By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2014 – Climate change is a threat
multiplier, and the Defense Department is taking steps to incorporate this issue
into all planning, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in Peru today.
Climate change has the potential to exacerbate many of the
challenges the world already confronts, from the spread of infectious diseases
to spurring armed conflicts, Hagel said at the Conference of the Defense
Ministers of the Americas.
“The loss of glaciers will strain water supplies in several
areas of our hemisphere,” he said. “Destruction and devastation from hurricanes
can sow the seeds for instability. Droughts and crop failures can leave
millions of people without any lifeline and trigger waves of mass migration.”
This already happening in the Sahel region of Africa, where
desertification is placing millions at risk, and climate extremes in Australia
are worrying leaders there. The Western Hemisphere is not immune, Hagel said.
“Two of the worst droughts in the Americas have occurred in the past 10 years –
droughts that used to occur once a century,” he added.
Sea-level rise
“In the Caribbean, sea level rise may claim 1,200 square
miles of coastal land in the next 50 years, and some islands may have to be
completely evacuated,” the secretary said. “According to some estimates, rising
temperatures could melt entire glaciers in the Andes, which could have
cascading economic and security consequences.”
These climate trends clearly will have implications for
regional militaries, Hagel said, as more extreme weather will cause more
natural disasters and military personnel will be called on to deliver
humanitarian assistance and relief.
“Our coastal installations could be vulnerable to rising
shorelines and flooding, and extreme weather could impair our training ranges,
supply chains and critical equipment,” the secretary said. “Our militaries’
readiness could be tested, and our capabilities could be stressed.”
Climate change roadmap
Hagel announced a Defense Department Climate Change
Adaptation Roadmap during his speech. The roadmap is based on science, he said,
and describes the effects of climate change on DoD’s missions and
responsibilities.
“We have nearly completed a baseline survey to assess the
vulnerability of our military’s more than 7,000 bases, installations and other
facilities,” Hagel said. “Drawing on these assessments, we will integrate
climate change considerations into our planning, operations and training.”
Climate change affects everyone, and DoD will work with
partner nations bilaterally and multilaterally to address the threat, the
secretary said. “We will share our findings, our tools for assessment and our
plans for resiliency,” he added. “We will also seek to learn from partner
nations’ experiences as well.”
Hagel encouraged the Western Hemisphere nations represented
at the conference to participate in the Defense Environmental International
Cooperation program. “I recognize that our militaries play different roles and
have different responsibilities in each of our nations,” he said. “I also
recognize that climate change will have different impacts in different parts of
the hemisphere. But there are many opportunities to work together.”
Peru will host a United Nations convention on climate change
in two months, Hagel noted, adding that the militaries of the world must be
part of the discussion. “We must be clear-eyed about the security threats
presented by climate change, and we must be pro-active in addressing them,” he
said.
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