he World Health Organization has described climate change as the greatest health threat facing humanity.
Yet while there is growing recognition of this link, the international community has not fully joined the dots between poor health and insecurity. The recent Munich Security Conference, which concluded on 18 February 2024, featured a concerning absence of discussions on global climate and health–related topics, and a noticeable lack of commitments to address the pressing crisis—raising concerns about the deprioritization of this critical issue.
The urgent need for climate and health to be at the center of global security cannot be overstated. Failing to address this growing health and security crisis, if left unchecked, will destabilize governments and impact our future global prosperity.
The connections between climate change and migration are highly complex and contextually specific. Yet with 3.3 billion people—almost half the world’s population—highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, we need to act now to build adaptation and resilience against this existential threat.
Alarmingly, new research suggests there will be an additional 14.5 million deaths from climate change by 2050—that’s one person every minute—and $12.5 trillion in economic losses and lost productivity. This will drive an estimated 1.2 billion climate migrants by 2050.
This unprecedented migration will compound wider economic, societal, and security issues—especially in countries most vulnerable to climate change. Particularly vulnerable are countries in the Sahel region of sub–Saharan Africa, where climate change is leading to food insecurity, poor health, and lack of access to healthcare—forcing people to migrate. Increasing climate–related migration will fuel violent conflict over limited resources and intensify the vulnerability of communities to armed groups operating in the region such as Boko Haram.
Consider Senegal where drought, flooding, rising sea levels, and coastal erosion are driving people from their homes. Sea levels which are projected to rise by up to one meter by 2100 along Senegal's coastline threaten the urban coastal zone, which houses approximately 67% of the population and 90% of industrial production. Fisheries, already under strain from overfishing, face further adversity due to climate change which in turn impacts the livelihoods, incomes, and nutrition of those reliant on them.
Despite the inherent risks, migration has now become an inevitable means of adaptation for the population and is leading to a cycle of poverty and suffering. Take Saint-Louis, the Senegalese city where today almost 12,000 residents are at risk of displacement as sea levels rise and the shoreline erodes. By 2080, an estimated 150,000 people may need to relocate, with 80% of the city at risk of being submerged in annual floods.
Building climate resilience
Even though these crises are unprecedented, we know what some of the solutions are—the key is building adaptation into communities now. In Senegal, initiatives funded by partners like Foundation S, are supporting projects to strengthen the resilience of peripheral coastal communities through educational programs and mangrove reforestation to enhance seafood productivity. These projects enable communities to better manage the impact of disasters and the changing climate.
The pace and unpredictability of climate change mean the status quo approach will not work. The international community cannot address these issues with a business–as–usual approach. Decades of global efforts risk being undermined, with billions wasted on ineffective, short–term approaches.
What good is it for a child to survive malaria but to die of malnutrition? We must change our approach to meet the immense challenges we face and this must be holistic—integrating both environmental and human development goals—and crucially led by the communities who understand their context and setting best.
Flexible financing that is adaptable to local needs is crucial, with indigenous communities leveraging their knowledge to guide adaptation efforts. For this critical moment, we cannot afford delays. Fast–tracking applications for grants is essential and our response must be cross–sectoral, addressing not only health but also the social and economic determinants of health to combat the push and pull factors of migration.
Climate change is the greatest threat to global health security. We must break down the silos between climate, health, and security to protect populations, especially those most vulnerable to the impacts. It is time for a paradigm shift embracing unconventional approaches that place climate and health at the heart of international security.
This requires collaboration across sectors and borders to unlock the full power of public, private, and philanthropic partnerships which could be genuinely game–changing for the challenges we face.
This is business unusual and it is high time to throw out the old rule book. Not only so we can tackle climate change and the security challenges we face, but also the other myriad health and social challenges in the world today.
To protect the communities and places we value and to unlock a healthier, more prosperous future for all.
a global affairs media network
Climate change the elephant in the room at Munich Security Conference
Night view of the Munich cityscape. Photo by Daniel Seßler on Unsplash.
