Climate change could be 'catastrophic' in 20 years with risks to global security

  14 February 2020    Read: 1840
Climate change could be

The report was released ahead of the Munich Security Conference, where world leaders and officials will be in attendance.

The 2020 Munich Security Conference will open with a warning of how climate change is affecting global security.

The report, launched on the eve of the annual gathering, warns of "imminent and dire" risks and urges military leaders to "climate-proof" security infrastructure.

Commenting on the release of the report, Tom Middendorp - the chair of the International Military Council on Climate and Security General - said: "Climate change poses significant risks to global security, which could become catastrophic in the next two decades.

"The security community, therefore, has a responsibility to prepare for and prevent these threats, including through climate-proofing international security at all levels."

The report highlights water-shortages as one key area of concern and finds that rising authoritarianism, sharpened global competition and national agendas are hampering the needed cooperation among nations to address the security risks of climate change.

Louise van Schaik, a member of the report committee, said: "It is striking that climate change does not only have implications for military missions abroad and threat analysis but also directly undermines military capabilities at home, because of the need to act more often as first responders in the case of wildfires, floods and ice storms.

 

SkyNews


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