Issues
Climate Change
Climate Change
Climate change presents unprecedented and unpredictable risks to our nation and planet. The international community is focusing significant attention toward green and blue energy, environmental and energy conservation, and sustainability to reduce carbon, preserve resources, and build environmental, community, and national resilience. In January 2021, President Joe Biden issued Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad” which put climate change at the center of U.S. foreign policy and national security. As part of the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” vision, USINDOPACOM’s Climate Change Impacts (CCI) program looks at factors that increase threats from climate change and opportunities to increase resilience and stability within the Indo-Pacific region
Engineering Solutions to Environmental Challenges
Engineering Solutions to Environmental Challenges
Of the most serious environmental security threats, rising sea levels and climatic changes pose the most challenges for Island Nations due to low lying elevations and being prone to impacts from severe storms resulting in flooding and tidal surges. Not only are homes and land vulnerable, but basic infrastructure as well, such as water and wastewater systems. The challenge of integrating creative engineering and innovative technologies with feasible construction solutions for these susceptible areas require a collaborative effort from the international design and construction communities.
Marine Protected Areas
Marine Protected Areas
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is a tool that coastal and ocean managers have long used to place limits on human activity in order to protect depleted, threatened, rare, and endangered species and populations, as well as their critical habitats. MPAs are now being integrated into larger coastal and marine spatial planning efforts to improve their utility and flexibility to maximize protection of specific marine species as well as large marine habitats, while also engaging the community for appropriate use of the resources as well (i.e. artisanal fishing, recreation, etc.)
IUU Fishing
IUU Fishing
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities violate both national and international fishing regulations. IUU fishing is a global problem that threatens biodiversity, ocean ecosystems, and sustainable fisheries. It threatens economic security and the natural resources that are critical to global food security, and it puts law-abiding fishermen and seafood producers in the United States and abroad at a disadvantage. Furthermore, illegal fishers often utilize the same networks as other transnational criminal organizations involved in trafficking of humans, wildlife, weapons, and drugs. By sharing information and enhancing vessel monitoring systems, partner nations can reduce IUU fishing and support sustainable fisheries management.
Combating Wildlife Trafficking
Counter Wildlife Trafficking
Wildlife trafficking is the illegal trade, smuggling, poaching, capture, or collection of endangered and protected wildlife driven by consumer demand and transnational criminal networks. It results in social insecurity, increased violence, and greater corruption, to include the devastation of existing and potential opportunities for ecotourism and economic development, and ultimately the deterioration of stability in the Indo-Asia Pacific Region. The existence of endangered, threatened, and other protected species is in peril due to the illegal wildlife trade, which has grave impacts for biodiversity and ecosystem stability. The Partnership supports the development of regional strategies for combating wildlife trafficking, such as establishing procedures for sharing relevant information between wildlife and law enforcement agencies to strengthen enforcement efforts and conducting educational activities aimed at reducing demand for illicit wildlife products.
Coastal Zone Management
Coastal Zone Management
Coastal management provides the connection to our environment, economy, and security. Protecting and preserving coastal resources helps to create healthy and vibrant communities that include development, fisheries, shipping, and tourism. It is striking this balance to promote economic development, environmental protection, all the while mitigating risks to coastal hazards, that makes ensuring proper coastal management a key component to any country’s growth and sustainability.
Oil Spill Response Capabilities
Oil Spill Response Capabilities
While prevention is the best solution, oil spills inevitably occur, and nations should be equipped to minimize the damage caused and impacts endured by the tourism and fishing industries, as well as other economic livelihoods. Ensuring adequate oil spill response equipment is on hand and assigned staff are trained in its proper use, is critical to expedient cleanups. Regular spill response coordination between civilian and military partners in the region is a central component to effectively responding with the least possible impacts, which promotes the criticality of communications between stakeholders during an oil spill response, as well as sharing lessons-learned and best practices from recent oil spill response efforts around the world.
Waste Management
Waste Management
Effective solid waste and hazardous waste management are crucial to ensuring environmental and human health are not adversely impacted. Improper waste disposal contaminates soil and groundwater, as well as contributes to both indoor and outdoor air pollution, such as through the burning of household or electronic refuse. Improper waste disposal emits extremely potent greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. The Partnership supports the implementation of low-tech waste management solutions, including recycling, sustainable purchasing, and zero-waste strategies.
Women, Peace & Security (WPS)
Women, Peace & Security (WPS)
Women and girls are disproportionately impacted by both conflicts and natural or human-made disasters, yet are not appropriately included at the decision-making table to provide adequate relief and recovery services. To be successful in achieving sustainable peace and security across the region and globally, women are critical actors that must take part in planning and management efforts through leadership positions. The Partnership supports activities that empower women and girls in achieving equitable access to humanitarian relief services, the provision of goods and services that meet gender-specific needs, and strong leadership in developing disaster management policies, programs, plans, and evaluation procedures, including those that are gender-sensitive.
Water Security
Water Security
With climate change impacts rapidly advancing, the scarcity of water during droughts and the surplus of water during floods will prove ever more challenging to manage. Regional and global instability will increase as millions of climate refugees seek to migrate to areas with greater water security. It is imperative that partner nations utilize a whole of government approach in devising long-term water management strategies, developing climate adaptation plans, and pursuing transboundary water management collaborations that engage a diverse group of stakeholders, including marginalized, disadvantaged, and underserved populations.
Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Mitigation
Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Mitigation
Effective and prompt action on humanitarian crises requires a “whole of community” approach to respond to and recover from natural disasters, pandemics, terrorist attacks, and emergencies. It requires established communication channels between community members and all levels of government including civilian and military agencies, regional and local organizations, faith-based community organizations, schools and academia, as well non-governmental organizations that offer international relief services. Environmental dimensions must be factored into emergency responses to disaster and significant industrial accidents; if not, serious short and long-term impact to human health can ensue, as well as the degradation of social, economic, and environmental conditions that exceed the initial crisis impact. The Partnership builds capacity in the region to promote prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery protocol.