ABSTRACT
The 1990s will demand a redefinition of what constitutes national security. Global developments suggest the need for analogous, broadening definition of national security to include resource, environmental and demographic issues. Population growth lies at the core of most environmental trends. Environmental decline occasionally leads directly to conflict, especially when scarce water resources must be shared. Generally, however, its impact on nations' security is felt in the downward pull on economic performance and, therefore, on political stability. Environmental refugees spread the disruption across national borders. The majority of environmental problems demand regional solutions which encroach upon what people think of as the prerogatives of national governments. Achieving sustainable economic growth will require the remodeling of agriculture, energy use and industrial production after nature's example–their reinvention, in fact. The developing countries especially will need to pool their efforts in the search for solutions.
