Evaporating Security: An Analysis of Water and Security in the Era of Climate Change
Date
2018-12
Authors
Espinosa, John Paul
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Abstract
For decades there has been a national and international conversation about
climate change and its effect on our planet. In the 2014 Quadrennial Review, the U.S. Department of Defense acknowledged that climate change is a security threat and will exacerbate stressors such as political instability and poverty. In the next decades the effects of climate change will change not only the geographical landscape but the overall geopolitical and security landscape. Evaporating Security will look at the implications climate change and other stressors have on water security around the world and potential impacts on certain regions. Based on a literature review, government publications, and public data, Evaporating Security will look at the aspects that climate change, security, and the role water plays. First, an overview and explanation of the interconnectedness between climate change, water, and security will be provided to display the magnitude of the challenges faced. Subsequently, there will be an analysis of two areas in the world where water shortages could have great implications towards security. The first case study will look at China and how possible changes in its water resources could cause political instability. Then the Middle East will be looked through the Tigris-Euphrates Rivers and how water shortages could change the political and security landscape in the region. The last section will review current solutions in water security and challenges the United States faces in solving the water security challenge.
Description
Keywords
climate change, evaporating security, political instability, water security, Honors College
Citation
Espinosa, J. P. (2018). Evaporating security: An analysis of water and security in the era of climate change (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.