NATO
February 6, 2023
NATO and Kuwait hold talks with partners on climate change and security
….On Monday (30 January), the NATO-Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) Regional Centre in Kuwait hosted the first ever discussion with Allied and Partner experts on emerging climate challenges and how to tackle them together.
The event, held in hybrid format, brought together approximately sixty civilian and military personnel from NATO, Allied countries and partner nations, as well as representatives from international organizations.
In her opening address, Nora-Elise Beck, Head of the NATO Office at the NATO-ICI Regional Centre in Kuwait, stressed that “climate change is a threat multiplier that impacts allied security, our infrastructure, our equipment, and the conditions in which our personnel operate. NATO Allies can embrace opportunities such as this event to work jointly with partners to address these challenges.”
Discussions focused on…challenges in the Gulf region and their consequences – including on water security – and how NATO and its partners, particularly to the South, can tackle them….
***
The Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) was established in 2004 as a partnership forum between NATO and non-NATO countries. Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates currently participate in the Initiative. [And to a lesser extent Oman and Saudi Arabia.]
As set out in NATO’s new Strategic Concept, NATO aims to become the leading international organization when it comes to understanding and adapting to the impact of climate change on security.
Anti-bellum 