37 
© Author(s) 2008. This is an open access article licensed under the Creative Commons 
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/
by-nc-nd/4.0/)
	 	 Sodobni	vojaški	izzivi,	oktober	2022	–	24/št.4
	 	 Contemporary	Military	Challenges,	October	2022	–	24/No.	4
Grožnje za nacionalno varnost postajajo vse bolj različne in pojavljajo se dejavniki, 
ki jih prej nismo pričakovali.  V zadnjih desetletjih smo ekstremne okoljske dogodke, 
ki so posledica podnebnih sprememb, vedno bolj zaznavali kot grožnjo. Sem spadajo 
naravne nesreče, povezane z vremenom, podnebjem in/ali vodo (neurja z močnim 
vetrom, ekstremne padavine, vročinski valovi in ekstremni mraz, gozdni požari, 
suša itn.). Vojaške sile pri izvajanju operacij vse bolj ovirajo težke okoljske razmere, 
poleg tega pa je uporaba vojske pri obvladovanju nesreč postala nepogrešljiva. V 
prispevku avtorja preučujeta vpliv s podnebjem povezanih nesreč na nacionalno 
varnost in uporabo vojaških sil.
Podnebne spremembe, ublažitev, prilagoditev, vojska, varnost.
Threats to national security are becoming more and more diverse, and factors are 
emerging which we did not expect. In recent decades, we have increasingly perceived 
extreme environmental events resulting from climate change as threats. This includes 
natural disasters related to weather, climate and/or water (windstorms, extreme 
precipitation, heat waves and extreme cold, wildfires, droughts,.). Military forces 
are carrying out their operations while being more and more affected by difficult 
environmental circumstances, and in addition their use in disaster management has 
become indispensable in our times. In this paper, the authors examine climate-related 
disasters’ impact on national security and on the use of military forces.
Climate change, mitigation, adaptation, military, security.
Povzetek
Ključne 
besede
Abstract
Key words
PODNEBNE SPREMEMBE KOT IZZIV ZA VOJSKO
László Földi,
József Padányi
CLIMATE CHANGE AS A CHALLENGE 
TO THE ARMED FORCES
DOI:10.33179/BSV.99.SVI.11.CMC.24.4.2
 38 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges
László Földi, József Padányi
Introduction For years now there have been endless debates about the consequences of climate 
change, how it could affect national security, and what the possible answers to these 
challenges are. Some experts say that there are factors in the process of climate change 
which could have unforeseen effects at this time. Based on our present knowledge, 
these factors will change over time due to increasing adaptation capabilities or the 
factual features of forthcoming weather extremes (Schwartz, Randall, 2003).
The relentlessness of the stress and violence caused by climate change threaten 
nations’ security in ways for which we are not yet ready, even though international 
experts have been warning us for decades now. In the past, most conflicts emanated 
from national pride, based on religious or ideological differences. Now, however, 
military conflicts are more likely to start due to the absence or shortage of natural 
resources: energy sources, food or drinking water. This shift in the threats greatly 
influences the vulnerability of countries, and the warning signs for national security 
are also changing.
Opinions are divided on when and at what level the shortage of natural resources 
and nature’s threats will lead to armed conflicts between states. Some say that these 
challenges alone have the capability of initiating a war. Others think that the primary 
effect will be conflicts between states which formerly faced social, economic and 
political tensions. But one thing is certain enough – sooner or later, environmental 
problems will grow to a global conflict.
The founder and president of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, 
Environment, and Security, Peter Gleick, selected three fundamental challenges, 
which – in his opinion – could lead to threats against national security:
 – Increasing scarcity of drinking water, aggravated by severe floods and droughts;
 – Food shortages due to decreased agricultural production;
 – Difficulties in the acquisition of strategic resources, further aggravated by the 
presence of frequent and increasingly severe storms (Gleick, 2020).
The extent of warming in the Carpathian Basin is greater than the global average. 
The number and length of extreme cold periods here are strongly decreasing while 
the frequency of heat waves is, as expected, increasing. The number of storms 
associated with wintertime cyclones will probably decrease in this area, but their 
intensity will increase.
In summer the heat puts a heavy strain on the human body, especially when it is 
combined with the low wind speed or high humidity characteristic of the high-
pressure anticyclones that build up in the summer. In addition, it is likely that 
conditions will be favourable for the formation of spontaneous thunderstorms in the 
summer, during which stormy gusts, even hurricane-force gusts, may occur.
 39 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges
CLIMATE CHANGE AS A CHALLENGE TO THE ARMED FORCES
Knowledge-driven development and adaptation are essential to mitigate the damage 
caused by extreme weather events associated with climate change. This requires the 
development of hazard warning and weather monitoring and measurement systems, 
and the cooperation of experts and services involved in the monitoring, analysis and 
forecasting of dangerous phenomena.
