Environmental degradation as a security threat: The challenge for developing countries

Ayhan Akbulut

Abstract


The developments after industrial revolution have brought environmental degradation to the stage as a threat to human security in the last few decades. It has become obvious that the shortage of natural resources or negative changes in environmental conditions may lead different forms of conflict between states. Since environmental degradation may directly or indirectly cause a conflict, it will have a significant impact on international security. This problem mostly challenges developing countries on the edge of making a choice between rapid industrialism and environmental conservation. This paper analyzes this challenge by discussing the details of it and offering both national and international level solutions. The zeal for economic growth, enclosure of land and knowledge, and disenfranchisement compose the major challenges for developing countries. There is no easy way to meet those challenges; however, this study offers regional economic integration by cooperation with regional environmental issues, the avoidance of politics leading degradation, dealing with disenfranchisement, environmental education, protection of global commons more seriously, and strict legislation and sanctions against environmental crimes as the steps against environmental threat.

Keywords


Environmental Security; Environmental Threat; Environmental Degradation; Environmental Crime; Environmental Protection

Full Text:

PDF (English)

References


Barbier, E. (1997). The Economic Determinants of Land Degradation in Developing Countries. The Royal Society. London, 352, 891-899

Barnett, J. (2013). Global Environmental Change and Human Security. Annual Review of Environment and Resources. 38:373-386. 2013

Bowender, B. (1984). Energy Use Patterns in Rural Areas and Environmental Degradation in Developing Countries. Miami International Symposium on the Biosphere, Miami Beach, FL (USA), 23-24 Apr 1984

Bulte, E. H. & Soest, D. P. V. (2001). Environmental Degradation in Developing Countries: Households and the (reverse) Environmental Kuznets Curve. Journal of Development Economics, 65,(1) , 225-235

Burns, R. G. and Lynch, M. J., (2004). Environmental crime: A sourcebook. New York: LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC.

Buzan, B. and Wæver O. (1998). Liberalism and Security: The Contradictions of the Liberal Leviathan. Copenhagen Peace Research Institute

Chandra, B. S., Nivas, B. T., & Traxler, G. J. (1996). Irrigation Development and Environmental Degradation in Developing Countries. Water Resource Management, 10,(2), 129-146

Chatterjee, P. & Finger, M. (1994). Power, Politics, and World Development. The Earth Brokers, Routledge, ch. 1.

Crowder, V., Lindley, W., Bruening, T., and Doron, N., (1998). Agricultural Education for Sustainable Rural Development: Challenges for Developing Countries in the 21st Century. Research for Education and communication service.

EIA. (2013). International Energy Outlook 2013, U.S. Energy Information Administration, retrieved in April 24, 2014 from http://www.eia.gov/oiaf/aeo/tablebrowser/#release=IEO2013&subject=0-IEO2013&table=1-IEO2013&region=0-0&cases=Reference-d041117

Fisher, D. & Green, J. (2004). Understanding Disenfranchisement: Civil Society and Developing Countries’ Influence and Participation in Global Governance for Sustainable Development. Global Environmental Politics, 4 (3).

Kütting, G. & Rose, S. (2006). The Environment as a Global Issue. In Palgrave. Advances in International Environmental Politics. Edited by Betsill, M.M. at al., P. 129.

Lal, R. (2000). Soil Management in the Developing Countries. Soil Science, Vol. 165 (1), 57-72.

McMichael, A. (2000). The Urban Environment and Health in a World of Increasing Globalization: Issues for Developing Countries. Bull World Health Organ, Vol. 78 (9)

Miller, M. (2001). Tragedy for the Commons: the Enclosure and Commodification of Knowledge. The International Political Economy of the Environment. 2001.

UN. (2004). The Secretary General’s High - Level Panel Report on Threats, Challenges, and Change. The United Nations Secretary General. retrieved on April 24, 2014 from http://www.unrol.org/doc.aspx?n=gaA.59.565_En.pdf

UNFPA. (2013) Population Trends. The United Nations Population Fund. retrieved on April 24, 2014 from https://www.unfpa.org/pds/trends.htm

UNODC. (2010). Salvador Declaration on Comprehensive Strategies for Global Challenges: Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Systems and Their Development in a Changing World. Salvador, Brazil retrieved in April 24, 2014 from http://www.unodc.org/documents/crime-congress/12th-Crime-Congress/Documents/Salvador_Declaration/Salvador_Declaration_E.pdf

UNODC. (2012). Other serious crimes, as defined in the convention, including new forms and dimensions of transnational organized crime. Report of the Secretariat, Sixth Session, Vienna, 15-19 October 2012 retrieved in April 24, 2014 from http://www.unodc.org/documents/treaties/organized_crime/COP6/CTOC_COP_2012_7/CTOC_COP_2012_7_E.pdf

Zhang, R. (2001). Economic Integration and Environmental Protection in the Asia Pacific. Asia Pacific Journal of Environmental Law. 6, (3-4), 215-238.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.14687/ijhs.v11i1.2894

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2014 International Journal of Human Sciences

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.