<
https://theconversation.com/political-instability-and-damage-to-infrastructure-how-climate-change-could-undermine-australias-national-security-199308>
"For many Australians, the impacts of climate change on wellbeing are
distressingly clear.
Floods have recently caused massive damage in many parts of the country, while
the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires are still seared in our memories.
Climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of such floods and
fires, along with droughts, heatwaves and coastal erosion.
Climate change isn’t only a threat to our unique environment, but also a threat
to Australia’s national security.
The federal government is already concerned about this issue. When coming into
office last year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said “The security
implications of climate change are clear and cannot be ignored”. He
subsequently ordered the Office of National Intelligence to analyse the
security implications of climate change. However, the results of this
assessment remain classified.
My latest study provides the most comprehensive scientific (and publicly
available) assessment of whether climate change affects national security in
Australia. The answer to this question is a clear “yes”, even though some
qualifications apply.
The biggest risks are damage to critical infrastructure, strained defence force
capacity, and the possibility of increased political instability in our
region."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
