| Abstrakt: |
The chapter argues that the conceptual ideas of David Mitrany, George Marshall, Jean Monnet, as well as of Mikhail Gorbachev were instrumental for 60 years of peace and security in Europe, for integration, overcoming the Cold War and contributing to the reunification of the continent. The chapter contrasts different security perceptions of narrow national security threats with a widened security concept that includes economic, societal and environmental dimensions and other levels of analysis and referents, with a special focus on human security. However, given the primary concern with the dangers confronting their ‘national security', in the countries of the ‘narrow' Middle East (Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria), the emerging new common threats, challenges, vulnerabilities and risks for the environment and the people in these countries are not yet being widely perceived. In the second part, the regional impact of global environmental change is projected until 2100 and potential extreme outcomes are discussed for the narrow Middle East. These environmental challenges are not yet perceived as common threats. A special focus is on water demand due to population growth, urbanization and food needs, and on the changing supply due to the impact of climate change on precipitation, soil erosion, drought and desertification in the region. The chapter suggests that these common challenges to human security should become an object of functional cooperation within the region, and that these efforts may contribute to long-term environmental conflict avoidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