Extreme weather is causing serious social and economic damage throughout the 
world. The 2021 Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 
paints a dark picture for the future. This latest report clearly states that man’s 
responsibility for accelerating climate change cannot be disputed. Human activity 
has radically changed the climate of the planet and all its systems. In addition, some 
processes have been placed in a positive feedback loop from which there is no way 
out (e.g. rising ocean temperatures, the retreat of the Greenland ice sheet, and sea 
level rise). In at least 2,000 years, there has not been as much warming as there 
is today. A very important finding of the analysis is that it also evaluates complex 
weather events. One such is the combination of droughts and extreme heat waves, 
which do not allow the affected communities to recover, as the natural disasters 
quickly follow one after another. In addition, for the first time, it takes into account 
solar radiation management, i.e. geoengineering work, which carries a serious risk; 
such interventions can change the distribution of precipitation, either deliberately or 
innocently, and the reduction of warming may be different in different parts of the 
planet, so there may be areas where the situation is worsening (IPCC, 2021).
By 2018 the European Union had already taken a position that climate change has 
direct and indirect impacts on international security and stability, mainly affecting 
the most vulnerable groups, threatening livelihoods and increasing environmental 
pressures and the risk of disasters, which in turn increase the risk of migration and 
socio-political unrest (Council Conclusions, 2018).
Today, climate change is mentioned as a security issue in defence policy documents 
in more than half of the countries worldwide. The first document of this kind was 
released in the United States in 2007, and a four-year defence review in 2010 also 
identified climate change as a national security threat. The 2014 review discussed 
this topic in a comprehensive manner, giving an analysis of climate change’s impacts 
on military installations, military operations and adaptation issues. For the latter, the 
Pentagon also prepared a detailed guide, setting out the following goals:
 – Identify and assess the impacts of climate change in the defence sector;
 – Coordinate resources within and outside the defence sphere in this area (Department 
of Defence, 2014).
At the defence ministers’ meeting in Paris in 2015, they agreed that global warming 
was »as much a security problem as an environmental problem« (Bryant, 2015).
 40 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges
It is worth reviewing in which areas climate change affects the everyday life of 
military forces, as this is how we get closer to necessary and possible adaptation. 
One grouping of this survey could be as follows:
 – The impact of climate change on military installations, manpower and military 
technology;
 – Reducing emissions from the defence sector;
 – Increased consideration of the impacts of climate change in the development of a 
defence strategy;
 – Possible contribution of military forces to the tasks involved in human security 
and disaster management;
 – Possible tasks of military forces in preventing conflicts caused by climate change 
and eliminating the consequences.
Based on the above, it is difficult to dispute that these are phenomena affecting the 
security of nations and the daily lives of their citizens. Accordingly, climate change 
issues are gaining more and more attention in NATO. 
 1 NATO’S RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
The related NATO core document is the Green Defence Framework, which was 
established in 2014. In this, they focused on three nodes: further increasing the 
operational efficiency of NATO forces through changes in energy use; increasing the 
sustainability of forces and operations; and meeting environmental expectations with 
fewer resources. This also includes the NATO Smart Energy Programme (2015), 
the most important result of which is to state that reducing fuel consumption and 
replacing it with alternative energy is essential from an operational point of view, as 
it is not only a cost-effective method and improves operational mobility, but is also 
a safety solution (Nyitrai, 2018).
There is full agreement among Member States that a comprehensive assessment of 
the context of climate change and security and the impact of the issue on NATO 
activities should be part of the Alliance’s dialogue. Accordingly, one of the outcomes 
of the March 2021 meeting of NATO foreign ministers was to discuss the issue of 
»Climate and Security« and to draw up a related action plan. The Member States 
also agreed that the issue should be addressed at the summit in 2021, all the more so 
because, in line with Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg’s vision for NATO 2030, 
this topic will also play an important role in the new strategic concept (Stoltenberg, 
2021).
The Secretary-General made the following proposals on climate change:
 – NATO should become the leading international organization for understanding, 
mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change;
László Földi, József Padányi
 41 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges
 – To achieve this goal, NATO needs to address how climate change is affecting 
NATO facilities and critical infrastructure, as well as how it affects operations 
and other activities. NATO can serve as a fundamental organization for the allies 
in identifying, monitoring and discussing the security impacts of climate change;
 – NATO must take the lead in adapting to climate change. Member States must 
reduce climate vulnerability and adapt to NATO’s traditional functions, including 
defence planning and capability development;
 – Emissions from military operations should be examined in order to reduce 
their volume and at the same time improve operational efficiency. The Alliance 
should lead the way in reducing emissions in the military sector and contribute to 
achieving carbon neutrality by 2050;
 – Consideration should also be given to the launch of a regular, high-level global 
climate and security dialogue from 2022, where Member States, partners and 
other countries can meet and discuss the security impacts of climate change.
As we can see, the challenge posed by climate change has many implications. 
