Climate Change Security Risks and Opportunities
October 2022 saw record low water levels on the Mississippi River and the Lake Mead Reservoir of the Colorado River. In the previous month, Hurricane Ian became the third costliest natural disaster in our nation’s history. As we face the reality of climate change, we will have to contend with the increasing and cascading impacts on the nation’s food, water, energy, and infrastructure, creating security implications within the country and beyond its borders.
The Human and National Security Working Group of the Commission on Accelerating Climate Action considered how climate action is impeded by ineffective communication, unmanaged risks, and lack of integration with frontline communities. Using the Colorado River Basin and the Gulf Coast as case studies, the two publications of this working group feature analysis of key problems preventing effective action and suggest paths forward for managing the security risks caused by a changing climate.
Table of Contents
Climate Change Security Risks and Opportunities
Introduction
Human and National Security
Factors Underpinning Human and National Security
Regional Case Studies