The intersection of climate change, human migration, and conflict presents a unique challenge for US foreign policy in the 21st century. These three factors are already beginning to combine in ways that undermine traditional understandings of national security and demand a rethink of traditional divisions between diplomacy, defense, and economic, social and environmental development policy abroad. Addressing this nexus—of climate change, migration, and conflict—will be a core challenge of this century. As the number of migrants, driven in part by environmental degradation, continues to grow, the adaptive capacity of states worldwide will be strained, and new security gaps will appear in which non-state actors have the potential to flourish. Addressing this challenge will require understanding, preparation, and new models of regional cooperation.
An array of experts discusses the need for a new approach to solving these overlapping problems.
This series of maps illustrates the overlapping challenges of climate, migration, and security in northwestern Africa.
Reports
Climate Change, Migration, and Conflict in Northwest Africa:
Michael Werz and Laura Conley track how the overlays and intersections of climate change, migration, and security create an arc of tension in Northwest Africa comprising Nigeria, Niger, Algeria, and Morocco.
Climate Change, Migration, and Conflict:
Growing evidence of links between climate change, migration, and conflict raise plenty of reasons for concern and it’s time to start thinking about new answers to these multifaceted crisis scenarios, write Michael Werz and Laura Conley.
Featured Content
Global Warning:
John Podesta and Peter Ogden contribute a chapter on the security challenges of climate change to the new report, "The Age of Consequences."
Panetta: ‘Climate Change Has a Dramatic Impact on National Security’:
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta expressed concern about the defense and development impacts of climate change at a recent Environmental Defense Fund event, writes Arpita Bhattacharyya.
United Nations Misses Broader Climate Change Connection:
Laura Conley and Michael Werz deconstruct the final statement on climate change and human security issued earlier this week by the U.N. Security Council.
Nigeria’s Multifaceted Problems Challenge U.S. Policy:
Nigeria’s quickly changing demographics are playing host to challenges ranging from environmental degradation to internal conflict, write Andrew Sweet and Michael Werz.
Climate Is a Security Issue:
Recent Defense Department reports show that the agency is not yet speaking with one voice on climate security like it should be, writes Laura Conley.
Quadrennial Defense Review Should Spark Interagency Climate Conversation :
The Pentagon’s QDR was a critical step toward comprehensive approaches to climate change, but we should see more of this action in the future, write Michael Werz and Kari Manlove.
Climate Change on the Move:
The United States should use a sustainable security framework to deal with the challenges climate migration poses, write Michael Werz and Kari Manlove.


Climate change, migration and critical international security considerations, IOM, 2011.
Livelihood Security: Climate Change, Migration and Conflict in the Sahel, United Nations Environment Programme, 2011.
Quadrennial Defense Review, US Department of Defense, 2010.
First Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review: Leading Through Civilian Power, US Department of State & USAID, 2010.
Convenient Solutions to an Inconvenient Truth: Ecosystems Based Approaches to Climate Change, World Bank, 2010.
Assessing the Evidence: Environment, Climate Change and Migration in Bangladesh, IOM, 2010.
A Convention for Persons Displaced by Climate Change, CCDP Convention , 2010.
In Search of Shelter: Mapping the Effects of Climate Change on Human Migration and Displacement, United Nations University & CARE International, 2009.
Regional Security Implications of Climate Change: A Synopsis, Achim Maas and Dennis Tänzler, 2009.
Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World, National Intelligence Council, 2008.
Climate Change 2007, the Fourth Assessment Report, United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007.
National Security and the Threat of Climate Change, CNA Corporation Military Advisory Board, 2007.