NATO Versus “The Ultimate Threat Multiplier”

In 2017, NATO released a seminal report that concluded that climate change is the ultimate “threat multiplier,” exacerbating political instability in the world’s most unstable regions, with intensifying extreme weather events like droughts stressing the global food and water supply – leading to an increase in the number of regional and global disputes and violent conflicts caused by climate change-induced global scarcity.  The Department of Defense (DoD) has also recognized that climate change will exacerbate existing security challenges and create new ones. No pun intended, but it is the perfect storm for a dystopian geopolitical future scenario. Explore this post for a window into the DoD and NATO’s strategic pivot to take on the climate crisis crucial to a more positive outcome.

NATO joins the Pentagon in deeming climate change a threat multiplier

A [NATO special report released in 2017 concluded] that climate change is the ultimate “threat multiplier”—meaning that it can exacerbate political instability in the world’s most unstable regions—because by intensifying extreme weather events like droughts, climate change stresses food and water supplies. In poor, arid countries already facing shortages, this increased stress can lead to disputes and violent conflicts over scarce resources. As the report concludes: