Systems Approach to Environmental Security

Abstract

Currently, a systems approach is not being applied in the allocation of efforts to fight terrorism. In fiscal year 2003, nearly $38 billion were requested by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to be distributed among 28 federal agencies. A dramatic shift in funding has occurred from counterintelligence and nonproliferation to buying equipment for first responders. No analysis has identified the best actions for investing in prevention versus response. Instead, the current budget allocations are driven by the events of 9/11, with emphasis on protecting large buildings and airports. A more careful evaluation is needed that considers the benefits of investing in new counterterrorism strategies as compared to the risk of natural disturbances, disease spread, and environmental impacts caused by ongoing human activities (e.g., pollution and land-cover change). In any disaster, the healthcare community is often more prepared than the emergency-response community to deal with the situation, yet the medical aspects of a disaster typically account for less than 10% of resource and personnel expenditures (Mattox, 2001). Lessons from systems theory can be used to help prepare emergency-response teams by making them aware of the potential for feedbacks, delays in response, secondary impacts, chaotic reactions, etc. Thus, systems knowledge should be a part of the training for those involved in emergency leadership, civil defense, security, evacuation, and public welfare. Here we focus on arguments for the importance of taking a systems approach to environmental security, describing the application of the systems approach to environmental systems, reviewing key contributions of environmental systems analysis, and providing examples where its application could improve security.