Environmental Security

[Page 357]Environmental security refers to the impact that people and states have on the environment as well as threats posed by the environment, including patterns, events, and shocks, to people, communities, and states. The term also considers how threats posed by the environment can transcend states and affect entire regions and subregions. The term encompasses a wide range of events, activities, and outcomes of human conflict (e.g., destruction to forests and water supplies/sources), communities, and states. This entry discusses the issues and concerns associated with environmental security, the various definitions of the concept, and the coordinated programs to ensure environmental security.