Security and Environment in the Mediterranean: Conceptualising Security and Environmental Conflicts

Abstract

Focus on six structural factors: population growth, climate change, desertification, water scarcity, food security, urbanisation and pollution Review of environmental degradation as a cause of conflict and of conflict prevention as a new task of security policy Dialogue between academia and policy makers in international organisations as well as governmental and nongovernmental institutions In this volume security specialists, peace researchers, environmental scholars, demographers as well as climate, desertification, water, food and urbanisation specialists from the Middle East and North Africa, Europe and North America review security and conflict prevention in the Mediterranean. They also analyse NATO¿s Mediterranean security dialogue and offer conceptualisations on security and perceptions of security challenges as seen in North and South. The latter half of the book analyses environmental security and conflicts in the Mediterranean and environmental consequences of World War II, the Gulf War, the Balkan wars and the Middle East conflict. It also examines factors of global environmental change: population growth, climate change, desertification, water scarcity, food and urbanisation issues as well as natural disasters. Furthermore, it draws conceptual conclusions for a fourth phase of research on human and environmental security and peace as well as policy conclusions for cooperation and partnership in the Mediterranean in the 21st century.