The “Climate and National Security: Green Development of BRI” seminar, co-hosted by the Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology and the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), concluded successfully.
Prof. XU Qinhua, core member of the Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT) and Honorary Professor of the Department of Applied Social Sciences of PolyU, Professor of the School of International Studies and Director of Centre for International Energy and Environment Strategy Studies of the Renmin University of China, shared the impact of climate change on national security with scholars, graduate students, and participants as speaker.
She stated that climate change is a multiplier of threats, exacerbating existing national security challenges. It may increase regional resource competition, the demand for military actions, and the severity of humanitarian crises, posing a threat to national stability and security. Prof. XU anticipated that decarbonization pressures would intensify the geopolitical tensions, and 11 countries including India and Pakistan would be financially vulnerable to climate change, leading to increasing risks of unrest and migration, and demand for foreign aid.
