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Potential effects of climate change on global security

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Abstract

The science is clear that climate change is one of the most important issues facing humanity. The changing climate is already affecting humanity and our economies in many ways. These effects will increase as the climate continues to change, and the effects are expected to increase dramatically over the coming decades. Climate-related hazards exacerbate other stressors, often with negative outcomes for livelihoods, especially for people living in poverty. Climate change can amplify existing stresses and vulnerabilities among populations and existing threats to security and can indirectly increase risks of violence and violent conflict. This paper is aimed at examining the changes occurring to the Earth’s climate, what additional changes in climate are likely to occur over the coming decades, and how climate change could affect global security.

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Notes

  1. One major factor which determined how much a country was going to be impacted by such activity was its previous experience in dealing with such catastrophes. This clearly emphasizes the role climate adaptation could play going forward.

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Acknowledgments

An earlier version of this paper also appears in the proceedings of the expert meeting on Global Issues and their Impact on the Future of Human Rights and International Criminal Justice.

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  1. Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    Donald J. Wuebbles & Clay Matheny

  2. University of Chicago, 5801 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    Aman Chitkara

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Wuebbles, D.J., Chitkara, A. & Matheny, C. Potential effects of climate change on global security. Environ Syst Decis 34, 564–577 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-014-9526-1

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