Climate change will cause a lot more damage and loss of life than terrorism has. The consequences will be more like a war and it should be treated as such. Making climate change a security issue immediately pushes it up the agenda in the eyes of many policymakers, security is something that needs to be delt with in a different manner to other political issues.

Secutiry issues are about dangers to the integrity of a state, something that threatens its ability to govern its territory rather than necessarily being about the number of lives that will be lost. Climate change is such an issue for many states, there are some states that may lose the majority such as Bangladesh or AoSIS of their territory, others who may be so badly affected by issues such as drought and famine that the ability to govern the states may be affected and many more for whom the effects of climate change may lead to protests and riots.

Climate change is an indirect security issue that will lead to direct security issues such as conflicts over natural resources like fresh Water or lack of farmland with developing countries particuarly those with deserts suffering. This will lead to regional and possibly global instability as countries try to either gain access to sources of clean water or control over pipelines similar to possible conflicts over oil

Also a lack of land will increase the amount of refugees seeking asylum in other possibly more developed countries such as the UK. This could create strains and fuel resentment in those countries partly about preferential treatment but also create problems for developed. Alternatively they could go to neighbouring countries straining services despite possible help from the UN.

Climate change will lead to desertification, soil erosion, loss of arable land, and droughts. Resources such as fresh water and land will be in shorter supply. Thus nations may wage war to forcibly gain control of these essential resources from other nations.

Experts believe that the effects of climate change are not only negative in themselves, but may also exacerbate existing areas of political and social tension.

As an example, John Ashton, the UK Foreign Secretary's Special Representative for Climate Change, is of the opinion that recent climate change was a factor in the Darfur conflict's "complex roots". Rainfall in northern Darfur had declined by almost 40 per cent over the last century, creating increasing competition for water between previously co-existing peoples.

In a similar vein, Sir Crispin Tickell, the former UK Permanent Representative to the UN, highlights the environmental factors behind societal collapse. The genocidal inter-ethnic Rwandan conflict in 1994, he argues, stemmed partly from a population increase set against a background of land degradation and drought.

Food shortage, death, disease and loss of home will all lead to violence and radicalisation.

Migration due to climate change may also create tension and lead to violence