We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Environment of Peace: Security in a New Era of Risk
Summary
This report examines the intersection of environmental crises and global security risks, noting that indicators of both environmental decline and insecurity are rising simultaneously. The study highlights how compound risks from pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss contribute to instability, and calls for systemic changes to address these interconnected threats.
The environmental crisis is increasing risks to security and peace worldwide, notably in countries that are already fragile. Indicators of insecurity such as the number of conflicts, the number of hungry people and military expenditure are rising; so are indicators of environmental decline, in climate change, biodiversity, pollution and other areas. In combination, the security and environmental crises are creating compound, cascading, emergent, systemic and existential risks. Without profound changes of approach by institutions of authority, risks will inevitably proliferate quickly. Environment of Peace surveys the evolving risk landscape and documents a number of developments that indicate a pathway to solutions––in international law and policy, in peacekeeping operations and among non-governmental organizations. It finds that two principal avenues need to be developed: (a) combining peace-building and environmental restoration, and (b) effectively addressing the underlying environmental issues. It also analyses the potential of existing and emerging pro-environment measures for exacerbating risks to peace and security. The findings demonstrate that only just and peaceful transitions to more sustainable practices can be effective––and show that these transitions also need to be rapid.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Elements of a Planetary Emergency: Environment of Peace (Part 1)
This article outlines the components of a planetary emergency, framing climate change, biodiversity loss, and related environmental crises as interconnected elements of a compound global threat requiring urgent policy action. The author argues that deficiencies in international governance mechanisms compound the difficulty of mounting effective responses.
The Task of Envisioning Security for the Anthropocene
This paper argued that addressing the compounding crises of the Anthropocene — from climate change to pandemics and ecosystem collapse — requires a fundamentally expanded concept of 'security' built on global solidarity, holistic strategy, and multilateral cooperation.
Les risques environnementaux en 2020 : état des lieux et leçons d’une réflexion prospective à INRAE
This French-language article reviews the state of environmental risk research at INRAE in 2020, identifying interconnected risks including plastic pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss. The paper highlights how these risks compound each other and challenge both ecosystems and human societies.
Environmental Challenges
This overview examines major environmental challenges stemming from human activities, including climate change, poor waste management, water scarcity, and pollution from plastics and microplastics. The study discusses how these interconnected issues threaten ecosystems, biodiversity, and community well-being at local and global scales. It emphasizes the need for coordinated action across multiple levels to address these growing environmental concerns.
Threats to sustainability in face of post-pandemic scenarios and the war in Ukraine
Researchers examine how the concurrent crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have compounded threats to all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, finding that infrastructure destruction, economic disruption, and forced migration create cascading sustainability setbacks with global reach.