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A Legacy for Secretary Kerry: Pakistan, Climate Change and Holbrooke’s Vision
Newly appointed Secretary of State John Kerry has a long and distinguished history of working at the intersection of national security and climate change. As such, the overlap in these areas of expertise will likely be a particularly important part of his tenure. (For a good overview of why Kerry should address the security risks of climate change see this recent article by Coral Davenport). (more…)
Pakistan’s SDPI: Climate Change is a National Security Threat
The Pakistani government’s Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) convened a seminar last Monday which reportedly ended in unanimous agreement that “climate change has become a national security threat.” The session was chaired by Pakistani Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence, who affirmed that the “Senate Standing Committee on Defence would include climate change as a threat in [the forthcoming] National Security Strategy.” The conference focused on the role of climate change in exacerbating water security issues, including flooding and scarcity (with water high on the “dispute” list with India), particularly given that roughly “60 percent of [Pakistan’s] water comes from glacial melt.” A speaker at the event also highlighted the contribution armed forces of both India and Pakistan are making to the melting of Siachen glacier in Kashmir, echoing warnings from the late Ambassador Richard Holbrooke.
Pakistan’s New Climate Policy
Amid a continuous stream of reports of Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change, dramatic glacial melting earlier this year that led to the death of 135 Pakistanis, and recent dangerously low water levels in the country’s dams and reservoirs, the country’s federal cabinet approved a “National Climate Change Policy” last Wednesday. According to Pakistan’s Business Recorder, Minister for Climate Change Rana Farooq Saeed Khan stated: (more…)
Fragile States Add Climate Change and Ocean Acidification to List of Woes
A new report by Oceana shows just how connected our oceans are to human well-being, and how even small changes in the ocean’s pH levels, coupled with climate change, can have profound consequences for security. According to the report, by the middle of this century climate change and ocean acidification may dramatically heighten food insecurity among nations and territories that are heavily dependent on the oceans for sustenance. The report gauges a country’s likely “vulnerability to food security threats from climate change and ocean acidification” by assessing the exposure of its fisheries to climate change and ocean acidification, its dependence on fisheries as a source of sustenance for its population, and its adaptive capacity. (more…)