistant crops on the Eastern U.S. coast.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What are "black flag weather days"? A: "Black flag weather days" are days when temperatures exceed 95°F, necessitating the limitation or halting of military operations to prevent health risks.
Q2: How does climate change affect military operations? A: Climate change impacts military operations through extreme weather, which can damage infrastructure, challenge operational conditions, and require more frequent disaster response.
Q3: What is NATO's "Climate and Security Action Plan"? A: This plan integrates climate considerations into NATO's political and military agendas, aiming to reduce emissions from military activities and prepare forces for operations in extreme conditions.
Q4: How does climate change contribute to human conflict? A: Climate change exacerbates resource scarcity, leading to conflicts over resources like water and food, and can cause large-scale migrations, destabilizing regions and straining national security.
Q5: What measures are being taken to address infrastructure threats due to climate change? A: Efforts include making military bases more resilient against rising sea levels, flooding, and storm surges by enhancing drainage systems, fortifying buildings, and retrofitting critical infrastructure.
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