ABSTRACT
Whether in relation to climate, food, water, health, energy, or livelihoods, dramatic changes are underway in the world today, with significant implications for human security. There are very few places that are untouched by a convergence of global crises, many of which are directly or indirectly associated with environmental change. While climate change receives much of the attention these days, biodiversity loss, air and water pollution, ocean acidification, degradation and salinization of soils, deforestation, and threats to ecosystem services together create one systemic problem that is often referred to as ‘global environmental change’. This is a deceptively benign label, for it hides the asymmetrical responsibilities for such changes, as well as the unequal outcomes that result from them. Although global environmental changes are often perceived as ‘future’ problems, the human consequences are highly visible today, through risky living conditions, lost livelihoods, displaced populations, and unnecessarily high levels of morbidity and mortality. While the current situation is disturbing, future scenarios are alarming.
