Abstract
Ever since the CNA’s Military Advisory Board—composed of former U.S. military personnel—named climate change as a “threat multiplier” in a 2007 report, the term has gained widespread currency both in environmental and national security circles. It also has propelled the need to assess and address climate-related security risks higher up overall policy agendas.
The idea implicit in the term “threat multiplier” is straightforward: climate change can exacerbate security threats. Yet this formulation puts the emphasis squarely on climate change, rather than exploring the complex social, economic and political conditions—as well as a variety of indirect pathways—that come into confluence to determine whether (and how) the impacts of climate change affect security.
The idea implicit in the term “threat multiplier” is straightforward: climate change can exacerbate security threats. Yet this formulation puts the emphasis squarely on climate change, rather than exploring the complex social, economic and political conditions—as well as a variety of indirect pathways—that come into confluence to determine whether (and how) the impacts of climate change affect security.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 1-4 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Specialist publication | New Security Beat - the blog of the Environmental Change and Security Program |
| Publication status | Published - 26 Jul 2022 |
| Externally published | Yes |
