Dr Colin Young to Speak on the Security Dimensions of Climate Change
Media Release Courtesy Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (5Cs)
(City of Belmopan, Belize) Head of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), Dr Colin Young will this week, speak at a webinar on climate and defense as part of preparations for the upcoming COP 26. Dr Young will deliver on the topic ‘Climate Change in the Caribbean: Better be Prepared,’ where he will discuss the impacts of climate change on the Caribbean and the current and future roles of defense organizations in the face of evolving climate change risks.
Speaking ahead of the event, the CCCCC’s leader says that the nexus between climate change and security is an important one for the Region, as it is already very evident that climate change-related disasters create massive push factors that have implications for national security. According to Dr Young,
“as climate risks multiply in the Region because of droughts, floods, hurricanes, and sea level rise, regional and national governments will have to grapple with climate refugees and associated challenges, which interfaces with the security organizations within the Region.”
The webinar is a joint effort between the Planetary Security Initiative and British Embassy in the Netherlands. It will spotlight discussions on how the military can contribute more to reducing security risks related to climate change. The theme of the webinar “Adapt to Defend. The Security Dimension of Climate Change” is expected to take attendees on a pathway that explores how defense organisations can adapt and mitigate to climate change, while also contributing to innovations, research and environmental peace initiatives.
According to the organisers, over 300 persons have already registered for the March 4 online dialogue, which is being promoted as a global conversation.
Editor's Note
The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre is an inter-governmental Caribbean Community (CARICOM) institution that is mandated by the CARICOM Heads of Government to coordinate the Region’s response to climate change. We maintain the Caribbean’s most extensive repository of information and data on climate change specific to the region, which in part enables us to provide climate change-related policy advice and guidelines to CARICOM Member States. In this role, the Centre is recognized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Environment Programme, and other international agencies as the focal point for climate change issues in the Caribbean. The Centre is also one of the few institutions recognized as a Centre of Excellence by United Nations Institute for Training and Research. CCCCC is empowering the Caribbean Community to act on climate change.
