Over the past year, the Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) has been at the forefront of investigating the security implications of ecological degradation and exploitation. CSR’s landmark 2021 report, “The Security Threat that Binds Us,” identified multiple pathways through which ecological disruption can introduce and exacerbate internal and geopolitical conflict, instability, food and water stress, natural disasters, infectious disease risks, and other security threats. These issues have a tendency to cascade or occur simultaneously, placing strain on stabilization and response capabilities and producing deeper crises.
To advance work in this area, the V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation awarded CSR an $825,000 grant to significantly expand CSR’s Ecological Security Program. The Foundation’s generous support will allow CSR to:
1) develop ecological security analysis and foresight tools;
2) establish a community of practice to drive policy change;
3) foster the next generation of leaders; and
4) raise awareness through an innovative communications strategy.
Please check out the video below (also here) spotlighting the CSR project leads and their vision for this program. For inquiries regarding this program’s activities or to be part of its future expansion, contact Andrea Rezzonico at arezzonico@csrisks.org or Erin Sikorsky at esikorsky@csrisks.org.