The shortage of natural resources may be a major factor contributing to conflict between groups in one country or between two states. Global warming and its effects on man may contribute to further strain on groups already exposed, which can in turn result in further conflicts. At the same time, cooperation on international water supplies may have a positive effect on global security.
Environmental problems are rarely the only cause of an armed conflict, but they can contribute to a reduction in the possibilities of supplying large groups. This may in turn give rise to migratory movements and political instability.
The climate changes result in an increased requirement for military and civil conflict handling. Swedish cooperation in international peace-promoting missions is now one of the most important tasks of the Armed Forces.
Three important questions relating to security and the environment in international peace-promoting missions, military or civil, are:
- Support for parties in the conflict area in commencing negotiations or practical activities to solve common environmental problems (Environmental Peacemaking).
- Protection of one’s own response force against environmental and health risks in the mission area (Force Health Protection)
- Environmental protection of one’s own mission so that the situation in the mission area does not deteriorate (Environmental Protection). This includes a possible requirement for cleaning up polluted areas caused by one’s own activity.
An important component of long-term ecologically and economically sustainable development in the work of environmental safety is Research within the defence environment. Cooperation in environmental research is taking place between the Armed Forces, the Total Defence Research Institute and the Armed Forces Materiel Department. Here well-established research work is also being done with other nations and institutions.