Publications

Private Military Companies and the Climate-Security Nexus: A New Actor in Resource Conflicts?

Organisation: BIPSS

Authors: Farhana Rashid
Research Themes:
Environmental security and climate change
Type: Commentaries
28 August 2025

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The convergence of climate change and global security is one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. Climate change is intensifying, it acts as a threat multiplier by exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and creating new pathways to conflict. The intersection of climate change, security, and armed conflict represents a complex and increasingly urgent field in global affairs, highlighting new dimensions for both traditional and non-traditional actors. Among these actors, Private Military Companies (PMCs) have emerged as influential players in conflicts driven or exacerbated by the climate-security nexus, especially over scarce natural resources. It is a critical but often overlooked dimension in the climate security nexus. Understanding how PMCs operate within this nexus is essential for comprehensively addressing resource conflicts in the 21st century.