Concept Of Environmental Security Research Articles

The Concept of Environmental Security in International Relations: Definition, Features, Implications

[full article and abstract in Lithuanian; abstract in English]
 This article examines the concept of environmental security and assesses its role in international, regional and national security studies. The study is aimed at providing conceptual „mental map“ of this field, thereby giving analytical background and gui­dance for comprehensive environmental security studies, which are known for the diversity of conceptual approaches, methods and levels of analysis.The fundamental question of environmental security – how various environmen­tal factors (climate, resources, etc.) and processes can affect the security of states and societies. It examines the relationships between different environmental issues, their effects and various security problems. Environment is considered as integrated part of a security concept together with the dimensions of economic, social, energy or information security. In order to identify the main academic schools of the environmental security, this article uses four key questions, theoretically defining the core of environmental secu­rity concept: (i) what makes an impact (source of threat); (ii) to whom/what an impact is made („victim”); (iii) what kind of impact is made (threat); (iv) how an impact is made (mechanisms and “channels”). On the basis of these theoretical dimensions, five main academic schools of environmental security are identified and examined by focusing on their features and findings, methodology and critical assessment:1. Resource scarcity school examines the nexus between scarcity of renewable resources (e.g. freshwater) and various internal and international conflicts (their incidence, intensity and dynamics).2. Resource abundance school explores the relations between non-renewa­ble resources (e.g. diamonds, oil, etc.) and internal conflicts, especially civil wars.3. Climate change school focuses on nature (and human) induced environ­mental change and its implications for international security, socioeconomic development and social disruptions in various regions.4. Human security school focuses on environmental impacts on individual and “people-centered” security, which is closely related with sustainable develo­pment (food security, health and education, welfare, gender issues, etc.).5. Natural disasters school examines the socioeconomic impacts of various disasters (earthquakes, floods, etc.) with specific focus on the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of various social systems (states, communities, etc.).Analysis shows that environmental dimension becomes increasingly impor­tant element of international relations and security studies. Comprehensive security assessment, especially in developing countries, is not possible without taking into account the social and economic impacts made by resources, climate change and natural disasters.Research by 1 and 2 schools, despite various methodological problems, demons­trates the impact resources have to various internal conflicts and social disorder. Scar­city of renewable resources generates certain social effects (for example, decreased productivity of agriculture, migration, weakening of state institutions etc.), which, in turn, can fuel different types of conflicts (ethnic conflicts, coup d’état, poverty conflicts, etc.). Abundance of non-renewable resources can have various direct (for example, direct financial source for rebel groups), as well as indirect (affecting eco­nomy, political regime, separatism, etc.) impact to conflicts.Specific conditions in the developing countries play a significant role in terms of explaining the nexus between resources and security. Developing countries are often dependent on climate-sensitive agriculture and suffer from poverty. As a re­sult, various climate change effects (3 school) often amplify mechanisms, which lead to insecurity and violence, such as political instability, weak governance structures, poor economic performance, etc. This is especially relevant for those regions where several “conflict constellations” (water and food shortage, regular natural disasters, rapid demographic change, etc.) are overlapping. Environmental change also has a certain impact to international security in terms of possible increase in the number of weak and fragile states, risks for global economic development, intensification of migration, territorial disputes, etc.Generally, environmental security research (apart from the 1 and 2 schools) is based on a broad approach to security, which is not limited to military conflicts and include various elements of sustainable development and economic welfare. On the one hand, it is understandable, as interdisciplinary character of environmental securi­ty requires complex approach to security.On the other hand, research based on the concept of human security (4 school) often equates security with economic and social well-being, thus blurring the line between security and development studies. It also undermines the assessment of the impact environmental issues can have to traditional security problems (conflicts, regi­me change, political instability, etc.). Finally, securization of various social problems (AIDS, migration, poverty, gender inequality, etc.) might be used for political purpo­ses by legitimizing the use of military force or restricting human rights.Various natural disasters (5 school) have a substantial destructive power, which not only causes substantial damage (humanitarian crises, destroyed infrastructure, etc.), but also has complex socioeconomic and political effects, which affect politi­cal regimes, critical economic sectors, social stability, etc. From this perspective, a key role is played by physical and socioeconomic characteristics of vulnerability and adaptive capacity, which can absorb negative effects of natural disasters and mitigate the risk.

