CCS Director Testifies Before US Senate and UK Parliament on Climate Security
This week CCS Director Erin Sikorsky testified before the US Senate Budget Committee in a hearing, “Budgeting for the Storm: Climate Change and the Costs to National Security,” and the UK House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee as part of its inquiry into climate security.
The Senate hearing also featured CCS Advisory Board member retired Admiral Dennis McGinn, a longtime leader on this topic. Read his testimony here. McGinn’s testimony focused on his experience in the military in tackling climate threats, and referenced both the CCS-led Climate Security Plan for America, which he endorsed, and the CCS Security Threat Assessment of Global Climate Change.
US Senate Budget Committee Hearing, “Budgeting for the Storm: Climate Change and the Costs to National Security,” May 15, 2024. From Left: Dennis V. McGinn (VADM USN Ret.), Erin Sikorsky (CCS), Rick Dwyer (HRMFFA), Tim Gallaudet (RDML USN Ret.), and Mackenzie Eaglen (AEI).
(more…)
April 2024 Update: Military Responses to Climate Hazards (MiRCH) Tracker
By Ethan Wong
In April 2024, the Military Responses to Climate Hazards (MiRCH) identified 11 countries where militaries deployed in response to climate hazards, including China, Greece, Russia, the United States, Zambia, and elsewhere. The tracker documented 16 incidents in total, with deployments responding to floods, droughts, heat, and wildfires.
In Central Asia, a combination of extreme precipitation and snowmelt from warm temperatures caused unprecedented flooding along the Ural River in Kazakhstan and Russia, prompting military responses from both countries. Following initial deployments on March 28, the Kazakh military used additional forces in April to support evacuations, conduct rescue operations, and fortify flood defenses. Since flooding began in late March, Kazakhstan has evacuated over 100,000 people and deployed nearly 6,000 military personnel.
In Russia, the military also helped evacuate thousands of people from floods in and around the cities of Orsk and Orenburg after a dam on the Ural collapsed on April 5 following heavy rainfall. The floodwaters also threatened critical military production sites, like the Kurganmashzavod factory, which produces infantry fighting vehicles that Russia has used in Ukraine, but no damage has been reported yet. The situation sparked outrage from displaced residents over the lack of flood protections and underscores the importance of early investments in resilience measures. Discontent was also likely exacerbated after authorities decided to hold rehearsals for the annual WWII Victory Day parade despite the ongoing crisis. With parts of Central Asia warming up to two times faster than the global average, these severe floods highlight the region’s growing climate vulnerabilities, potentially increasing the demand for local militaries to respond to climate hazards in the future.
Meanwhile, on April 29, storms and extreme rainfall, amplified by El Niño, devastated the State of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, triggering the worst floods in 80 years. The floods have killed over 100 people, displaced more than 100,000, and affected nearly 400 municipalities. The Brazilian Army has been a key coordinator in the emergency response, delivering essential supplies and deploying helicopters and amphibious vehicles for search and rescue. However, further rainfall could impede operations and potentially worsen the already dire situation.
Moreover, climate hazards impacted several military installations this month. On April 4, four small wildfires broke out on the grounds of the Donnelly Training Area in Alaska during military training. Range control personnel from the US Army Garrison Alaska were able to quickly extinguish the fires. In Cambodia, extreme heat contributed to an explosion at an ammunition warehouse on April 27, killing 22 soldiers. The explosion further illustrates the risks that climate change poses to militaries worldwide and follows similar incidents, such as in Greece when wildfires triggered a series of explosions at an Air Force ammunition depot in July of last year.To see the full MiRCH tracker with new updates for April, click here.
A Livable Climate Needs Help From Youth; the U.S. Can Foster It
By Elsa Barron and Katherine Waters
This piece was originally published at the United States Institute of Peace.
Humanity is at a tipping point. New data confirms 2023 as Earth’s hottest-ever recorded year. Increasing temperatures, rising seas and extreme weather are heightening tension over resources, damaging people’s health and livelihoods, and displacing millions. Young people have one of the largest stakes in climate decisions made today, for they face the lasting environmental consequences of climate change — and the consequent threats to peace and security. Yet youth remain mostly excluded from decision-making on climate. U.S. leadership, via three steps in particular, can bolster genuine youth leadership on climate that prioritizes the welfare of future generations.
Government officials and other decisionmakers will meet next month to set the agenda for the next United Nations climate conference, COP29, in November. As with each global conference in this series, stretching back nearly 30 years, we must once again confront the ways in which international climate negotiations exclude young people from decision-making about their futures.
(more…)
Event Summary: CCS-Nexus25-ICRC World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings Side Event
On April 18, 2024, Nexus25, the Center for Climate and Security (CCS), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) hosted the third annual roundtable on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings.
The event brought together leaders from government, international financial institutions (IFIs), civil society, and multilateral organizations. After hearing opening “pitches” on climate finance innovations and best practices, participants discussed how to build the case for investments in fragile, conflict affected, and vulnerable (FCV) settings, operationalize policy frameworks like the Declaration on Relief, Recovery and Peace, and support nexus thinking in IFIs.
A summary of the Nexus25 side event “Climate Finance, FCV Settings and Future-Fit Food Systems” can be found on the website here.
For more information on the project, please reach out to CCS’ Nexus25 staff (Erin Sikorsky and Siena Cicarelli), or contact the full team at info@nexus25.org.
Featured Report
Featured Project
