Trends and Implications of Climate Change for National and International Security

• Other Authors: DEFENSE SCIENCE BOARD WASHINGTON DC
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Atmospheric Physics; Meteorology; *CLIMATE CHANGE; *ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT; *GREENHOUSE EFFECT; *NATIONAL SECURITY; CLIMATE; CYCLONES; DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE; ECONOMICS; ENERGY; FLOODING; GEOGRAPHY; GLOBAL; ICE; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; MODELS; OCEANS; SEA ICE; SEA LEVEL; SECURITY; SNOW; UNCERTAINTY; WATER; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA553407; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA553407

This report describes observable climate change and its consequences. It does not attempt to address the complex and controversial set of causes, nor does it offer recommendations on the possibility of changing the pace or scope of climate change. Instead, the focus is on the need to manage consequences. To that end, this report describes evidence of impacts over recent decades while recognizing uncertainty about the pace of future changes. It discusses the shortfalls in climate information, climate science, and climate models and the resulting scope of the uncertainties in projections. At the same time, it provides compelling evidence that climate impacts are observable, measurable, real, and having both near and long-term consequences. It recognizes that changes already underway are having, and will continue to have, major consequences for the political, economic, and geographic world as we know it. This report provides a set of recommendations on approaches to adaptation and dealing with the near-term effects on populations that impact US and international security interests.