On the one hand, NATO cannot withdraw from international cooperation, and the 
changing security environment is affecting the functioning of the Alliance; while 
on the other, the protection aspect remains a priority and cannot be overridden by 
possible climate change expectations. The challenges posed by climate change must 
nevertheless be addressed, in both the areas of planning (analysis and assessment) 
and of implementation (adaptation); the latter is true for both capability development 
and for the increasing number and complexity of tasks. Civil-military cooperation is 
appreciated as a more and more important supporting element of the military forces 
and their leaders.
The Secretary-General’s special attention to this issue was demonstrated when 
he brought the subject up again in presenting the Alliance’s annual activity 
report of 2020 in Brussels on 16 March 2021. Jens Stoltenberg stressed that only 
strengthening transatlantic unity can guarantee the security of allies, and cooperation 
between NATO members to address the challenges facing the Alliance is now more 
important than ever. Among these challenges, the Secretary-General highlighted the 
destabilizing behaviour of the Russian leadership, China’s growing economic and 
military strength, terrorist threats, and increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks, as 
well as the security threats of climate change (Portfolio.hu, 2021). The fact that the 
idea of handling climate change as a threat had widespread support even before the 
NATO summit is evidenced by nothing less than the words of the US Secretary of 
State, who strongly supported the inclusion of climate change’s effects on security 
in the NATO agenda. In his introductory speech, Antony Blinken highlighted that 
climate change could amplify a wide range of emerging threats, especially mass 
migration, so its management at NATO level is fully justified (Halmai, 2021).
The Secretary-General constantly keeps his ideas on climate change on the agenda. 
Co-organized by the Brookings Institution, NATO and the German Institute for 
Foreign Affairs (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik (DGAP)), a video 
CLIMATE CHANGE AS A CHALLENGE TO THE ARMED FORCES
 42 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges
conference was held on 4 June 2021 with the NATO Secretary-General, who 
outlined the main objectives of the NATO@2030 package in nine points. At the 
June 14 summit, Stoltenberg called for a clear political commitment to significantly 
reduce military emissions, thereby contributing to climate neutrality. He cited global 
competition, sophisticated cyber attacks, terrorism, nuclear weapons and the security 
impacts of climate change as the most significant challenges, aware that no country 
can tackle these on its own, which is why cooperation in NATO is needed.
The declaration on the NATO summit also focused on climate change, as expected. 
The signatories of the document referred to it among the security threats: »The 
current strategic environment and the Covid pandemic underline the importance 
of NATO-EU cooperation in the face of current and emerging security challenges, 
in particular in the areas of resilience issues, new and disruptive technologies, 
security implications of climate change, disinformation and handling of increasing 
geostrategic competition« (Brussels Summit Communiqué, 2021).
Speaking about the Brussels meeting on 14 June 2021, they stressed the importance 
of NATO being the leading international organization in understanding and adapting 
to the impact of climate change on security. Another objective is to reduce greenhouse 
gas emissions from military activities and facilities without deteriorating personnel 
safety, operational efficiency, and deterrence and defence positions. The task was 
assigned to the Secretary-General to set a realistic, ambitious and concrete target for 
reducing greenhouse gas emissions from NATO’s political and military structures 
and facilities, and to assess whether net zero emissions can be achieved by 2050. 
Furthermore, he must initiate regular high-level climate and security dialogues to 
coordinate the exchange of views and further measures.
Everyone should recognize that climate change is one of the defining challenges 
of our time. It is a multiplier of threats that affect allied security both in the Euro-
Atlantic area and in the wider Alliance neighbourhood. Climate change is testing 
resilience and civilian preparedness, affecting the planning and resilience of military 
installations and critical infrastructure, and creating more difficult conditions for 
military operations.
The meeting adopted an action plan on the implementation of the NATO Climate 
Change and Security Agenda, which will increase awareness, adaptability, and 
mitigating and informing activities, while ensuring a credible deterrence and 
defence arrangement and maintaining priorities for the security, operation and cost-
effectiveness of military personnel. In order to raise awareness, NATO should assess 
the impact of climate change on the strategic environment and on missions and 
operations annually. To adapt to climate change, NATO must incorporate climate 
change considerations into the full spectrum of its work, from defence planning 
and capability development to civilian preparedness and exercises. In order to 
contribute to climate change mitigation, NATO, drawing on the best practices of the 
allies and taking into account their different national circumstances, must develop 
László Földi, József Padányi
 43 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges
a methodology to help the allies measure greenhouse gas emissions from military 
activities and facilities, which can contribute to the formulation of voluntary targets 
to reduce such emissions. Besides this, NATO will also strengthen discussions with 
partner countries and international and regional organizations dealing with climate 
change and security issues (Brussels Summit Communiqué, 2021).
 2 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE 
OCCURRENCE OF NATURAL DISASTERS CLOSELY LINKED TO IT
Protection against a noticeable increase in natural disasters places a heavy burden on 
military strength. It allocates resources, increases military output, requires special 
preparedness, influences training and preparation, and is integrated into strategic 
planning.
