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Publication Detail
Climate change and human security: Case studies linking vulnerable populations to increased security risks in the face of the global climate challenge
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Publication Type:Journal article
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Publication Sub Type:Article
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Authors:Chin-Yee S
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Publisher:King's College London
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Publication date:01/03/2019
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Journal:King's College London: EUCERS Strategy Paper
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Status:Published
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Keywords:Climate Change, Africa, Human Security, Island States, Threat multiplier, levant, global regimes
Abstract
Climate change has become ubiquitous in today’s socioeconomic and political discourse, being global in scale,
climate impacts across ecosystems that cannot be contained
by state boundaries. Actions of one country affect regions
on the other side of the world, hence the need for a
comprehensive and effective global climate regime. In 2015,
the Paris Climate Change Agreement was adopted, and in
the ensuing years, countries, along with researchers, civil
society and industry have been debating how to implement
concrete action to address the climate challenge. The link
between climate change and human security was first
recognised in the early 2000s. This paper examines how
climate change has exacerbated uncertainty and instability
in vulnerable populations in different regions. It achieves this
by looking at diverse national and local experiences through
multiple policy lenses, namely, the proliferation of extreme
weather events, coastal erosion and sea level rise, internal
displacement, cross border migration, and climate change as
a threat multiplier. It looks at specific cases in Sub-Saharan
Africa, the Pacific Islands and the Levant to understand
how human (in)security is being affected by climate change.
It also addresses the future of global climate policy by
assessing the current state of climate policies in light of the
Paris Agreement. Global action on climate change is urgent.
While many developed countries like to avoid notions of
climate justice and differentiated responsibilities, the reality
for the most vulnerable countries is that supranational policy
is crucial if they are to tackle the climate challenge at home.
This paper emphasises the importance of having meaningful
and focused national climate adaptation and mitigation
policies in place in order to address both the avoidable and
unavoidable impacts of climate change on the economy,
the culture and ultimately the security of a country.
This study finds that as climate change plays an increasingly
important role in discussions of security, comprehensive
strategies are needed to respond to climate-induced security
threats and geopolitical (in)stability both nationally and
around the world. The Paris Agreement was a good first
step in driving countries to commit to curbing emissions and
drafting climate adaptation action plans. We now need the
global climate regime – including countries, industry, and
researchers – to step up to the plate and implement effective
policies if we are to limit the serious impacts of climate
change. The findings in this paper aims to contribute
to the global debate around security and climate change.
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