Climate Change on the Battlefield

What do rising temperatures and increasing extreme weather events mean for military readiness? How will climate hazards affect the conflicts of today and tomorrow? What new missions are militaries undertaking in response?

Climate Change on the Battlefield examines how climate change is reshaping modern military operations, and the role of international militaries in responding to the effects of the climate crisis. The book’s international case study approach provides concrete answers to these questions, looking at specific geographies such as Afghanistan and the Arctic, as well as types of military operations, including firefighting, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief missions.

The book also explores in detail how different countries from across every continent, and international institutions, are responding to these threats while also critically assessing their own emissions and contributions to the climate crisis. Differing country responses are assessed, from those that are integrating climate change impacts into a more traditional understanding of military roles, to those countries that are redefining the role of the military in the face of climate change.

Finally, it examines whether or not current military responses are commensurate with the risks ahead and what form the future relationship between the military and climate breakdown is likely to take.