From the Introduction:
“Epicenters of Climate and Security: The New Geostrategic Landscape of the
Anthropocene” is a multi-author, edited volume exploring a range of “epicenters”
of climate and security and how they shape the geostrategic map of the 21st century.
These epicenters are defined as “categories of systemic risk” driven by a changing
climate interacting with other socio-political-economic dynamics.
A systemic risk is a risk to a component or components of a system that, due to the
critical nature of the components, can significantly disrupt (and sometimes collapse)
the whole system that depends on it. In this report, an “epicenter” is defined as
a category of systemic risk, or simply a collection of systemic risks with similar
characteristics – a kind of “super-systemic risk.” For example, the Strait of Malacca is
a major maritime trade route connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans that is critical
for global trade and security. Risks to freedom of navigation through the Strait of
Malacca, or broader risks to the stability of the Strait, can therefore be described as
a systemic risk to global trade and global security. However, there is more than one
critical maritime trade route in the world. The Strait of Hormuz, the Panama Canal,
the Arctic Northwest Passage are just a few of these critical nodes in the global trade
system. Many of these straits will face disruptions as a result of a changing climate.
Together, these straits present a category of systemic risks to global trade and security,
and are therefore considered an “epicenter” of climate and security.This volume
explores many such epicenters.
EPICENTERS OF CLIMATE AND SECURITY: THE NEW GEOSTRATEGIC LANDSCAPE OF THE ANTHROPOCENE
Note From The Editors
Caitlin Werrell, Francesco Femia
Introduction
Shiloh Fetzek, Bessma Mourad
I. CLIMATE AND SECURITY EPICENTERS
ERODING SOVEREIGNTY
Climate Change, the Erosion of State Sovereignty, and World Order
Francesco Femia and Caitlin Werrell, Center for Climate and Security
WATER TOWERS
Water Towers: Security Risks in a Changing Climate
Troy Sternberg, Oxford University
DISAPPEARING ISLANDS
Atlantis 2.0: How Climate Change Could Make States Disappear and What That Means for Global Security
Andrew Holland and Esther Babson, American Security Project
DIRE STRAITS
Dire Straits: Strategically-significant International 35 Waterways in a Warming World
Adam H. Goldstein and Constantine Samaras, Carnegie Mellon University
NUCLEAR & CLIMATE
The Climate-Nuclear-Security Nexus: A Collision Course or a Road to New Opportunities?
Christine Parthemore, Center for Climate and Security
HEALTH SECURITY
Health & Climate Security: The Interconnected Security Challenges of Climate Change and Infectious Disease
Kaleem Hawa, Center for Climate and Security
COASTAL MEGACITIES
Coastal Megacities vs. the Sea: Climate and Security in Urban Spaces
Janani Vivekenanda, adelphi, and Neil Bhatiya, Center for Climate and Security
WATER WEAPONIZATION
The Weaponization of Water in a Changing Climate
Marcus King and Julia Burnell, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University
A MELTING ARCTIC
Signal, Noise and Swans in The Arctic
Katarzyna Zysk and David Titley, Penn State
FISH & CONFLICT
Fish, Food Security and Future Conflict Epicenters
Michael Thomas, Center for Climate and Security
THE COFFEE BELT
Climate, Coffee and Security
Shiloh Fetzek, Center for Climate and Security
MIGRATION & DISPLACEMENT
Migration and Displacement in a Changing Climate
Robert McLeman, Wilfrid Laurier University
II. MANAGING SYSTEMIC RISKS
Tools for Understanding Systemic Risks like Climate Change
Bessma Mourad and Amy Luers, Skoll Global Threats Fund
Foresight Tools & Early Warning Systems: Vulnerability Assessments for Abrupt and Non-Linear Climate Risks
Chad Briggs, GlobalInt, LLC
Mapping Epicenters of Climate and Security Vulnerabilities
Joshua Busby, LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas-Austin
Capturing Climate and Security Risks Through Satellites and Earth Observing Technologies
Sinead O’Sullivan, Center for Climate and Security