Environmental degradation and climate change, Russia's war against Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic all have the potential to trigger disasters in Europe. Wildfires in particular, are of massive concern, as they ravaged various European countries in an unprecedented manner during the summer of 2022.

Southern Africa is among the most vulnerable regions in the world to climate change. Climate-related impacts such as droughts, floods and tropical cyclones undermine development and reduce the availability of natural resources, affecting the majority of the region’s population.

Earlier this year, NATO announced it will set up a new NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (CCASCOE), spearheaded by Global Affairs Canada (Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the Department of National Defence (Canadian Ministry of Defence), to be based