The book that I co-authored with Dr. Ross Michael Pink “Understanding Human Security and Climate Change” has been published by Edward Elgar Publishing in September 2024.

Overview of the book:

This book provides a fascinating overview of the climate change phenomenon worldwide, with specific case study profiles of eight countries. The important theme of human security is highlighted in each chapter because the human security paradigm is the responsible human rights approach to climate change challenges.

The book provides a diverse range of country profiles to give the readers context with regards to climate change and clear case study examples from which to view the impact of climate change on human populations. The country profiles also give the readers a detailed overview of specific countries and their particular climate challenges and efforts towards workable solutions.

One cannot walk along the climate change road without giving due respect to human rights. Accordingly, the human security paradigm notes seven threats to citizens that are exacerbated by climate change. These threats include:

1. Economic threat, e.g. poverty, unemployment, low economic productivity, and income inequality.
2. Food threat, e.g. decreased agricultural production, increased in food prices, lack of healthy and culturally appropriate food.
3. Health threat, e.g. increase in infectious diseases, poor access to healthcare, malnutrition.
4. Environmental threat, e.g. droughts, deterioration of water sources, deforestation, and degradation of natural habitat.
5. Personal threat, e.g. increase in personal violence, increase in injuries and mortality due to natural disasters.
6. Community threat, e.g. community conflicts, deterioration of local customand cultural practices, forced migration of local communities due to water scarcity.
7. Political threat, e.g. deterioration of democratic institutions, political violence and repression, state-sponsored human rights violations.

The book also contains analysis and commentary by prominent individuals from the political, human rights, academic worlds. These leaders were selected for their knowledge of and specialization in their respective countries, which will enhance climate change and human security understanding. An important goal of the book is to engage the readers in the urgent climate change–human security dialogue. This dialogue will contribute to a better understanding of climate change and its multiple challenges confronting human populations in a diverse range of countries.

You can purchase the book at your local book stores, Amazon, or through Edward Elgar website: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/understanding-human-security-and-climate-change-9781035322817.html

Critical Acclaims:

‘Pink and Dhofier have made a major contribution to the literature on climate change. Their sweeping work concentrates on the human security aspects of the crisis, the top priority when assessing its effects. With well chosen examples from a spectrum of geographic areas, they successfully convey the enormity of the problem and reinforce our understanding of the urgency to act.’
– Tom Mulcair, Former Leader of the Federal National Democratic Party of Canada

‘Human security is put forward as a rights-based approach to the assessment of climate change. Threats are identified and case studies then provide context, for example, identifying high costs of mitigation faced by aboriginal peoples in Canada. This superb volume should be required reading in the academic and policy communities.’
– Patrick James, University of Southern California, US