Call: Ethical/Societal Dimension topic 3: Impact of climate change in third countries on Europe's security

This Subprogramme aims to achieve a resource- and water-efficient economoy and society that is also resilient to climate change. Furthermore, it seeks to promote the protection and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems. Lastly, the Programme also supports the sustainable supply and use of raw materials, in order to meet the needs of a growing global population within the sustainable limits of the planet's natural resources and eco-systems.

Extreme weather and climate events, interacting with exposed and vulnerable human and natural systems, can lead to disasters. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), some types of extreme events (e.g. flash floods and related landslides, storm surges, heatwaves, fires, including vegetation fires) have increased in frequency or magnitude, and in the meantime populations and assets at risk have also increased, leading to greater disaster risks. In order to better forecast and manage the immediate consequences of weather- and climate-related disasters, in particular regarding emergency responses, improved measures and technologies are needed.

Climate change in Third Countries is a real threat to security of the European Union. Extreme weather or other climate events which devastate lives, infrastructure, but also institutions and budgets can have disastrous consequences on European security, as climate-driven crises occurring outside the EU can have detrimental effects and direct or indirect security implications on the Union (e.g. climate-driven migration forcing large number of people to move from their homelands to another country – EU Member State; supply chain security; food security; reliance on imports of raw material etc.), including EU assets in third countries.

Therefore, adequate political, strategic and institutional responses should be found in order to enhance international and European cooperation on the detection assessment and monitoring of the security threats in Europe related to climate change in other regions of the world. European policy makers and analysts as well as national governments should tackle climate change as today's non-traditional security hazard.

The research aims at facilitating the adoption of a comprehensive approach, with a view to help minimising negative consequences of climate-driven crises.