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Key Message

Human Security is both a pre-condition and outcome of sustainable development and conservation of the world's resources. Environmental degradation, poorly designed trade and aid policies, and reckless exploitation of our natural resources imperil human security.

Team


Henry David Venema· Henry David Venema
Director - Sustainable Natural Resources Management
Alec Crawford· Alec Crawford
Project Officer
Anne Hammill· Anne Hammill
Senior Researcher
Mark Halle· Mark Halle
Director - Trade and Investment, and European Representative
Oli Brown· Oli Brown
Program Manager
Richard Matthew· Richard Matthew
Senior Fellow

Security

What's New in Security?

  • Growing Unrest: The links between farmed and fished resources and the risk of conflict (PDF - 531 kb)
    This paper examines the links between the risk of conflict and the production and trade of agricultural and marine commodities. It does so using a series of case studies: cocoa in Côte d’Ivoire, bananas and subsequently fisheries in Somalia, and cotton in Central Asia. Much like the traditional conflict resources (oil, diamonds, timber, minerals, etc.), there is strong evidence that fished and farmed commodities can also be (mis)used in such a way that their production and trade contribute to the onset or continuation of violent conflict.

  • Environmental Change and the New Security Agenda: Implications for Canada's security and environment (PDF - 688 kb)
    This paper investigates how environmental change and Canadian security are interlinked. First, it attempts to chart the ways in which global environmental change (such as climate change and environmental mismanagement) affect Canada's domestic security and the welfare of Canadian interests overseas. Second, the paper analyzes the links between environment and security from the opposite direction: we assess the environmental implications of what we call 'the new security agenda', Canada's current national security focus on the prevention of terrorism.

Since the events of 9/11, security has dominated the concerns of decision-makers and policy analysts. Increasingly, security is being framed in narrow terms of the terrorist threat to the developed world. At IISD we argue for a wider understanding of security that encompasses resilience to ecological stresses and disasters, political stability, equitable trade and sustainable livelihoods.

Human security and environmental protection are mutually dependent. On one hand, careless depletion of our natural resources undermines livelihoods, increases vulnerability to disaster and imperils human security. On the other, violent conflict and political instability lead to mismanagement of vital natural resources.

IISD is dedicated to understanding the forces that lead to environmental and political insecurity. We promote innovative policy mechanisms that challenge the root causes of insecurity around the world.

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