Study of Environmental Security Based on the Concept of Macro-security

According to the increasingly aggravation and deterioration of environmental problems, this article analyzed the relationship and difference of traditional security and nontraditional security, and put forward a new research idea that research environmental security problems in perspective of macro-security. As an important part of macro-safety concept, environmental security is not just a one-sided “security” issue or “environment” issue. This article reviewed the origination of environmental security, the meaning of researching environmental security, and the four characteristics of environmental security (integrity, protracted nature, globality and irreversible). Analyzed environmental problems in perspective of macro-security, pointed out that the environmental problems should be risen to the high degree of security issues, reviewed, reflected and researched the environmental problems which were serious threat to the survival and development of human society and the natural ecosystem system which human live on, spread the concept of environmental security to every aspect of Natural Science and Social Science, and omnibearingly and multilevelly developed and advanced the research and development of environmental security. Keywords-environmental security; macro-security; nontraditional security; perspective

Climate Change and Environmental Security: Bringing Realism Back In

In international relations theory literature, realist scholars maintain a traditional view of security based on fear and the attainment of survival through power maximization in an anarchic world, achieved exclusively through military prowess. Liberal scholars of international relations contend that the realist conception of security is unnecessarily limited, and call for the broadening of security to include concerns such as economic security, human security, and environmental security. However, is realism inherently incompatible with the concept of environmental security? I argue that by stretching the conceptual limits of realism it becomes possible to account for security concerns related to the environment and climate change. In this paper I seek to incorporate environmental security into the broader framework of realism by analyzing the extent to which environmental problems pose a threat to the survival of major states. I conclude by calling for the development of a grand conceptual approach to environmental security and more empirical research to be conducted on issues that exist at the nexus between security and the environment.

Civil Liberties: The Line Dividing Environmental Protest and Ecoterrorists

Civil Liberties: The Line Dividing Environmental Protest and Ecoterrorists DeMond Shondell Miller, Jason David Rivera, and Joel C. Yelin With worldwide environmental degradation, environmental groups around the globe are seeking to exercise freely their right to protest and redress national and regional governments as well as multinational corporations. However, given the recent increase in terrorist activities, many countries are now seeking to create specific policies in an attempt to combat terrorism. For these policies to be effective, a transnational working definition of terrorism is needed to ensure which acts are clearly defined as terrorism and which are not. However, problems arise because many countries have become wary of any political opposition to the government, even a peaceful protest. Moreover, the definitions of terrorism are ambiguous and often do not accurately reflect the many different components of terrorism. This ambiguity has led to various interpretations of terrorism, which subsequently has led to a strain on civil liberties, most notably the ability to address one's government without being labeled a terrorist. This same ambiguity in definition has caused many environmental groups to be labeled as hostile by authorities and even by the terrorists themselves. Competing socially constructed definitions of the concept of terrorism can render it useless or charge it with multiple social and political meanings. The current literature on environmental terrorism and eco-terrorism defines these terms through a variety of perspectives. These include legal definitions interpreted by international governments and those defined within a historical context.1 Attempts to discern what does or does not constitute environmental terrorism by assigning acts to a distinct category have been undertaken. D. M. [End Page 109] Schwartz seeks to do this by devising a scheme that distinguishes which types of environmental damage can be labeled "terrorism" and which "environmental terrorism."2 In Schwartz's scheme, the main concerns are whether or not the destruction breaches national or international interests during times of war or peace, the specific type of destruction, and the definition of terrorism by the group acted upon.3 This type of classification system allows the person or group making such a determination to categorize specific activities by general type, such as deliberate or accidental in times of war and peace, but it ultimately recognizes that any labeling will depend on the definition of terrorism.4 In the absense of universal definitions, countries adopted their own in a rush after 9/11, resulting in a blurring of the line between acts of terrorism and acts of protest. Since no official policy exists, an opportunity arises to develop an effective international counterterrorism policy that does not sacrifice individual civil liberties. Although the term "environmental terrorism" focuses on risk to natural resources—that is, valuable resource areas such as bodies of water, agricultural areas, forest sites, mineral and petroleum resources, and ecologically diverse areas—the concept of environmental security has been overused to the point of dilution.5 Defining the Terms When introduced during the French Revolution, "terrorism" had a positive connotation in common usage. In fact, some argued that terror was good and served a functional purpose for the state.6 Maximilien Robespierre stated that "terror is nothing but justice, prompt, severe and inflexible; it is therefore an emanation of virtue."7 However, world leaders of the twenty-first century do not view terror as a virtue, but rather a collective assault against the state, which it (the state) must summon all of its resources to defeat. It has been suggested that Colin Powell's declaration that America is "at war" against terrorism, a struggle which by its nature should involve patient secrecy and covert intelligence, positions terrorists in a win-win situation if they succeed in provoking an armed response while positioning the United States in the unenviable role of "trying to eradicate cancer cells with a blowtorch."8 Terrorism, as with other concepts of perception, is defined by individuals and governments with differing points of view; the rhetoric of war (as noted in the above quote) only adds to the confusion and limits the options available for [End...