It is therefore essential to examine the frequency, causes, nature and impact of natural 
disasters on society. In this analysis we look at cases related to weather, climate 
and water (meteorological and hydrological disasters such as windstorms, extreme 
temperatures and precipitation, floods, droughts, inland inundation, etc.). We used 
the results of the analysis carried out by the World Meteorological Organization in 
2021 for our analysis (World Meteorological Organization, 2021).
The report examines the period 1970-2019. The study is a good way to draw longer-
term conclusions because of its huge numbers; 11,072 climate-related natural 
disasters occurred over those 50 years, resulting in 2.06 million deaths and $3.67 
trillion in damage.1 These are incomprehensible figures, but they show that serious 
changes have begun in nature, mainly due to climate change.
The report focuses on assessing the situation along the two aspects of deaths and 
damage, always projecting trends into the ten most devastating disasters, broken 
down into six geographical areas. Our writing is not intended to judge aspects 
of the report or the classification of disasters that have occurred; we accept them 
unreservedly.
It is not accidental that the 50-year analysis selects and highlights natural disasters 
related to climate change, weather and extreme watercourses, as this group accounts 
for 49.52% of all disasters during the period under review. These events account 
for 45% of all deaths and 74% of all economic damage; that is 115 deaths and $202 
million of damage a day over 50 years.
The analysis details the natural disasters that occurred during the period under 
review. From this we can see that the number of natural disasters occurring in our 
environment, including material destruction, broken down over a ten-year period, is 
1 A total of 22,326 disasters were reported during the period under review, with 4,607,671 deaths and $4.92 
trillion in economic damage.
CLIMATE CHANGE AS A CHALLENGE TO THE ARMED FORCES
 44 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges
constantly increasing. The exception to this is the last ten years (2010-2019), when 
there was a noticeable decrease in the number of disasters. At the same time, thanks 
to evolving forecasting systems, the loss of human lives is steadily decreasing (see 
Table 1).
Values of
Periods
Number of disasters Number of deaths Economic damage
($ billion)
1970-1979    711 556,000       175.4
1980-1989 1,410 667,000       289.3
1990-1999 2,250 329,000       852.3
2000-2009 3,536 329,000       942.0
2010-2019 3,165 185,000    1,381.0
The large number of natural disasters shows exactly how much of a burden these 
tasks are for military forces, in terms of both the involved forces and the equipment. 
The figures also suggest that without the use of the military it would be hard to 
measurably mitigate the consequences of the disasters. The assessment of disasters 
by type also provides guidance on the preparation required by military forces.
Looking at the nature of disasters, we find that the most common type in this group is 
flooding (sea or river) at 44%, followed by windstorms (tornadoes, tropical cyclones, 
etc.), which account for 35%. The most lives are claimed by windstorms (39%) and 
droughts (34%). The droughts of 1980-1989, when more than 650,000 people lost 
their lives, were particularly devastating. The main causes of economic damage are 
windstorms (54%) and floods (31%).
Analyzing the ten most devastating climate-related natural disasters we can draw 
some conclusions. According to the data, most of the deaths occurred in Africa 
(650,000 people), the primary causes of which are droughts on the one hand, and 
tropical storms on the other. The United States suffered the most economic damage 
($526.47 billion), with hurricanes that hit almost every year.
 3 CLIMATE-RELATED DISASTERS IN EUROPE
In the last 50 years, 1,672 climate-related natural disasters have been recorded in 
Europe. They killed 159,438 people and caused $476.5 billion in damage. Although 
floods (38%) and storms (32%) were the most common, heat waves caused the most 
deaths, with 148,109 deaths (93%) during the study period. In the area of economic 
damage, floods (36%) and storms (44%) caused the greatest losses in Europe. Extreme 
heat waves in 2003 and 2010 claimed the most victims, with 127,946 people killed in 
the two natural disasters (80% of the total).
If we look at the 50-year-old data for Europe on a timeline, we can see that there 
is a measurable, continuous increase in the number of natural disasters up to 2009, 
followed by a decrease in the last ten years. Compared to 1970-1979, the number of 
these cases increased tenfold in the period 2000-2009.
With regard to the distribution of the number of deaths, in the 20 years beginning in 
2000 the losses increased by orders of magnitude, with 94% of all deaths (149,485 
people) falling during this period. For economic damage, the period 1990-2009 was 
the worst, when the damage amounted to $307.4 billion, which is 64% of the total 
damage (see Table 2).
Values of
Periods
Number of disasters Number of deaths Economic damage
($ billion)
1970-1979   62   2,275   24.1
1980-1989 179   3,365   58.3
1990-1999 370   4,313 155.9
2000-2009 597 82,919 151.5
2010-2019 464 66,566   86.6
The ten most devastating climate-related natural disasters caused 81% of all 
deaths (129,333) and 23% of the economic damage ($111.52 billion); the former is 
dominated by heat waves, the latter by floods and windstorms. The most devastating 
event in Europe was the 2010 heat wave that hit Russia, killing 55,736 people. In 
economic terms, the devastating flooding in Germany caused significant damage, 
reaching $16.48 billion. These figures suggest that all the forces and means available 
– including military forces – must be used both in the home area and in the case of 
cross-border disasters.
