International Environmental Security: The Regional Dimension
Abstract
As we prepare for the new opportunities and unique challenges of the 21st Century, we recognize that the United States must work closer with the global community of nations to find better, more efficient and cost effective ways to reduce the potential for instability and conflict. Under the leadership of the Vice President, the United States has begun to explore ways of using environmental issues to promote regional cooperation and enhance global security. In this spirit, the Center for Strategic Leadership of the United States Army War College hosted the fifth in a series of Environmental Security seminars, games, and conferences. The purpose of this executive seminar was to further the international community's understanding of environmental security, promote the Department of State's Environmental Hub concept, and provide federal agencies and CINCs with regional perspectives on how the United States could use the environment to promote regional security. Several insights were reinforced and validated during the seminar. First, it was affirmed that environmental issues could be used to promote regional confidence-building measures and create opportunities for better communication and closer cooperation between states that might otherwise become antagonists. Environmental Security portends a viable new option for U.S. preventive diplomacy and regional CINC engagement strategies to "shape the international environment." A most important message was the need for successful U.S. policy to reflect the issue of national sovereignty. The United States must be aware of and sensitive to other nations' perceptions, interests, and culture. Public education will play an important role in most of the opportunities for environmental cooperation, and will be critical in forging the trust and communication necessary to achieve the desired results and an enduring success.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA423861
Entities
People
- Arthur L. Bradshaw Jr.
Organizations
- United States Army War College