Is the Environment a Human Security Issue?

The concept of environmental security (ES) is rather new - at least as far as human security in the developing world is concerned. While the issue itself is not uncommon, its theoretical concepts and practical impact remain underinvestigated. This paper outlines the understanding of the concept, and provides a summary of the approaches, concerns and categories of ES. Various factors affecting environmental security are discussed and a number of arguments in favour of and against the concept evaluated before arriving at the conclusion that ES is an important component of human security.

Environmental security: the case of the Kursk

Wars as well as military activities in peacetime cause severe environmental degradation and environmental risks. At the same time, military activities are veiled in secrecy. How can this complicated issue be addressed politically? Could the idea of ‘environmental security’ offer a solution, and what then is the role of public discussion and environmental movements? This article discusses the question by using the sinking of the Russian nuclear-powered submarine Kursk and public discussion following it as a prism through which to look at the issue. Findings raise doubts about the usability of the concept of environmental security in environmental policy under current world conditions.

Environmental security and international relations: the case for enclosure

The environment is now an established area of theoretical and empirical work in the field of International Relations, but the central question remains whether existing institutional structures, intellectual and political, are being in some respect transformed by this development. This review article examines the concept of environmental security as a reflection of the centrality of the environmental challenge. This relatively novel perspective on a defining feature of the field tests the domain of discourse and inquiry, and thus has implications for the study of international relations, perhaps to the extent of justifying the enclosure of its key concepts within the environmental perspective.

Environment‐security nexus in northeast Asia*

The concept of environmental security, under the umbrella of regional comprehensive security, provides a common framework to support bilateral as well as multilateral initiatives on the nexus of environment‐security issues in Northeast Asia. These initiatives could provide the foundation upon which a common understanding and language, and common interests can be constructed on regional environmental and security issues. A consensus is to be built among key thinkers and opinion‐makers in the region. Attention is needed to the security implications of regional‐scale environmental degradation, and regional energy and environmental cooperation to address this degradation, thereby enhancing the multilateral institution‐building process in Northeast Asia. As in traditional security arena, the United States needs to take the leadership role in the management of environmental problems in Northeast Asia. While maintaining the U.S.‐Japan‐South Korea cooperation as a central axis for environmental security of Northeast Asia, the United States needs to formulate a clearly articulated, coherent China policy with explicit objectives and guidelines by which progress on a variety of issues could be measured.

Women's Marginalization, Economic Flows, and Environmental Flows: A Classroom Approach

The aim of this article is to adopt a feminist perspective in order to provide insights into environmental security. Following an introduction of the concept of environmental security, connections are made between the global economy and localized processes that render women and children in some societies especially insecure or vulnerable. Linkages within the global economy, such as uneven benefits derived from resource exploitation, can shape environmental security or insecurity especially at sub-state levels. A feminist perspective encourages us to question agency and to examine who benefits from and who pays for resource use. As a way of bringing these ideas into the classroom, the article concludes with discussion suggestions based on a short video entitled Zoned for Slavery (Crowing Rooster Arts 1995). This documentary can be used to illustrate how Western values of growth, technology, and progress inherent in powerful institutions can have negative effects on social and physical environments of disem-powered groups of people, especially women and children.

