Environmental Security: A Guide to the Issues

Environmental Security: A Guide to the Issues

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Description

National security has traditionally been seen as a matter of military defense. However, global environmental phenomena, such as climate change, deforestation, and extreme weather events all impact national security. With greater attention being paid to climate change and other environmental issues than ever before, understanding the links between ecological health and international security is of critical importance.

This timely volume presents the key concepts, issues, and debates surrounding environmental security, illustrating through a range of examples and cases how global environmental matters and international security are closely linked.

Issues of climate change, dwindling resources, natural disaster, and disease that comprise environmental security are at the forefront of global politics and the media today. Environmental Security: A Guide to the Issues is a primer for anyone attuned to these threats. This well-reasoned, thought-provoking volume establishes and updates the connection between global environmental problems and international security, describing existing theories of environmental security and illustrating them with evidence from present-day global ecological realities.

Specifically, the book shows readers how both shortages and abundance of natural resources such as fresh water, oil and natural gas, and diamonds and timber can contribute to conflict and insecurity. It also discusses how agriculture and fisheries issues affect food security with international ramifications, how global ecosystem shifts like climate change are affecting both the earth and the movement of people on it, and how war and preparation for war can affect the natural environment. Finally, the book explores how nations can, and must, cooperate with each other to confront and manage these threats.

ISBN

978-0-313-39151-4

Publication Date

1-2013

Publisher

Praeger Security International

City

Westport, CT

Disciplines

Political Science

Environmental Security: A Guide to the Issues

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