Approaches to “Environmental Security” in the Theory of International Relations

Security issues and the place of environmental agenda in it are still among the most controversial. The concept of “environmental security” has passed through several stages of development and formation due to the circumstances in the international arena. The twentieth century has become a significant period in the conceptualization of “environmental security”: new, non-traditional threats have emerged and, as a consequence, the need to react and adapt to them. A new wave of interest in environmental issues leads to a rethinking of environmental security in the world policy, the development of programs and the institutionalization of “green” movements. The article contains an analysis of the changing of the concept of “environmental security,” as well as scientific approaches to its study. The twenty-first century is less theoretically structured, but individual approaches to “environmental security” have played a role in filling the concept under study. As a result of the study, the authors draw conclusions about the existence of various interpretations of environmental security, largely depending on the subject and the reference object of its ensuring.