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Water Weaponization: Its Forms, Its Use in the Russia-Ukraine War, and What to Do About It
By Marcus King and Emily Hardy
Introduction
Water has been associated with conflict and cooperation between states since the beginning of recorded history. In ancient Mesopotamia, a conflict over the Euphrates River between two Sumerian cities yielded the world’s first recorded treaty.1 However, water has just as often been weaponized during conflict—water weaponization being the exploitation of the human need for water, by deliberately rendering it scarce and/ or insecure. During World War Two, for example, the Royal Air Force Squadron 617—nicknamed the “American Dambusters”—conducted “Operation Chastise” to destroy three German-controlled dams in Germany’s industrial core.2 Two of the three targeted dams, Möhne and Eder, collapsed, significantly damaging hydroelectric infrastructure in the country. This is a classic case of water weaponization, and the practice has continued through to this day—all while climate change continues to place serious stress on water resources. This briefer will highlight the core elements of water weaponization, and then assess its practice in the Russia-Ukraine war to date.
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Call for Applications: Climate Security Fellows 2023-2024
The Center for Climate and Security (CCS), an institute of the Council on Strategic Risks, is pleased to announce a call for applications for the 2023-2024 Climate Security Fellowship.
In the last few years, extreme weather, food and energy crises, and global competition over clean energy have underscored the security implications of climate change, prompting the Biden Administration to order climate change be placed at the center of U.S. national security and foreign policy. To meet this goal, there is a need for increased capacity on the part of the U.S. security and climate workforces to think and act more broadly and deeply on climate security. The Climate Security Fellowship creates a space for mid-career professionals to explore the impact of climate on security and security on climate while building a network of professionals working at this nexus.
The Climate Security Fellowship will run for nine months (September 2023–May 2024) with one two-hour meeting each month, held virtually. Meetings will involve outside speakers, reading, and group discussion exploring different aspects of climate security such as climate finance, food and water security, military and intelligence services, and strategic competition.
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We’re Recruiting: 5-month Consultant for CSR’s Work Examining Climate/Ecological Security and Emerging Diseases
The Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) is seeking an independent consultant with a strong background in climate change and ecological issues, and knowledge or eagerness to learn about how these issues are affecting the risk of disease spillover. The consultant will contribute to exciting, multidisciplinary work to shape policies and practices for reducing this risk.
Background and Details for Applicants
CSR is currently conducting a research project that explores the safety and security considerations associated with pandemic prevention research in sites at high risk for zoonotic disease spillover. The team is interested in understanding the role that conservation and ecological interventions can play in quelling/preventing outbreaks at the source, and how these practices can be optimally integrated into pandemic prevention. This project also seeks to enhance the connectivity between the ecological security and biological security fields in order to maximize the utility of pandemic prevention research while minimizing risks.
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Briefer: One Year Later: Unraveling Climate and Ecological Security in Ukraine
By Elsa Barron, Brigitte Hugh, and Michael R. Zarfos
Edited by Tom Ellison
On February 24, 2022, the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine irrevocably altered the geopolitical landscape. The year since has witnessed a devastating humanitarian catastrophe in the country, and also a complex and systemic interplay of climate change, environmental degradation, and conflict.
In the wake of the initial invasion, the Center for Climate and Security published a briefer overviewing challenges and concerns regarding climate and ecological security in the midst of the conflict. One year after the invasion, this briefer reassesses the war’s implications for the energy transition, as well as global climate, ecological and food security.