Ecological security encapsulates the security implications arising from ecological disruption. This disruption is borne from significant anthropogenic changes to the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and the biogeochemical flows between these spheres.

Ecological security is integral to human, national, and global security. Traditional security institutions, doctrines, and architectures often relegate these stresses to the realm of so-called environmental issues, but in reality, they are deeply-rooted societal, economic, and political issues. We use the term ecological security distinctly from environmental security, which has evolved over time to focus primarily on a few abiotic concerns, such as climate and water security. The word environment also, unfortunately, connotes a disconnect between humans and the rest of the planet, rather being embedded and intertwined with Earth systems and processes.

Ecological security threats can lead to outcomes traditionally seen as security threats, such as conflict over resources or acrid geopolitics. However, traditional security doctrine often overlooks stresses such as biodiversity loss, pollution, and plastics as core security issues. As a result, traditional security doctrine is increasingly mismatched to the threats emerging in the Anthropocene era.

Ecological disruption can manifest in various forms, including habitat change, overconsumption, exploitation of organisms, overlogging, over-farming, overfishing, over pumping of groundwater, pollution, plastics, invasive species, and climate change. These stresses can undermine social, political, and economic stability, particularly through the loss of ecosystem services.

We aim to analyze and articulate the pathways by which ecological disruption manifests as security outcomes. We are developing new research methodologies that span security and science, especially Earth system science. Our ultimate goal is to establish a widely acknowledged security doctrine that recognizes issues like biosphere instability, pollution, eco-amplification, biogeochemical imbalances, ecological crime, and climate change as core security issues.