Climate Change, Infectious Disease and International Conflict

A reading that discusses the impact of climate change on health, security and international conflict. It discusses how climate change can cause the spread of vector-borne disease across geopolitical borders and thus lead to security issues and conflict. 

Students will learn about the interlinkages between climate change and global health. They will be introduced to ‘Health Security’ and how it is impacted due to extreme weather events and natural disasters.  Students will further understand the role of climate change and global health in disease transmission across geopolitical borders and potential security issues such as migration, refugee crises and human rights that may arise from it. 

Use this tool to help your students find answers to: 

1. How are climate change, health and security interconnected? Discuss how this interlinkage can lead to political instability and international conflict.
2. How has climate change caused the spread of vector-borne and infectious diseases? 
3. Discuss potential security issues that will arise from climate change.

Tool Name	Health and Climate Security: Interconnected Security Challenges of Climate Change and Infectious Disease
Discipline	Social Sciences, International Relations
Topic(s) in Discipline	Health Security, Geopolitics, National Security, Peace and Conflict Studies, Human Migration, Refugee, Infectious Disease
Climate Topic	Policies, Politics and Environmental Governance, Climate and Society, Climate and Health
Type of Tool	Reading
Grade Level	Undergraduate, Graduate
Location	Global
Language	English
Translation	–
Developed by	Kaleem Hawa in Epicenters of Climate and Security: The New Geostrategic Landscape of the Anthropocene eds Caitlin E. Werrell and Francesco Femia
Hosted at	The Center for Climate and Security
Link	Health Security PDF
Access	Online, Offline
Computer Skills	Basic