Project Outcomes

Summary Findings: It was recognized that there are several challenges to U.S. policymakers and practitioners from realizing the potential integrative and value added proposition of environmental security.  These challenges were identified and confirmed as:

• Lack of common and recognized environmental security definition;
• Lack of U.S. national security policy and strategy mandate for environmental security activities, even when developed though operational necessity; and
• Limited understanding of U.S. environmental security players, existing capabilities and need gaps.

The project's literature review and field research identified and confirmed a spectrum of environmental security definitions that include:

• Environmentalist plot to conceptually muddy the waters and siphon defense resources (Mansfield 2004)
• “Real-politik” nation-centric security issues and maintenance of defense capabilities (Ohlsson 1999: 27)
• Environmental conflict concept that resource competition and stress augments or triggers conflict (Homer-Dixon 1994, 1999; Gleick 1993; Dalby 2002b).
• Environmental security component of “human security” paradigm (UNDP 1994: 24; Matthew 1999: 14; Floyd 2007b: 341)

Based upon their responses, the projects participants indicated that there is widespread agreement with and consensus on most of the Glenn et al. (1998) environmental security common elements, which included:
 

1. "Public safety from environmental dangers"
2. "Natural resource scarcity"
3. "Maintenance of a healthy environment"
4. "Environmental degradation"

The exception to this broad consensus was the "prevention of social disorder and conflict" common element.  While was still significant support to include this under the environmental security concept, there was particular dissention on its mission relevance across the range of respondents.  Of those participants who thought it relevant, several cited new integrative national security mandates, such as NSPD-44 and DODD 3000.5, but also noted that these lacked a clear environmental component.

Participant identified Environmental Security topics and issues included: 

• Sustainability
• Human Security
• Energy Security (local, regional, and global)
• Climate Change (threat multipliers)
• Water Resources (quantity and quality)
• Food Security
• Land-use
• Encroachment
• Hazardous materials, contaminants, and UXO
• Solid and Hazardous Wastes (Basel Convention)
• Soldier and Local Population Health Protection
• Natural Resource Management and Restoration
• Natural Hazard Prevention, Mitigation and Response

Overall, the survey and workshop findings indicated that most of the participating national security practitioners believe that the current U.S. environmental security policy mandate is insufficient.  As such, these results suggest that a lack of a broad U.S. environmental security policy misses out on the potential for a more integrated mission directive and cohesive framework, which could be a force multiplier at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels.  It also begs a similar question of how to provide feedback mechanism to national security policymakers based upon input from those on facing real world challenges and how this can be used to make strategic adjustments and investments.  This practical feedback could also be fed into the academic conceptual discourses and contribute to the U.S. policymaking process.

More summary information on the project's findings can be found in the Final Results Briefing and the Project Workshop Briefing.

For more detailed information, the Final Thesis Report can also be dowloaded from this web page.