Climate Change: Considerations for Geographic Combatant Commands PKSOI Paper | Page 32

Thus far, this paper has sought to present “what” the
problem is, i.e. higher-level Administration and DoDlevel guidance and initial estimate of climate change
risks; “who” ought to be engaged in addressing the
problem of security-related climate change effects;
“where” within a given region with this paper’s focus
on the near-shore Caribbean Basin part of USSOUTHCOM’s AOR; and finally “how” a GCC can assist a
partner nation with developing responses to climate
change that increase that nation’s resiliency and security. With the ways and means attended to through the
discussion above, this paper will now summarize the
“why” or ends that a GCC achieves through consideration of climate change.
“Why” Support to Climate Change Adaptation Matters to a GCC
GCCs should incorporate projected adverse climate change effects into their threat estimates and
their risk assessments that inform their annual integrated priority list (IPL) submission to the Chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In the case of SOUTHCOM,
while climate change adaptation may not out-rank countering transnational organized crime as a stand-alone
priority, the risks from climate change will effect accomplishment of the CCMD’s priority missions. Examples of increased risk from climate change effects
include the scale of required prepositioned humanitarian/disaster relief supplies, impeded access to
specific port facilities, increased littoral (underwater)
areas, and mass evacuation/migration requirements
from affected populations, etc. While some aspects of
climate change risk will fall outside the scope of a fiveyear Theater Campaign Plan, and other specific risks

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