Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
interest to one or more member states. It does not bene
t from objective indicators
for including on a regular basis encroaching situations induced primarily by climate
change. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has a unit for forward-warning
climate crises; nothing so systematic has been created in European states.
By 2011, one of the stated aims following from the launch of the EU
'
s new
climate diplomacy strategy was to improve the Union
s early warning mechanisms
which were acknowledged still to be disconnected from the speci
'
cs of climate-
induced con
cials insist that, as a concrete manifestation of climate
security concerns, they now bene
ict. SitCen o
ows.
However, satellite tracking of climate change instability in general was found in
one extensive report of the Institute for Environmental Security to have been
woefully limited.
9
The GMES initiative has been removed from the EU budget for
the 2014
t from satellite tracking of the Arctic ice
nancial perspectives. The 2011 Climate Diplomacy initiative itself is
still couched essentially at the level of recommending further regional studies and
discussions before the EU adapts its con
-
20
ict prevention strategies.
O
cials in DG Climate concur that progress on the speci
cs of rendering con-
ict prevention programmes climate-sensitive has been woefully insu
cient. While
the 2010
oods
in Pakistan
'
woke people up
'
, as
these threatened political
instability in a nuclear state, they admit that there is
'
still a long way to go
'
in
addressing climate con
ict in a preventive fashion. Climate o
cials acknowledge
that the focus has been on
'
disaster response
'
much more than on
'
disaster pre-
paredness
. General common security and defence policy (CSDP) strategy still does
not speak in the language of adaptation that mainstream climate specialists see as so
urgent. The EU
'
ict that was developed during
2013 did not have any apparent operational consequences related to climate-
induced instability. The EAS has coordinated joint sessions with African states and
China on joint climate challenges. And militaries are on board and reputedly
looking for concrete projects on the ground in the area of climate security. How-
ever, asked what tangible impact the agenda has had on con
'
s
'
comprehensive approach
'
to con
ict policies, DG Cli-
mate o
cials recognise that little operational change has been introduced beyond
general pronouncements about the need to prepare more.
The British government
'
s 2011
Building Stability Overseas Strategy
provided the
rst cross-ministerial strategy for stability. Under its rubric, the UK committed to
increasing the share of aid going to fragile states to one-third by 2014, with an
overall increase in resources. One-third of UK overseas development assistance
(ODA) must now help long-term capacity-building not just immediate poverty
relief. The Stabilisation Unit and Civilian Stabilisation Group (with a roster of
1,000 civilian experts) were to be strengthened. A new Early Warning System was
set up, managed by a dedicated steering board. A con
ict Watchlist and Annual
Horizon Scan would allow a more honed identi
cation of risks, including through