Concerning the occurrence of natural disasters, the situation had not changed in 
2021; we could still count on extensive events causing serious material damage 
around the world. Table 3 summarizes the ten climate disasters that caused the most 
economic damage in 2021. It may be thought that there is more extreme weather on 
other continents, but as we can see, Europe is also affected, as two of the ten worst 
disasters happened here.
Table 1: 
Data on global 
climate-related 
disasters in 
1970-2019
(Source: Made 
by the authors 
based on the 
data of the 
WMO Atlas.)
László Földi, József Padányi
 45 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges
constantly increasing. The exception to this is the last ten years (2010-2019), when 
there was a noticeable decrease in the number of disasters. At the same time, thanks 
to evolving forecasting systems, the loss of human lives is steadily decreasing (see 
Table 1).
Values of
Periods
Number of disasters Number of deaths Economic damage
($ billion)
1970-1979    711 556,000       175.4
1980-1989 1,410 667,000       289.3
1990-1999 2,250 329,000       852.3
2000-2009 3,536 329,000       942.0
2010-2019 3,165 185,000    1,381.0
The large number of natural disasters shows exactly how much of a burden these 
tasks are for military forces, in terms of both the involved forces and the equipment. 
The figures also suggest that without the use of the military it would be hard to 
measurably mitigate the consequences of the disasters. The assessment of disasters 
by type also provides guidance on the preparation required by military forces.
Looking at the nature of disasters, we find that the most common type in this group is 
flooding (sea or river) at 44%, followed by windstorms (tornadoes, tropical cyclones, 
etc.), which account for 35%. The most lives are claimed by windstorms (39%) and 
droughts (34%). The droughts of 1980-1989, when more than 650,000 people lost 
their lives, were particularly devastating. The main causes of economic damage are 
windstorms (54%) and floods (31%).
Analyzing the ten most devastating climate-related natural disasters we can draw 
some conclusions. According to the data, most of the deaths occurred in Africa 
(650,000 people), the primary causes of which are droughts on the one hand, and 
tropical storms on the other. The United States suffered the most economic damage 
($526.47 billion), with hurricanes that hit almost every year.
 3 CLIMATE-RELATED DISASTERS IN EUROPE
In the last 50 years, 1,672 climate-related natural disasters have been recorded in 
Europe. They killed 159,438 people and caused $476.5 billion in damage. Although 
floods (38%) and storms (32%) were the most common, heat waves caused the most 
deaths, with 148,109 deaths (93%) during the study period. In the area of economic 
damage, floods (36%) and storms (44%) caused the greatest losses in Europe. Extreme 
heat waves in 2003 and 2010 claimed the most victims, with 127,946 people killed in 
the two natural disasters (80% of the total).
If we look at the 50-year-old data for Europe on a timeline, we can see that there 
is a measurable, continuous increase in the number of natural disasters up to 2009, 
followed by a decrease in the last ten years. Compared to 1970-1979, the number of 
these cases increased tenfold in the period 2000-2009.
With regard to the distribution of the number of deaths, in the 20 years beginning in 
2000 the losses increased by orders of magnitude, with 94% of all deaths (149,485 
people) falling during this period. For economic damage, the period 1990-2009 was 
the worst, when the damage amounted to $307.4 billion, which is 64% of the total 
damage (see Table 2).
Values of
Periods
Number of disasters Number of deaths Economic damage
($ billion)
1970-1979   62   2,275   24.1
1980-1989 179   3,365   58.3
1990-1999 370   4,313 155.9
2000-2009 597 82,919 151.5
2010-2019 464 66,566   86.6
The ten most devastating climate-related natural disasters caused 81% of all 
deaths (129,333) and 23% of the economic damage ($111.52 billion); the former is 
dominated by heat waves, the latter by floods and windstorms. The most devastating 
event in Europe was the 2010 heat wave that hit Russia, killing 55,736 people. In 
economic terms, the devastating flooding in Germany caused significant damage, 
reaching $16.48 billion. These figures suggest that all the forces and means available 
– including military forces – must be used both in the home area and in the case of 
cross-border disasters.
Concerning the occurrence of natural disasters, the situation had not changed in 
2021; we could still count on extensive events causing serious material damage 
around the world. Table 3 summarizes the ten climate disasters that caused the most 
economic damage in 2021. It may be thought that there is more extreme weather on 
other continents, but as we can see, Europe is also affected, as two of the ten worst 
disasters happened here.
Table 2: 
Data on climate-
related natural 
disasters in 
Europe between 
1970 and 2019
(Source: Made 
by the authors 
based on the 
data of the 
WMO Atlas.)
