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Climate, ocean and security: response to ocean-driven security challenges

This report draws on a virtual event, “Climate, Ocean and Security”, organized by the Stockholm Climate Security Hub. It brought together scientists and decision-makers from across Northern Europe for a dialogue on global ocean-related security challenges driven by climate change.

Karina Barquet, Ylva Rylander / Published on 4 February 2021
Citation

Barquet, K., Rylander, Y. and Ericksson, M. (2020). Climate, ocean and security: reponse to ocean-driven security challenges. Report from a workshop held by Stockholm Climate Security Hub in November 2020. Stockholm Climate Security Hub. https://www.climatesecurityhub.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ClimateOceanSecurity_Pr37pp-Final_WEB.pdf

It is increasingly clear that climate change has serious implications for the world’s oceans, marine life and coastal communities, and that its consequences are likely to be significant, both for those living in at-risk areas and for the wider world.

While there may be uncertainty surrounding exactly how much sea-levels are set to rise this century, what we can be sure of is that the effects of future increases will cause severe suffering in societies. What’s more, this will not be something experienced equally by all, instead hitting poorer, rural coastal areas the hardest.

As many see their homes and livelihoods destroyed by rising sea-levels and experience increasing human security challenges as a result, broader issues of security are likely to emerge. For the small island states increasingly under threat from rising sea-levels, as well as for the 70% of the most climate-vulnerable countries that are also among the most politically fragile, climate change is undeniably a matter of state and collective security.

This report examines the intersection of these themes, and is based on a virtual event, “Climate, Ocean and Security“, organized by the Stockholm Climate Security Hub. Held in November 2020, it brought together experts and agents of change for a science-policy dialogue.

Through the examination of existing evidence, the identification of knowledge gaps and the discussion of response strategies, attendees explored the consequences of sea-level rise on coastal landscapes and communities, as well as its consequences when combined with warmer temperatures, on marine territorial boundaries and resource security.

SEI authors

Karina Barquet
Karina Barquet

Team Leader: Water, Coasts and Ocean; Senior Research Fellow

SEI Headquarters

Ylva Rylander
Ylva Rylander

Communications and Impact Officer

Communications

SEI Headquarters

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