Defence Minister Sten Tolgfors outlined a new task for FOI in a presentation given to the conference “Environment, Climate Change and Security – Facing the Challenges" held at the Swedish National Defence College on 15 October. FOI is to undertake an analysis of climate change and security.

FOI has already been working on a number of aspects of climate change addressed during the conference, e.g. understanding the effects of climate change and which are the factors that act as drivers for conflict, seen in the perspective of strategic security policy in various regions of the world. FOI has also been working on the structuring of crisis management systems and response planning for optimum effectiveness, or how military resources can best be used in support of the civil community at large. According to researcher Eva Mittermaier, FOI was therefore a natural choice as principal arranger for the conference as well as being the natural source of the specialist knowledge and expertise called for in carrying out the Defence Minister’s assignment.

“In the course of the Defence Ministry’s preparations for the conference, FOI was asked whether the agency would be interested in such an assignment. The task outlined by Defence Minister Sten Tolgfors requires FOI to produce recommendations as to how the situation can most appropriately be approached. The project will culminate in a report which is to be ready by the end of next year,” says Eva Mittermaier.

Besides collating and bringing together the existing body of knowledge, the project will look specifically at the connection between conflicts and climate change. The assignment also includes making concrete recommendations with regard to the assessment of conflict patterns in relation to climate change and how these could be prevented and managed, including the importance of warning systems, missions and collaboration between authorities. In the context of this work, FOI will be seeking to establish contact with universities and institutes both in Sweden and abroad.

“The project will strengthen the links between existing research groups, for example security policy specialists, energy and environmental experts and technical specialists etc. The project also provides a further opportunity to demonstrate FOI’s special competence in the international arena, especially within the EU,” says Eva Mittermaier.

FOI is engaged in other projects for the Ministry of Defence, the Swedish Armed Forces, as well as other customers, in which the competencies involved have a bearing on this new task. Part of the task consists of combining and making use of this existing knowledge not only for the benefit of a range of existing customers, such as the Armed Forces and the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), but also to assist development of the EU’s crisis management system.
 
FOI’s work very often aims to bring together knowledge and expertise of both a social and a scientific nature in order to shed a more balanced light on strategic matters.

This present task does not, however, entail any new funding since it is covered by the existing government contract for Research/Analytical Support during 2010 which is currently the subject of discussion between FOI and the Ministry of Defence.