SESSION 12 - CBRNe new risks and challenges provoked by climate change, war, terrorism, local conflicts and food security


CHAIPERSON SICC SERIES - CBRNE CONFERENCE - SESSION 12

Prof. Radovan Karkalic

 

University of Defence - Military Academy Serbia

(SERBIA)


CHAIPERSON SICC SERIES - CBRNE CONFERENCE - SESSION 12

Col. Bernd Allert

German Army

(GERMANY)


CHAIPERSON SICC SERIES - CBRNE CONFERENCE - SESSION 12

Cmd. Stoffer Stienstra

Royal Dutch Navy

(THE NETHERLANDS)


This session will host presentations based on the following description.

Description

Climate change is considered by many experts to be one of the major problems humankind is currently facing. The possible consequences of intense climate change, which are constantly being monitored, are continually updated as new data become available but the possibility of the emergence of new risks including CBRN hazards that need to be managed is ever more substantial and presents many new challenges. The relationship between climate change and CBRN threats is already shown in many instances such as in the case of extreme weather events in highly industrialized areas or mosquito-borne diseases affecting areas previously considered safe.  

Radiological hazards due to extreme weather events and climate-related disasters not only in nuclear power plants but also in hospitals and in many industries should be considered and possibly implemented into risk management policies, and adaptation strategies should be included in the safety and emergency plans. 

Moreover, the current international frictions increase the chance of intentional or accidental releases of CBRNe agents both in war-thorn areas and as acts of terrorism.  

In this complex multifaceted scenario, the emerging CBRNe risks need to be addressed and the challenges they pose must be faced and treated with advanced education, training, and technologies. 

In recent years, the occurrence of different kind of disasters and emergencies has risen worldwide, resulting in large numbers of communities affected, causing victims, food crisis, refugees and people displaced. CBRN events can have devastating impacts on the four dimensions of food security (availability, access, utilization and stability) and health (morbidity and mortality patterns), impacting health services and living environment. As a direct result, impaired or jeopardized nutritional status of population is likely to occur, feeding a vicious circle of malnutrition and outbreaks of infectious diseases, ending into famine and mortality. 

This session will host the work of the experts that will reflect those concepts.


Keywords: Climate change, emerging risks, conflict, terrorism, environment; emergency plans; adaptation strategies, food safety, food security, food war.