Armies must be prepared for security threats caused by climate change - experts

Climate change directly affects the armed forces of various countries and the principles of warfare. Defense departments of various countries are discussing how to adapt to the new realities associated with the environment, writes UNN with reference to Yahoo.

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From responding to weather disasters to growing competition in the Arctic, where it is getting warmer, the military is exposed to climate change and cannot allow it to become a strategic "blind spot," security experts say.

There is growing concern lately that climate change-related activities are taking a back seat as Europe strengthens its defenses and the US retreats from allies and its "green" commitments. But defense departments have already stressed that global warming poses serious national security challenges, and the military needs to adapt to these new threats.

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This cannot be avoided. Climate does not care who is president or what your political goals are right now. It is approaching, and the military must be prepared

In the US, where President Donald Trump's administration has removed the topic of global warming from government websites, the latest intelligence threat assessment made no mention of climate change. Sikorsky said this leaves important strategic gaps, especially when it comes to renewable energy superpower China and the race for dominance in the Arctic, where melting sea ice is opening up shipping lanes and access to resources.

As someone who has worked in national security for a long time, I am concerned that this blind spot puts the US at risk

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and climate

In Europe, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has raised concerns about energy security and accelerated many countries' ambitions in the field of renewable energy. But in recent months, countries have cut international development aid, putting climate budgets in doubt as spending priorities have shifted to defense and trade.

Last month, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock acknowledged the "extremely difficult" geopolitical situation, but insisted that climate action remains "the most important security policy." She said Germany plans to allocate half a trillion dollars to military and infrastructure spending, as well as 100 billion euros to climate measures.

"Anyone who thinks about security must also think about climate. We are already living in a climate crisis," reads the report, prepared in February on behalf of the German Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense.

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The report notes that climate challenges appear in "the entire spectrum of military tasks," and risks are increasing, including through large-scale crop failures, conflicts and instability.

In a September report, the UK Ministry of Defense stated that humanity's impact on the climate and environment "continues to have far-reaching consequences, putting significant pressure on society and the economy and threatening the very existence of some states."

Sikorsky noted that the military is increasingly involved in dealing with the consequences of floods, storms and forest fires. In total, about 500 such emergencies have been recorded worldwide since 2022, which significantly depletes the capabilities of some armed forces.

How war affects the climate

At the same time, armies were concerned about dependence on fossil fuels long before climate change became a priority. the concern is rooted in the oil crisis of the 1970s, says Duncan Depledge of Loughborough University, who studies the impact of climate on the military.

According to a 2019 study, during World War II, the US Army consumed about one gallon of fuel per soldier per day. During the Persian Gulf War of 1990-91, this figure was about four gallons, and by 2006 it had increased to 16 gallons during US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Excessive dependence on fossil fuels creates a "significant vulnerability" in combat, according to an EU report. Warming itself also has serious operational consequences. Fuel convoys are an easy target for roadside bombs, which account for nearly half of American deaths in Iraq and about 40 percent in Afghanistan, the report said.

Renewable energy can help avoid these risks, the report says, but acknowledges that the technology is "not yet fully suitable for combat."

Depledge said that a faster global energy transition to prevent "climate disaster" will create challenges for armies, likely raising concerns about their use of fossil fuels.

Whichever direction you go, the military no longer has a choice about how they will operate in a world that is very different from the one in which they operate today

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