March 12, 2024
Climate and health must be at the center of discussions about global security to avoid these crises destabilizing governments and impacting our future prosperity. Yet climate discussions were notably absent at the Munich Security Conference, write Vanina Laurent–Ledru and Elhadj As Sy.
T
he World Health Organization has described climate change as the greatest health threat facing humanity.
Yet while there is growing recognition of this link, the international community has not fully joined the dots between poor health and insecurity. The recent Munich Security Conference, which concluded on 18 February 2024, featured a concerning absence of discussions on global climate and health–related topics, and a noticeable lack of commitments to address the pressing crisis—raising concerns about the deprioritization of this critical issue.
The urgent need for climate and health to be at the center of global security cannot be overstated. Failing to address this growing health and security crisis, if left unchecked, will destabilize governments and impact our future global prosperity.
The connections between climate change and migration are highly complex and contextually specific. Yet with 3.3 billion people—almost half the world’s population—highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, we need to act now to build adaptation and resilience against this existential threat.
Alarmingly, new research suggests there will be an additional 14.5 million deaths from climate change by 2050—that’s one person every minute—and $12.5 trillion in economic losses and lost productivity. This will drive an estimated 1.2 billion climate migrants by 2050.
This unprecedented migration will compound wider economic, societal, and security issues—especially in countries most vulnerable to climate change. Particularly vulnerable are countries in the Sahel region of sub–Saharan Africa, where climate change is leading to food insecurity, poor health, and lack of access to healthcare—forcing people to migrate. Increasing climate–related migration will fuel violent conflict over limited resources and intensify the vulnerability of communities to armed groups operating in the region such as Boko Haram.
Consider Senegal where drought, flooding, rising sea levels, and coastal erosion are driving people from their homes. Sea levels which are projected to rise by up to one meter by 2100 along Senegal's coastline threaten the urban coastal zone, which houses approximately 67% of the population and 90% of industrial production. Fisheries, already under strain from overfishing, face further adversity due to climate change which in turn impacts the livelihoods, incomes, and nutrition of those reliant on them.
Despite the inherent risks, migration has now become an inevitable means of adaptation for the population and is leading to a cycle of poverty and suffering. Take Saint-Louis, the Senegalese city where today almost 12,000 residents are at risk of displacement as sea levels rise and the shoreline erodes. By 2080, an estimated 150,000 people may need to relocate, with 80% of the city at risk of being submerged in annual floods.
Building climate resilience
Even though these crises are unprecedented, we know what some of the solutions are—the key is building adaptation into communities now. In Senegal, initiatives funded by partners like Foundation S, are supporting projects to strengthen the resilience of peripheral coastal communities through educational programs and mangrove reforestation to enhance seafood productivity. These projects enable communities to better manage the impact of disasters and the changing climate.
The pace and unpredictability of climate change mean the status quo approach will not work. The international community cannot address these issues with a business–as–usual approach. Decades of global efforts risk being undermined, with billions wasted on ineffective, short–term approaches.
What good is it for a child to survive malaria but to die of malnutrition? We must change our approach to meet the immense challenges we face and this must be holistic—integrating both environmental and human development goals—and crucially led by the communities who understand their context and setting best.
Flexible financing that is adaptable to local needs is crucial, with indigenous communities leveraging their knowledge to guide adaptation efforts. For this critical moment, we cannot afford delays. Fast–tracking applications for grants is essential and our response must be cross–sectoral, addressing not only health but also the social and economic determinants of health to combat the push and pull factors of migration.
Climate change is the greatest threat to global health security. We must break down the silos between climate, health, and security to protect populations, especially those most vulnerable to the impacts. It is time for a paradigm shift embracing unconventional approaches that place climate and health at the heart of international security.
This requires collaboration across sectors and borders to unlock the full power of public, private, and philanthropic partnerships which could be genuinely game–changing for the challenges we face.
This is business unusual and it is high time to throw out the old rule book. Not only so we can tackle climate change and the security challenges we face, but also the other myriad health and social challenges in the world today.
To protect the communities and places we value and to unlock a healthier, more prosperous future for all.
