Brussels / The Hague - 30 May 2025
A groundbreaking new report, "Resilience, Readiness, and Response," from Project CASA (Climate and Security Action through Civil-Military Cooperation in Climate-Related Emergencies) highlights the increasing and essential role of national militaries in addressing the escalating global climate crisis.
The report is the result of a comprehensive two-year study which provides the first cross-national dataset on military involvement in climate disasters. Edited by Ronald A. Kingham and Dr. Ashley McIlvain Moran and published by the Environment & Development Resource Centre (EDRC), the report serves as both a critical resource and a call to action for policymakers and practitioners grappling with climate-worsened disasters.
The report underscores that the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as wildfires, floods, and hurricanes, have dramatically surged in recent decades, placing unprecedented demands on both civilian and military authorities. For instance, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) notes a five-fold increase in climate-related disasters between 1970 and 2019, resulting in over 2 million deaths and US$3.64 trillion in economic losses. More recently, the United States alone experienced a historic US$ 28 billion weather and climate disasters in 2023, surpassing previous records and costing the U.S. military US$2.6 billion across 393 deployments. Such figures represent an accelerating systemic crisis where the rate of climate impact is outstripping current adaptive and response capacities.
Militaries, with their unique capabilities, are stepping up to fill critical gaps. Their logistical expertise, rapid mobilization capabilities, and experience operating in high-stress environments make them indispensable partners in emergency response efforts. While foundational international guidelines like the Oslo Guidelines traditionally suggested military assets be used as a "last resort," the escalating scale of climate-related emergencies increasingly challenges this principle, leading to a de facto normalization of military involvement.
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Project CASA: Bridging the Data Gap
Project CASA was launched in June 2023 by a Coordinating Group comprising representatives from five partner organizations: the Climate Security Association of Canada (CSAC), Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE), Environment & Development Resource Centre (EDRC), Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability (FOGGS), and Global Military Advisory Council on Climate Change (GMACCC). The project originated from a recognized need for coherent data on military involvement in natural disasters to improve civil-military response.
The project's key objectives include examining trends in military responses over time, assessing the resources and mechanisms militaries use, and analyzing the consequences for force composition and readiness. To achieve this, Project CASA has developed several novel analytical products:
Diverse Approaches to Civil-Military Cooperation
The study reveals a wide spectrum of approaches among countries regarding military involvement in climate emergencies.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Military Contributions
The report identifies both benefits and drawbacks of significant military involvement in civil protection.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Civilian agencies offer distinct advantages, including closer ties to local communities, specialized expertise in social services and psychosocial support, and a longer-term perspective focused on prevention, preparedness, and economic development. The report emphasizes the critical role of citizens themselves as the "first line of defense".
The Imperative for Better Data and Coordination
A central finding of Project CASA is the severe lack of systematic, cross-national data on military involvement in climate emergencies. Current international reporting mechanisms, like the OECD DAC, significantly undercount military outlays in disaster response, particularly for domestic emergencies. For example, a pilot study using U.S. data showed that OECD data captured only 18 U.S. military responses to climate emergencies in developing countries from 2012-2022, costing $24.9 million, while national FEMA data revealed 3,060 domestic responses costing $14.8 billion over the same period.
The report concludes with several key recommendations for action at national and international levels:
In essence, the report argues that effective cooperation, coordination, and information sharing among all levels of government, the military, local communities, civil society organizations, and international humanitarian organizations are paramount to addressing the growing climate crisis. Project CASA aims to stimulate further study and interaction to meet this defining challenge of our time.
Project CASA is led by a Coordinating Group composed of 10 representatives from the five Partner Organizations:
With the participation of the Project CASA Advisory Group and Expert Group.
![]() | Project CASA is supported by the Directorate of Strategic Coordination and Outreach of the Canadian Department of National Defence through its Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS) Program and by the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (CCASCOE) | ![]() |
Image credit: Sergeant André Hotton, a search and rescue technician, prepares to release marker streamers from a CC-130 Hercules aircraft on a 2018 exercise. PHOTO: 14 Wing / Government of Canada News Article / October 13, 2020