The Adelphi report cites several examples where the impacts of climate change are already spurring or exacerbating terrorism. The causes of—and remedies for—these two kinds of disasters are seen as separate and distinct. Sources: Council on Foreign Relations, Homeland Security Today, National University System Institute for Policy Research, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, PRI, Sustainability, The New York Times, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Wildfire Today. Because precarious central governments in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and Yemen lack the financial resources and political bandwidth to prepare for the worst effects of climate change, terrorist groups can pretend to adopt the mantle of environmentalism as they devastate the natural environment in regions outside the control of overstretched militaries. Around the world, environmental stress due to unpredictable weather catalyzes political violence, further undermining weak governments. Unlike bin Laden, who might have felt sincere distress about climate change, the terrorist groups that looked to him for guidance demonstrate little real concern for the welfare of the natural environment, likely seeing environmental issues as just another opening to strengthen their cause. Austin Bodetti studies the intersection of Islam, culture and politics in Africa and Asia. It could increase poverty (affecting food security and livelihoods) and inequalities (with scarce resources captured by elites, or grievances invoked by climate injustices), which could act as instigating causes for terrorist activity ( … Once fragile states have comprehensive environmental policies as well as the military capacity to safeguard the natural environment, terrorist groups will find fewer chances to take advantage of global warming. Integrating principles and technologies of distributed infrastructure might also enhance the EPA Water Security Initiative. Climate trauma: The invisible cost of climate change | News | Eco … And in the United States, the environmental crisis is a “threat multiplier” that could enable terrorism, overwhelm response capabilities, and threaten populations and critical infrastructure. While the United Nations has funded solar-powered pumps to combat water scarcity in Yemen, the international community must go further. Civil society should muster its own response to terrorist groups’ attempts to hijack the environmental movement. Environmental Change and Security Program. In a changing climate, the wall between natural disasters and terrorism is breaking down, creating new vulnerabilities. During his many years in hiding, the figurehead lent rhetorical support to the environmental movement, and the true extent of his dedication to environmentalism remains subject to debate. New sustainable water technologies are emerging that integrate decentralized systems with traditional, centralized conveyance and treatment networks. The underlying causes of climate change make us vulnerable, but the problem goes beyond environmental issues. For Decades, the GOP Has Fought Against Climate Action. And despite being mocked by conservative media and Democratic operatives alike, Sanders held fast to his assertion that climate change is the greatest threat to national security and is “directly related to the growth of terrorism .” Eco-terrorism, civil disobedience, and sabotage. His research has appeared in The Daily Beast, USA Today, Vox, and Wired. The report, commissioned by the German Department for Foreign Affairs, looked at four case studies … Climate change is helping terrorism and organized crime thrive in fragile states, boosting recruitment for groups like Boko Haram and ISIS, according to a new report. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Energy and the Military: Leading by Example, ReliefWeb: Building Climate Resilience for Food Security. – YaleGlobal, Terrorist groups feign leadership on climate change, hijacking environmental narratives to challenge fragile governments in the Middle East and Africa, © 2019 YaleGlobal and the MacMillan Center. Militant organizations including ISIS, Hezbollah, and Al Qaeda have openly promulgated a strategy of ecological jihad. Climate change could exacerbate these factors in multiple ways. We can’t afford cabs, either, which have gotten much pricier these last few weeks. The idea that terrorism and climate change are somehow connected is a seductive one. Across the world, bin Laden’s fellow travelers extol the virtues of environmental protection online and in public while accelerating environmental degradation on the ground. Bodetti urges developed nations to counter the sham narratives and assist fragile states in preparing for climate change. Planned Chaos Part 6 - Arson & Eco Terrorism - Prepare For Change The militants’ rapid conquest of Iraq’s drought-stricken regions demonstrated the effectiveness of their tactics. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. First, we need to acknowledge the connection between the natural environment and vulnerability to terrorism by integrating sustainability principles and practices into the National Homeland Security Strategy. Global warming also ranked highest among environmental issues, at 57%. The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the Islamic Development Bank, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, and other Middle Eastern aid agencies and development finance institutions can break this pattern by bankrolling fragile states’ efforts to ready themselves for global warming and stop environmental degradation in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen and further afield. In 2018, meanwhile, Al Shabaab, a Somali offshoot of Al Qaeda that coordinates many of its operations with AQAP, outlawed plastic bags after terming them “a serious threat to the wellbeing of humans and animals alike.”. Current policies to protect critical infrastructure and key resources focus on hardening and monitoring. Bernie Sanders similarly linked climate change and the growth of terrorism at the Democratic debate, just a day after the Paris attacks. The deadly American raid on bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound in 2011 uncovered yet another open letter in which the ideologue encouraged Americans to offer US President Barack Obama whatever assistance he needed to “save humanity” from global warming’s “catastrophic” consequences. A report by the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness identified 26 specific threats of water contamination in the United States between 1968 and 2008. Sometimes you gotta risk your life to survive, Jack says, and shrugs.He means we need to keep taking the subway: hope for the best, take precautions. Copyright © 2020 Yale University • All rights reserved • Privacy policy, Terrorists take advantage of disruptions in fragile states – and these include water and food shortages associated with climate change. All rights reserved. Recognizing climate change as a large, global issue can cause eco-anxiety — the chronic fear of environmental doom — in people of all ages. Analysts suggest that Al Shabaab opted to ban plastic bags because plastic pollution was choking the livestock that it taxed, not because the Somali militants cared about the potential for an ecological crisis. In addition, sustainability practices and ecosystem management must become part of a cohesive strategy for national infrastructure protection. Most analysts suggest that, since water itself would dilute any toxin or pathogen, the quantity of material needed to sufficiently contaminate the supply makes such an attack technically difficult. Politico-economics of climate change eco-terrorism explained | … Climate change is transforming the way we think about security. © Copyright 2007-2020. Environmental degradation has become a matter of global security. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The Islamic State and its predecessor, Al Qaeda in Iraq, jumpstarted the trend after 2009 by wooing farmers who had lost their livelihoods to water scarcity. Climate Change, Terrorism Top List of Challenges Facing US Military The crew of the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN 767) … The rise of non-state armed groups and terrorism poses new challenges for national, regional and international security. The exposure of U.S. communities to wildfire makes wildfire a potentially potent weapon for economic warfare and mass destruction. Climate Change Adaptation and Population Dynamics in Latin America and the Caribbean (Report), A Dangerous Dichotomy: Women’s Paid and Unpaid Work During COVID-19, U.S. v. China: The Global Battle for Hearts, Minds, and Resources. WASHINGTON: Disruptions like political violence and sectarian strife in fragile states empower terrorist groups, and the same is true of climate change. 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