From Threat to Action: Securitization of the Nexus Climate Resilience-National Security

Abstract

Climate change, a global phenomenon driven by human activities like fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, is leading to drastic shifts in weather patterns and increasing the frequency of extreme events. These changes adversely affect ecosystems, economies, and societies by disrupting agriculture, threatening water supplies, and prompting migration, thus heightening social and political tensions. Initially focused on mitigation, the international response to climate change, since the Paris Agreement, has shifted towards adaptation strategies. This article discusses the transition from mitigation to adaptation, emphasizing climate resilience’s role in national security. The paper argues that while adaptation addresses the immediate impacts of climate change and offers tangible benefits, especially in developing nations, it has also led to the securitization of climate issues, justifying exceptional measures under the guise of national security. This situation underscores the urgent need for comprehensive global strategies that balance immediate actions with long-term sustainability.

Keywords

• climate change
• adaptation strategies
• national security
• securitization