CLIMATE CHANGE AS A CHALLENGE TO THE ARMED FORCES
 46 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges
Type of disaster Location
Economic damage
($ billion)
Windstorm (Hurricane Ida) United States of America 65
Flood Europe 43
Snowstorm United States of America 23
Flood China 17.6
Flood Canada 7.6
Extreme cold Europe 5.6
Windstorm (Cyclone Yaas) Asia 3
Flood Australia 2.1
Windstorm (Typhoon In-fa) Philippines, Japan, China 2
Windstorm (Cyclone Tauktae) Sri Lanka, Maldives, India 1.5
 4 DEPLOYMENT OF ARMED FORCES AS AN ANSWER FOR 
EMERGING CLIMATE-RELATED DISASTERS
Cross-border military cooperation in disaster defence is not unprecedented in Europe. 
In 2003, a government decree was issued in Hungary announcing the creation of a 
Multinational Technical Battalion in order to prevent the danger caused by flooding 
on the river Tisza and to eliminate the consequences. Hungary, Romania, Slovakia 
and Ukraine agreed to jointly take action against natural disasters that threaten their 
citizens and material goods, using their soldiers to do so. The Battalion is not a 
permanent organization; its elements are designated and made available by the parties 
upon formal request. Each country participates in the work with a technical squadron 
(no more than 200 people), with the staff jointly provided. The Battalion conducts an 
annual cooperation exercise at different locations (Hungarian Government Decree 
44, 2003).
The Tisza Multinational Technical Battalion’s most recent annual exercise, called 
»Blonde Avalanche«, was in Slovakia in October 2021. According to the exercise 
scenario, several weeks of heavy rains in Slovakia had caused flooding and the 
battalion was mobilized to protect the affected areas. 
The armies of other European countries are also active participants in disaster 
management. Without the need for completeness, here are a few examples from last 
year:
 – The Belgian Army was immediately deployed during devastating flooding in the 
country (August 2021). To mitigate the effects of the extensive and damaging 
natural disaster (37 people were killed and hundreds injured, more than 15,000 
Table 3: 
The most 
damaging 
climate disasters 
in 2021
(Source: Study: 
10 biggest 
climate disasters 
of 2021 cost 
$170 billion. 17 
December 2021 
(Falconer, 2021).
László Földi, József Padányi
 47 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges
Type of disaster Location
Economic damage
($ billion)
Windstorm (Hurricane Ida) United States of America 65
Flood Europe 43
Snowstorm United States of America 23
Flood China 17.6
Flood Canada 7.6
Extreme cold Europe 5.6
Windstorm (Cyclone Yaas) Asia 3
Flood Australia 2.1
Windstorm (Typhoon In-fa) Philippines, Japan, China 2
Windstorm (Cyclone Tauktae) Sri Lanka, Maldives, India 1.5
 4 DEPLOYMENT OF ARMED FORCES AS AN ANSWER FOR 
EMERGING CLIMATE-RELATED DISASTERS
Cross-border military cooperation in disaster defence is not unprecedented in Europe. 
In 2003, a government decree was issued in Hungary announcing the creation of a 
Multinational Technical Battalion in order to prevent the danger caused by flooding 
on the river Tisza and to eliminate the consequences. Hungary, Romania, Slovakia 
and Ukraine agreed to jointly take action against natural disasters that threaten their 
citizens and material goods, using their soldiers to do so. The Battalion is not a 
permanent organization; its elements are designated and made available by the parties 
upon formal request. Each country participates in the work with a technical squadron 
(no more than 200 people), with the staff jointly provided. The Battalion conducts an 
annual cooperation exercise at different locations (Hungarian Government Decree 
44, 2003).
The Tisza Multinational Technical Battalion’s most recent annual exercise, called 
»Blonde Avalanche«, was in Slovakia in October 2021. According to the exercise 
scenario, several weeks of heavy rains in Slovakia had caused flooding and the 
battalion was mobilized to protect the affected areas. 
The armies of other European countries are also active participants in disaster 
management. Without the need for completeness, here are a few examples from last 
year:
 – The Belgian Army was immediately deployed during devastating flooding in the 
country (August 2021). To mitigate the effects of the extensive and damaging 
natural disaster (37 people were killed and hundreds injured, more than 15,000 
people were made homeless, and at least 500 houses were destroyed), military 
engineer and medical units were the first to arrive on the scene. They participated 
in rescue, transportation of aid and the first medical assistance, and later helped in 
cleaning up the ruins and rebuilding.
 – In Bulgaria, forest fires caused serious damage in 2021, so army forces and 
equipment were used to prevent the spread of fires. Both ground troops and the 
Air Force were involved in the operations.
 – In Denmark, the military forces are one of the primary disaster response groups, 
but only in the event of large-scale disasters that exceed the capabilities of local 
forces and other responders. They are involved in preventing floods, forest fires 
and other disasters, eliminating the consequences and mitigating the damage.
