Welcome!

Purpose: This web page was developed at the request of many of the project's participants and contributors.  It is intended to serve as virtual venue to learn more about the George Mason Environmental Security Project and, more generally, the re-emerging topic of environmental security.

About This Project

Officially initiated in January 2008, this George Mason University Graduate thesis project built on several years of interest, learning, and resource compilation by Jeremey Alcorn.  While fulfilling requirements for a Master of Science from the George Mason University Environmental Science and Policy Department, this broad based effort endeavored to engage Environmental Security thought leaders and U.S. national security, environmental, and development practitioners.

The global war on terrorism (GWOT), Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and the aftermaths of the Southeast Asian Tsunami and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita all highlight the many new environment-related security challenges to the national security, environment, and development missions of the 21st Century. While the dynamic practitioners in these communities have always innovated and improvised to meet current mission needs, there seemed to be a renewed recognition and growing importance placed on understanding the nexus of environment and security and its potential for good.  Water, energy, climate, and food security challenges represent cross-cutting themes that increasingly impact the success of development, stability operations, disaster recovery,and post-conflict nation building missions as well as long-term prospects for success of sustainability and ultimately human security. 

While these themes all emphasize a growing subset of non-traditional strategic planning and operational challenges, they also represent new opportunities to enhance both national and human security.  To further the realization of this potential, this project and its web page were developed to highlight areas of agreement on environmental security, identify resources, and share information useful to policy makers, leaders, and practitioners. 

As such, please submit any emerging resources you'd like to share with your peers with the shared intent of making the world a safer, healthier, and better place to live!