Climate change brings with it a number of new challenges for Swedish military personnel serving on peace operations abroad. More natural disasters call for more and new types of rescue missions and give rise to new disease spread patterns and an increased risk of toxic emissions. The weather itself can also create problems for rescue missions.

In order to meet these new threats we need new knowledge. Sweden and Canada have for that reason taken a joint initiative entitled The Effects of Environmental Conditions on Soldiers in an attempt to bring together, among other things, scientists and military practitioners from members of NATO and the Partnership for Peace. The work is funded partly through the Science for Peace and Security Committee, a member of NATO’s research and technology community.

In an initial phase, 36 delegates from 15 countries took part in a workshop at the Swedish National Defence College on 2-4 June to discuss whether these ideas should be taken forward. On this there was unanimous agreement. The work then entered a second phase during which participating countries will prepare detailed proposals, for discussion at a further meeting to be held in spring 2010, as to how this research collaboration can be carried out. According to Annica Waleij, the Swedish project manager, this collaboration is important to Sweden on many levels.

“Sweden does not have the resources to be expert in every area. But we are highly capable in some areas; for example we produce widely respected country reports on medical threats. Here we can share our knowledge with others while benefiting from their knowledge in return.  This increases the chances that young Swedish men and women on missions abroad will come home as healthy as when they set out. Knowledge gained in this area will also be of benefit to Swedish aid organisations and to civil authorities such as the police and the rescue services of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency.