EPIS Report on Climate Change & Environment Issue I

Editorial

Dear reader,

For years, climate change has been at the center of global discussions, a storm of concern brewing steadily on the horizon. Yet, one of its most striking manifestations of this storm has only recently received the attention it truly deserves: natural disasters and catastrophes, also shortly called NatCat. Spin a globe, and you’ll likely land on a place scarred by a recent disaster—a hurricane here, a wildfire there, floods and earthquakes reshaping the landscape.

These events strike mostly without warning, their impact rippling through communities, shattering lives, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Needless to say, the aftermath is extremely challenging for most affected areas, but what stands out is the sheer complexity of these occurrences. NatCats aren’t just geological and climatological formations; they are catalysts for change, influencing everything from global security to politics and diplomacy. They force us to confront the fragility of our systems and the interconnectedness of our world.

Our inaugural report on climate change takes you on a journey into the seemingly unpredictable world of NatCats with a special focus on the vulnerable region of East-Asia. With a fresh perspective on resilience and responsibility, our report team guides you through the most recents Nat Cats events, implications and consequences, and a future outlook.

The report kicks off with an introduction by Marion Cordebart on the ideas of liberalism, realism and constructivism and how they might be used to assess the implications of NatCats. Our authors, Theodor Pina and Marcus Geiger provide insights on the tragic effects of migration via NatCats. Zhala Mammadli provides us with a concise overview of the implications for trade. Avital Zuckerman guides us through the importance of disaster diplomacy and Rebecca Quaranta focusses on a specific case study involving the two Koreas. We proceed on to a more technical essay on Social Network Analysis for disaster resiliency by Niklas Klinger, which is followed by Katharina Schwär's discussion on the controversial use of drones for resiliency measures. We’d like to thank our partners at JAGD and EuroDefense for their warm greetings and valuable contributions. A special shoutout to the entire report team for their incredible work, creative ideas, and collective effort in putting together this diverse and insightful analysis of the security implications of natural disasters in East Asia.

And with that, dear reader, enjoy the storm.

Sincerely,

Karla Lamesic