A Methodology for Assessing the Impact of Sea Level Rise on Representative Military Installations in the Southwestern U.S.
U.S. Navy

Climate change has potential ramifications for national security, as recognized in recent legislation that directs the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide guidance to military planners to assess the risks of potential climate change. A recent study directed by a board of senior retired military officers also recommended that the DoD conduct assessments of the impact on United States military installations of rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and other projected climate change impacts over the next 30 to 40 years.

Continues.

Navy Charts Way Ahead in Arctic

WASHINGTON (NNS) — The chief of naval operations created a task force, headed by the Navy’s senior oceanographer, to better understand and evaluate the changing climate and its implications for maritime security.

“Task Force Climate Change was initiated … to assess the Navy’s preparedness to respond to emerging requirements and to develop a science-based time line for future Navy actions regarding climate change,” explained Rear Adm. David Titley, Navy oceanographer in a July 28 interview on Pentagon Web Radio’s audio Web cast, “Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military.”

…

Global climate change may present many challenges to national security, Titley said. Rising sea levels from the melting of glacial and sea ice are of specific interest to the Navy due to the coastal location of many of its bases.

“We need to understand what it will take to protect these valuable investments,” he said.

…

Climate Change On Navy’s Radar

ATLANTA, Ga. (NNS) — The director of the U.S. Navy’s Task Force Climate Change (TFCC) said the earth is truly experiencing a climate change and the Navy needs to be prepared for potential impacts on its mission areas.

Oceanographer and Navigator of the Navy and TFCC Director Rear Adm. David Titley made his remarks as part of a panel discussion on environmental security and climate change at the annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society in Atlanta last month.

The Task Force makes recommendations to Navy leadership regarding policy, strategy, force structure and investments relating to climate change. Of immediate interest is the Navy’s investment in observation and prediction capabilities.

…