Research for South America

Climate change poses challenges to societies and governments that go far beyond the alteration of our environment. The physical impacts of climate change, including gradual but steady increases in temperature, changing precipitation patterns, the reduction of glaciers and Arctic ice, rising sea levels and changes in coastlines, and more intense and frequent extreme weather events, will affect human lives in numerous ways. While climate change does not by itself create new security threats, it does act as a threat multiplier. It exacerbates existing political weaknesses and social tensions in countries around the world, and creates demands for state services and assistance—including security—which at times may exceed the capacity of governments to respond. In this sense, the growing likelihood of events such as mass migrations, crop failures, economic shocks, public riots and violence, floods and other natural disasters, widespread epidemics, and competition for resources pose serious challenges for governments and security forces worldwide.