New Report explores the growing demand for military involvement in climate emergencies worldwide

By Ronald A. Kingham

30 May 2025

The title of the first Project CASA report captures the essence of the need to not only challenge existing emergency management capabilities, but also the imperative for greater resilience, readiness, and response.

The report by an international team of experts - led by five partner organisations in Project CASA - explores the growing demand for military involvement in climate emergencies worldwide. It provides an in-depth analysis of national frameworks, operational strategies, and international coordination mechanisms shaping civil-military cooperation in all aspects adapting to climate change—resilience to climate shocks, readiness to respond, and response and recovery.

The report contains:

A set of country profiles which explore the Project CASA research questions as they relate to several NATO countries, NATO partners and other countries globally with high climate security risks and/or high civil or military involvement in climate emergencies as well as details on each country’s legal, funding, and operational frameworks and related policies, procedures, and guidelines on military involvement in climate-related emergencies
The first cross-national dataset on military involvement in climate-related disasters in both domestic and foreign civil protection operations — both for individual countries and comparatively across countries.
A guide to related international / intergovernmental organizations and mechanisms including several involved in civil-military cooperation.

It concludes with policy options and practical recommendations for relevant EU, NATO, UN, and other institutions, member states and civilian stakeholders with whom militaries interact in emergency response including suggestions for further research and actions to support increased knowledge sharing, cooperation and coordination in the face of growing challenges. It also highlights good practices that can be advanced from the bottom-up by local authorities and citizens.

This report serves as both a call to action and a resource for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders committed to addressing one of the defining challenges of our time.

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