ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the need to expand the conceptual frameworks of academic debate and policymaking world-wide by incorporating an understanding of the relationships between and among the environment, natural resources, security and defence policies. It argues that in the world of increasing globalization and interdependence, the challenges of resource scarcity and environmental degradation must be incorporated into expanded conceptions of defence and security. The chapter describes the notion of environmental conditions as a threat to security is becoming an object of considerable debate and study among scholars, scientists and policymakers. According to security and development scholars Gregory Foster and Louise Wise, environmental threats to security are the conditions of environmental degradation and scarcity-inducing natural resource depletion that directly or indirectly endanger security. Exploitation of resources in non-sustainable ways contributes to the degradation of the environment, causing contamination, global warming, desertification, deforestation, droughts and floods which may then lead to local, regional and global conflict.