Common security? Geopolitics, development, South Asia and the Indian Ocean

Critical geopolitics seeks to problematise the concept of environmental security and its relationship to social and political practices of dominance in local, national and international politics. While environmental problems do undoubtedly exist in the Indian Ocean, conflicting perspectives and future prospects for common security within and between countries, subregions and social groups, suggest that a better understanding of how ecological threats are described, prioritised, and globalised and how knowledge about environmental degradation and sustainable development is produced as a political resource, is possible only by contesting, or at least by going beyond, the conventional categories and typologies which privilege and protect certain actors, interests and priorities.

Revisiting Environmental Security in the Philippines

Recent developments in the Philippines, a country that has been identified as a potential flash point for conflict resulting from environmental degradation, make it timely to revisit the concept of environmental security and explore its relevance and implications for security and policy making. In the face of continued environmental mismanagement and abuse, economic growth in the Philippines is taking hold and its democratic institutions are flourishing. It is reasonable to say that the chance of acute conflict in the Philippines is greatly diminished. This notwithstanding, it would be wrong to conclude that the proposed relationship between environmental degradation and the eruption of violence and instability is flawed. Indeed, the Philippines presents an interesting case that validates this linkage, providing an opportunity to further tune our understanding of the connections between economics, politics, and the environment.

Environmental Conflict: Reviewing the Arguments

Much attention has recently been focused on the concept of environmental security. Two main schools of thought regarding environmental security have arisen, those of the "environment-and-security" scholars and those of the "securing-the-environment" school. This article examines and compares the two schools of thought as they address the issue of environmental conflict, concluding that the less militaristic focus of the second is better suited to identifying and preventing causes of such conflict.

Environmental Security and Quality after Communism: Eastern Europe and the Soviet Successor States

Part 1 The environment as a security problem in the post-communist world: the concept of environmental security in the post-communist world, Leigh Sarty opportunities in de-commissioning weapon systems and control of nuclear material, David Crenna and Tariq Rauf military activity and environmental security - the case of the Arctic, Peter Gizewski the Russian north and environmental security, Raphael Vartanov. Part 2 Environmental security and the energy sector: the post-Soviet nuclear-power programme, David Marples energy and the environment in post-communist Europe, John M. Kramer. Part 3 Regional and intra-regional environmental security in the post-Soviet world: intra-regional environmental security in east-central Europe, Barbara Jancar-Webster building bureaucratic capacity in Russia - federal and regional responses to the environmental challenge, D.J. Peterson citizen participation and environmental security in Russia, Lisa Van Buren Central Asia - how to pick up the pieces, James Critchlow the degradation and protection of the environment in Latvia, Juris Dreifelds.

Risky Business: Defining the Concept of Environmental Security

The article discusses the way global environmental problems have been included in the concept of environmental security. The concept has been developed as an alternative to the traditional concept of security, which emphasizes the security of the state and the military means of securing it. The discussion on the concept of environmental security has concentrated on the unit of analysis: it has been suggested that an environmental component be included in the concept of national security, global security or societal security. However, the problem in the concept of environmental security is that the referent object of security, the environment, has not been given enough attention. The relationships between the man, the environment and globalization of environmental problems require more thorough study in order to develop the concept.

Ultimate Security: The Environmental Basis of Political Stability

I do not see how anyone can claim to be informed about what is probably humanity's single most important problem without having read Ultimate Security. -Robert Heilbroner, New School of Social Researc.In a provocative description of the new concept of environmental security, which he helped establish, the author offers much evidence that environmental factors-from deforestation and desertification to global warming and ozone depletion-will loom larger in world affairs. His book is chockablock with recent portents ... and [predictions of] loss of stability or out-and-out conflict over natural resource related issues. -Publishers Weekl. Myers, a widely published professional conservationist, brings together seven regional case studies and five global case studies to support his thesis that 'environmental problems will likely become predominant causses of conflict in the decades ahead.' Writing for the general public, Myers draws upon his field work in over 80 countries as well as his work with the World Commission on Environment and Development. ... [He] marshals compelling data about the environmental threat and sounds the alarm that political leadership is failing to respond. An interesting, lively book. -Library Journal