U.S. National Security Heads Turn Away from Climate Research as Threats Mount – Inside Climate News (2025)

In recent times, the impact of climate change on national security has brought both immediate and intangible concerns, from the proliferation of deadly weather events to challenges in detecting submarines due to warmer waters. For over a decade, the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence has acknowledged human-induced warming as a significant risk to security in its annual threat assessment, similar in importance to terrorism and cyberattacks.

Yet in a surprising shift, this year’s report, issued at the close of March, failed to mention climate change altogether.

This exclusion reflects broader efforts by the current administration to deprioritize climate change in national security agendas. Recently, the Pentagon terminated several studies tied to global warming. Moreover, climate-related contracts were blindsidedly removed from the Defense Department’s lineup. The Department’s viewpoint was made clear when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that they focus on training and warfighting, not on climate-related issues.

But ignoring climate implications could be problematic, as research continues to show that climate change acts as a “threat multiplier,” intricately altering dynamics of military training and operations.

The Changing Tide with Weather Warfare

Military strategists understand the influence of weather on warfare, with some of America’s foundational battles being weather-dependent. It’s only in recent decades that long-term climate changes were identified as a significant threat.

During the Cold War, the need to defend against Soviet forces led to establishing bases in the Arctic, recognizing the climate’s strategic importance. The conversation around this topic gained prominence in 1991 when climate change was formally acknowledged as a security concern. A successive Pentagon report elaborated on how abrupt climate shifts might destabilize global geopolitics.

Over the years, immense resources have been devoted to understanding how climate can provoke global conflict. For instance, more intense storms like Hurricane Milton, which recently devastated Florida, necessitate evacuations and divert military resources for disaster management. Moreover, foreign adversaries, often leverage these vulnerabilities with misinformation campaigns.

The resulting droughts and rising seas are intensifying resource scarcities globally, intensifying disputes in low-income regions like Central America, subsequently affecting global stability.

This strain on resources can trigger large migrations, destabilizing regions, causing humanitarian crises, and putting pressure on the resources and infrastructures of host nations.

Resource Strains & Historical Precedents

Overexploitation augments these challenges. Historically, the “Cod Wars” get cited as an instance where overfishing led to international tensions. Modern parallels suggest similar strains on fishery resources, often leading to conflicts, even among allies.

Scientific Pursuits Hit by Policy Shift

In parallel with increasing security threats due to climate crises, efforts to research these challenges are being cut. Earlier this year, the administration axed numerous research endeavors focusing on climate impacts, including those studying global migration and warming effects on African stability.

Subsequent directives sought to purge mention of climate-related topics from mission objectives. Although exceptions were said to be made for urgent weather preparations, the comprehensive rollback threatens valuable insights.

Budget reductions in agencies like NOAA could compromise predictive capabilities for weather patterns, even critical forecasts for hurricanes. Proposals to similarly shrink NASA’s budget create further strain. These financial cutbacks are perceived as a critical juncture for scientific research.

Projects aimed at climate-resilient agriculture are also at risk. A substantial program aiming to curb greenhouse emissions from farms was recently called off. This initiative, originally started under a previous administration, was curtailed over concerns about its cost-effectiveness.

Furthermore, another major initiative to aid during extreme weather events, particularly for non-English speaking citizens, faced suspension due to funding cuts. This setback could put millions of people in harm’s way during severe weather conditions.

Wider Repercussions and Ecosystem Disturbances

Concerns extend beyond national borders, affecting global biodiversity and ecosystems. For example, recent devastating fires have left smoke damage unaddressed by insurance, leading to legal battles. Such damages carry potential health risks due to the toxic residues they contain.

Elsewhere, medication residues in water systems begin to reveal unforeseen impacts on wildlife. Studies show that exposed aquatic life, like salmon, could undergo behavioral changes, skewing ecological balances and affecting their migratory success.

National security experts argue this climate oversight is a perilous gamble, compounding existing pressures on financial, social, and ecological systems across the globe.