Environmental Security

Environmental security is one of the most important aspects of human security, which puts emphasis on sustainability of the developmental policies and that they should adjust with the environment as well as rights of future generations. Since threats to the human security mainly occur within environmental issues, this research- highlighting the relationship between human security and environmental security and pointing out the threatening causes and factors to the human security - has replied to the question that how has the environmental degradation endangered human security in Iran? This study shows adoption of policies like 1- Expansion of urbanization, 2- Population growth, 3- Consumerism and stressing the production increase, disregarding its consequences, and 4- Development of environmentally incompatible technologies have led to further utilization of fossil fuels as well as uncontrollable use of various environmental resources, increased pollution, and extensively damaged the environment which consequently endangered human security due to the severe dependence of human being to the environment.

The Middle East and North Africa region, known for its distinctive geographical characteristics and limited natural resources, has long faced various environmental challenges. Since 2007, these challenges have intensified and evolved, affecting not only environmental sustainability but also the political, economic, and social dynamics among the countries in the region. It is crucial to analyze how regional nations respond to environmental crises and to explore the consequences for international relations and regional security. This understanding is crucial for comprehending the emerging dynamics in the region and recognizing the necessity of cooperative policy responses to environmental challenges. Accordingly, the central research question is: How have environmental crises affected interstate relations among countries in the Middle East and North Africa between 2007 and 2024? In addressing this question, the hypothesis suggests that environmental crises, by exacerbating conflicts over the exploitation of shared natural resources, threatening stability and security, and creating opportunities for both positive and negative external interventions, have significantly impacted the diplomatic relations of the region's countries. This article employs a quantitative method and an explanatory approach for hypothesis validation.