According to the Department of Defense, climate change presents a significant threat to U.S. military operation and will create new political conflicts worldwide. climate adaptation planThis week.

According to the Department, water scarcity could lead to conflict and friction between U.S. troops overseas and their host countries. The Department also believes that efforts to reduce food and water scarcity will lead to more physical and cyber-terrorist attacks by unknown third parties.

The plan states that extreme weather events caused by climate change (e.g. storms, droughts, floods) have already cost the Department billions. A rise in extreme weather events could increase demand for U.S. soldiers, while also causing damage to military bases and degrading mission capability. This will put service personnel at risk.

Climate change is more vulnerable to countries that are in conflict. There are more than twelve countries that are vulnerable to climate change. according to an indexThe Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative. This combination increases food insecurity as well as economic vulnerability, and reduces the ability of governments to support them, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. said in a recent report

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that “Climate Change is a serious threat to the nation’s security. The Department of Defense must respond quickly and courageously to this challenge, and be prepared for any damage that can not be avoided.” said in a statement

His statement stated, “Everyday our forces deal with the grave, growing consequences of global climate change. From hurricanes and wildfires which inflict expensive damage on U.S. facilities and restrict our ability train and operate to dangerous heat and droughts that can trigger crises or instability around the globe, to the devastating effects that it has had on our military personnel.”

The Defense Department was among 20 federal agencies that unveiled climate change adaptation plans this week that reveal the biggest threats global warming poses to their operations and facilities and suggest how they could handle them.

President Joe Biden, shortly after taking office, gave agencies four months to prepare plans as part of a whole-of-government approach to combating climate change. Plans focus on protecting workers against extreme heat events as well as making supply chains more resilient in extreme weather.

Troops safety has become a serious concern due to climate change. 17 troops are currently at risk. died of heat exposure during training at U.S. military bases since 2008According to Pentagon, it is.

According to the plan, training troops to work in extreme weather could provide America with an edge over its foes. Because “forces can operate under conditions where others must go to shelter or to ground”, the U.S. may also be able to train them to do so.

According to the department, it is committed to using climate intelligence for military planning to determine where military installations may be at greatest risk. The department recently published a climate assessment toolThat creates hazard indicator based upon data from the past and future extreme water, sea levels, flooding and droughts, land degradation and energy demand, wildfires, and heat.

“We must take on these challenges as a team — from every corner of the Pentagon, on each of our installations and bases, across the federal government, and alongside our partners and allies,” Austin said.