Climate security risk-informed national security planning
When: 8 October 2024 | 9:10-10:00
Format: Panel discussion
Venue: Plenary (Weltsaal)
More than halfway into 2024, and the world has already witnessed countries in all corners of the globe endure climate change related extreme weather events. Widespread, intense and prolonged heat waves have hit every continent in the past year, and at least ten countries have recorded daily temperatures of more than 50 degrees Celsius. From scorching heatwaves to devastating floods and wildfires, another year of record-breaking events is underway. Communities around the world are paying the price in impacts to their livelihoods, food security, and lives. In contexts of fragility and conflict, the risks are multiplying and pushing thousands more towards extreme hunger, increasing institutional decay, and fueling grievances that can escalate into broader security threats.
The national security implications of these climate-related challenges are profound. Climate-induced instability, combined with existing vulnerabilities, poses threats not only to local populations but also to regional and international security. In many fragile and conflict affected context (FCAC), urgent responses to manage the human and national security implications of climate change are required. This includes enhanced intelligence sharing, improved data integration, and deeper international cooperation to anticipate and respond to climate-related security risks.
The opening panel of BCSC 2024 will set the stage for the dynamic and timely conference by moving the conversation past the well documented ways in which climate risks are compounding security risks, to discuss how bold and collective action linking national security, intelligence and human security interests can build climate resilience, and mitigate risks. High-level and influential panellists will build on the acknowledgement of climate-security risks at the highest decision making levels.
They will discuss the importance of financial resources; the need for enhanced technical and institutional capacities, and the crucial role of data-driven approaches to asses risks and support informed decision making. The panel will also focus on forging partnerships and promoting principles of inclusion that can be applied across the conflict cycle to strengthen national and international security frameworks. By incorporating international perspectives, the discussion will highlight how risks are perceived globally, the role of intelligence in understanding and anticipating these risks, and how civil society, governments, institutions, and security agencies can collaborate to develop coordinated responses.
Guiding questions:
- How can national governments enhance intelligence sharing and data integration to better anticipate and respond to climate-induced security risks?
- What strategies should be implemented to address the security implications of extreme weather events in fragile and conflict-affected contexts?
- In light of the increasing frequency and severity of climate-related events, what role do international partnerships play in building climate resilience and ensuring coordinated responses to these security challenges?
- How can financial resources and technical capacities be effectively mobilized and allocated to support both immediate and long-term responses to climate-related security threats?
- What steps can be taken to ensure that principles of inclusion and equity are integrated into climate security strategies, particularly in regions facing conflict and instability?
Speakers:
- Dr. Ole Diehl, Vice President of the German Federal Intelligence Service
- Erin Sikorsky, Director, The Center for Climate and Security
- H.E. Dr. Dino Patti Djalal, Founder, Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI)
Moderated by H.E. Jennifer Morgan, State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action, German Federal Foreign Office
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