One of the concepts that has to do with environmental protection and the reduction of environmental risks is the Environmental security. It is a way of protecting ourselves against the threats faced by the environment and makes human beings dependent on their entire environment in order to survive. Environmental safety has become a very important aspect in the development of cities, countries, companies and society in general.
Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you everything you need to know about environmental safety.
What is environmental safety
The idea of environmental safety, just by listening to its concept, is related to how to protect yourself from environmental risks. The way we live geopolitical has changed dramatically in the last few centuries. Historically, one of the dangers that humans will face was their own military policy in armed conflicts. However, today, our enemy has changed. Now they are global problems that we face and that we have to unite in order to solve these problems.
The emergence of new environmental problems means that we have to have new technological developments to be able to combat them. Therefore, environmental safety is seen as part of protecting a global problem. It is approached both at the institutional level comfortable international approach. Each country has its own national policies on environmental safety.
It is inevitable that it sticks to develop individually in each country as it depends on the perspective. There are places where military security gives way to a broader vision that, together with the need for environmental security, try to solve problems related to food insecurity, social instability, poverty, among others. It is somewhat complex to cite dates where social, human, economic and environmental aspects began to be related. However, It can be said with certainty that from the 20s they were the first emergence of ecological awareness and the environmental movement.
A key moment in the history of the environment was in the 80s. It is here that the idea of environmental safety began to popularize, including social, economic and human elements. Later, in the 90s, FAO was the first to introduce the concept of "human security rights" as part of the broad scope of the concept of human rights. In other words, human beings have the right to a healthy environment in which they can live in harmony.
Environmental safety by zones
And, as we have mentioned before, environmental security depends on the countries where we are located and their economic, political, social and environmental regime. In each specific case we can find endless factors that must be analyzed and where there are differentiating characteristics.
We are going to talk about environmental security in the Mediterranean since it is what concerns us. In this type of environmental safety issues such as:
- Mediterranean desertification: due to the action of human beings to urbanize all natural areas. As the vegetation cover is destroyed, soil erosion rates increase and, added to a drought, causes desertification and loss of biodiversity. The desertification problem is growing.
- A preview of climate change. Climate change largely affects the entire Iberian Peninsula. We are a geographically vulnerable area to the effects of climate change. The elements that attack us the most are droughts, rising temperatures and erosion.
- Species extinction. Another aspect to take into account regarding the environmental safety of the Mediterranean area. Due to desertification, a large amount of biodiversity and natural ecosystems is lost. This causes the extinction of many species and puts others in danger of extinction.
- Overfishing: the rate of fishing is being greater than that of regeneration of the species. This can lead to an imbalance in the food chain in the seas and the early extinction of other species. They also endanger many species of fish and others that are caught by accident.
- Lack of water resources. It is an aspect to take into account due to the effects of climate change. Drought is a meteorological phenomenon that is occurring with increasing frequency and intensity throughout the Iberian Peninsula.
- The forest fires. Due to a higher average temperature at a general level, we can have a greater intensity and frequency of forest fires. To this is added the drought and times of heat waves. Forest fires not only destroy the quality of ecosystems but also reduce biodiversity. It is another consequence of the extinction of species.
- Heat waves. This phenomenon is related to the increase in average temperatures.
- Chronic droughts. They are due to a lower annual average rainfall rate.
- Harvest losses. They will be by a union of several combined effects. On the one hand, an increase in temperatures was normal. On the other hand, a more frequent and intense drought. In addition, heat waves and extraordinary frog weather phenomena such as floods and heavy rains are added.
- Economic and food security problems.
Economic, environmental and social problems
There are numerous areas where the situation can be dramatic. This is due to the presence of extreme phenomena such as the rise in sea level in which measures have to be established that can be aimed at preventing food security problems and even large migrations. To these environmental problems are added the social problems derived from human dramas with problems of national and international security. An example of this are environmental catastrophes such as radioactive leaks or oil spills.
In almost all developed countries we find large urban areas that accuse of great air pollution, as in China or India. These are big environmental safety issues.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about environmental safety.