 – In the summer of 2021, serious forest fires raged in Italy, which were fought with 
extensive cooperation by local authorities, including the Italian Armed Forces. 
Air Force equipment was primarily involved in extinguishing the fires, with 300 
flying hours and hundreds of thousands of litres of fire extinguishing liquid.
 – Montenegro also struggled with forest fires in 2021. Air Force pilots flew 130 
hours and delivered tens of tons of water to the area.
 – Floods raged in the Netherlands in 2021. Soldiers laid more than 60,000 sandbags, 
and participated in clearing the rubble and debris and making the roads walkable. 
Dutch soldiers also participated in the fight against forest fires in Albania. Two 
Dutch helicopters (together with a Czech plane) helped the locals to defend 
themselves in extreme heat (euromil.org, 2021).
Unfortunately, the forecasts do not bode well for Europe. According to them, the cost 
of annual damage from the seven most significant climatic extremes (heat waves and 
extreme cold, droughts, wildfires, river and coastal floods, windstorms) is increasing 
year by year. Climate change could cause the damage to increase six-fold by the 
middle of the century and tenfold by the end of the century. Critical infrastructure 
components are vulnerable to varying degrees and the costs of damage are also very 
diverse. Economic losses may be greatest in industry, transport and the energy sector.
Today, 44% of the damage is related to river floods and 27% to windstorms, but in 
the future the rate of droughts and heat waves is expected to rise sharply from the 
current level of 12%, and will account for nearly 90% of the damage caused by 
weather extremes by the end of the century.
In our opinion, the threat posed by climate change – in particular due to the increasing 
number and intensity of natural disasters – places an increasing burden on the armed 
forces. Preparations for this cannot be underestimated, and these challenges must 
be met in the areas of strategy development, training, preparation, organization 
and technical development. Recognizing this, NATO has also stated that alliance 
engagement in this area is essential, helping Member States to adapt and reduce 
emissions without reducing the efficiency of their operations.
Conclusion
CLIMATE CHANGE AS A CHALLENGE TO THE ARMED FORCES
 48 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges
1. 44/2003 (IV.3.) Hungarian Government Decree on the promulgation of the Agreement 
between the Government of the Republic of Hungary, the Government of Romania, 
the Government of the Slovak Republic and the Government of Ukraine establishing a 
multinational technical battalion, signed in Budapest on 18 January 2002. https://net.
jogtar.hu/jogszabaly?docid=A0300044.KOR ,11. 2. 2022.
2. Armed Forces & Climate Emergency. http://euromil.org/armed-forces-climate-
emergency/, 17. 2. 2022.
3. Bryant, E., 2015. In Paris, top officials warn climate change poses major security threat. 
Deutsche Welle. https://www.dw.com/en/in-paris-top-officials-warn-climate-change-
poses-major-security-threat/a-18784110, 12. 11. 2021.
4. Brussels Summit Communiqué, issued by the Heads of State and Government 
participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Brussels 14 June 2021. 
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_185000.htm, 27. 6. 2021.
5. Council Conclusions on Climate Diplomacy. 26 February 2018. http://euromil.org/wp-
content/uploads/2021/03/18_Council_conclusions_climate_diplomacy.pdf, 6. 1. 2022.
6. Department of Defense FY 2014 Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap. https://www.acq.
osd.mil/eie/downloads/CCARprint_wForward_e.pdf, 11. 11. 2021.
7. Falconer, R., 2021. Study: 10 biggest climate disasters of 2021 cost $170 billion. 17 
December 2021. https://www.axios.com/climate-disasters-cost-world-billions-2021-study-
6bdb1eb0-faf4-4e05-8915-b2a7374270cf.html, 19. 2. 2022.
8. Gleick, P., 2022. Opinion | Water Scarcity Will Increase Risk of Conflict, Says New 
National Intelligence Report, Circle of Blue. https://www.circleofblue.org/2020/world/
opinion-water-scarcity-will-increase-risk-of-conflict-says-new-national-intelligence-
report/, 20. 2. 2022.
9. Halmai, K., 2021. The new U.S. Secretary of State has been introduced to NATO. (in 
Hungarian: Bemutatkozott a NATO-ban az új amerikai külügyminiszter.) Népszava 23. 
March 2021. https://nepszava.hu/3114065_bemutatkozott-a-nato-ban-az-uj-amerikai-
kulugyminiszter, 26. 3. 2021.
10. IPCC AR6 Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/
ar6/wg1/#FullReport, 16. 1. 2022.
11. NATO Secretary General identifies the biggest security threats. (in Hungarian: A NATO 
főtitkára megnevezte a legnagyobb biztonsági fenyegetéseket.) Portfolio.hu 15. February 
2021. https://www.portfolio.hu/global/20210316/a-nato-fotitkara-megnevezte-a-
legnagyobb-biztonsagi-fenyegeteseket-474386, 17. 3. 2021.
