Climate change is a "threat multiplier" that poses a real threat to national security, according to a new report from the Pentagon.
The Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap developed by the Defense Department was released on October 10. The report outlines actions that could offset the possible short-term and long-term effects of global warming.
Military planners traditionally viewed climate change as a future risk, but this new report highlights immediate threats to military operations caused by global warming.
Extreme weather, marked by severe storms, could threaten military operations, according to the report, along with unexpected changes to the events fueled by global climate change. Rising temperatures and sea levels could also pose risks to military operations, the study reveals.
Hampton Roads, Virginia, which houses several military bases and stations, is located just 12 feet above sea level, making it highly-susceptible to increasing sea levels.
"In places like the Hampton Roads region in Virginia, which houses the largest concentration of U.S. military sites in the world, we see recurrent flooding today, and we are beginning work to address a projected sea-level rise of 1.5 feet over the next 20 to 50 years," Chuck Hagel, Secretary of Defense in the Obama Administration, said.
Possible threats to military forces could also include political instability and famine brought about by climate change. Combined with pressures cause by refugees and diseases, climate change could bring about military conflict, into which the United States could be drawn, the report reveals.
Military tactics and training regarding amphibious landings could be affected by changes in sea level. As Arctic ice melts, ships will start to navigate once-frozen waters, changing the way Naval forces would be deployed in the northernmost regions of the globe.
"The effects of the changing climate will be felt across the full range of Department activities, including plans, operations, training, infrastructure, and acquisition. The direction, degree, and rates of the physical changes will differ by region, as will the effects to the Department's mission and operations," the report states.
Threat multipliers like climate change can increase threats like terrorism and disease more severe. More frequent severe storms could lead to a greater number of domestic disasters, where the military could be asked to assist civil authorities, thinning resources.
Risk has always been part of military planning, including effects from weather. The D-Day invasion, when allied forces first landed in Europe during World War Two, was delayed from June 5 to June 6, 1944, after bad weather sent ships back to port after they first embarked for France.