12. Nyitrai, M., 2018. NATO Smart Energy. Hadmérnök, 13. January 2018. pp 104–117. 
http://hadmernok.hu/181_08_nyitrai.pdf, 17. 2. 2022.
13. Quadrennial Defense Review Report, February 2010. http://www.
livreblancdefenseetsecurite.gouv.fr/pdf/2010_02-us-qdr.pdf, 10. 11. 2021.
14. Schwartz, P., and Randall, D. An Abrupt Climate Change Scenario and its Implications 
for United States National Security, The Australia Institute, Manuka, 2003. https://apps.
dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA469325.pdf, 28. 1. 2022.
15. Stoltenberg, J., 2021. Food for Thought Paper: NATO 2030 – A Transatlantic Agenda for 
the Future. 21. February 2021. pp 31–35.
16. The CNA Corporation: National Security and the Threat of Climate Change, Alexandria, 
VA: The CNA Corporation, 2007, https://www.cna.org/cna_files/pdf/national%20
security%20and%20the%20threat%20of%20climate%20change.pdf, 10. 11. 2021.
17. World Meteorological Organization (WMO): Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from 
Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (1970-2019). https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/
files/resources/1267_Atlas_of_Mortality_en-final_-_26.07.2021.pdf 01. 03. 2022.
email: foldi.laszlo@uni-nke.hu
email: padanyi.jozsef@uni-nke.hu
References
László Földi, József Padányi
e-mail: foldi.laszlo@uni-nke.hu
Prof. dr. László Földi je redni profesor. Leta 1990 je diplomiral na univerzi v 
Budimpešti kot kemik raziskovalec in leta 1994 končal podiplomski študij. Leta 
2003 je doktoriral in leta 2015 dosegel habilitacijo na narodni univerzi za javni sektor 
za področje vojaške tehnologije. Na raziskovalnem področju se posveča okoljski 
varnosti in podnebnim spremembam ter kemičnemu orožju in vprašanju njegovega 
neširjenja. Je poklicni častnik s činom polkovnika.
Prof. László Földi, PhD, is a full professor. He graduated from Budapest University 
in 1990 as a research chemist, and completed post-graduate studies in 1994. In 2003, 
he completed his PhD and in 2015, habilitated at the National University of Public 
Service in the field of Military Technology. His research areas are environmental 
security and climate change, and chemical weapons and their non-proliferation 
issues. He is a career officer with the rank of Colonel.
*Prispevki, objavljeni v Sodobnih vojaških izzivih, niso uradno stališče Slovenske 
vojske niti organov, iz katerih so avtorji prispevkov.
*Articles, published in the Contemporary Military Challenges do not reflect the 
official viewpoint of the Slovenian Armed Forces nor the bodies in which the authors 
of articles are employed.
e-mail: padanyi.jozsef@uni-nke.hu
Prof. dr. József Padányi je redni profesor. Diplomiral je na Narodni obrambni 
univerzi Zrínyi Miklós. Na raziskovalnem področju se ukvarja z vojaškimi nalogami 
pri pomoči ob nesrečah ter s povezavo med podnebnimi spremembami in varnostjo. 
Je poklicni častnik s činom generalmajorja in ima naziv doktor Madžarske akademije 
znanosti.
Prof. József Padányi, DSc, is a full professor. He graduated from Zrínyi Miklós 
National Defence University. His research areas are military tasks of disaster relief 
operations and correspondence of climate change and security. He is a career officer 
with the rank of Major General and has the title ‘Doctor of Hungarian Academy of 
Sciences’.
*Prispevki, objavljeni v Sodobnih vojaških izzivih, niso uradno stališče Slovenske 
vojske niti organov, iz katerih so avtorji prispevkov.
*Articles, published in the Contemporary Military Challenges do not reflect the 
official viewpoint of the Slovenian Armed Forces nor the bodies in which the authors 
of articles are employed.
e-mail: padanyi.jozsef@uni-nke.hu
Prof. dr. József Padányi je redni profesor. Diplomiral je na Narodni obrambni 
univerzi Zrínyi Miklós. Na raziskovalnem področju se ukvarja z vojaškimi nalogami 
pri pomoči ob nesrečah ter s povezavo med podnebnimi spremembami in varnostjo. 
Je poklicni častnik s činom generalmajorja in ima naziv doktor Madžarske akademije 
znanosti.
Prof. József Padányi, DSc, is a full professor. He graduated from Zrínyi Miklós 
National Defence University. His research areas are military tasks of disaster relief 
operations and correspondence of climate change and security. He is a career officer 
with the rank of Major General and has the title ‘Doctor of Hungarian Academy of 
Sciences’.
*Prispevki, objavljeni v Sodobnih vojaških izzivih, niso uradno stališče Slovenske 
vojske niti organov, iz katerih so avtorji prispevkov.
*Articles, published in the Contemporary Military Challenges do not reflect the 
official viewpoint of the Slovenian Armed Forces nor the bodies in which the authors 
of articles are employed.