Environmental Security as a New Challenge to International Relations and International Community

Undoubtedly, the concept of environmental security has become a prominent topic that dominates international relations. Environmental threats have become a factor of cooperation between countries after the cultural and ideological differences between them led to the impossibility of adopting an agreement on sustainable development. The international community is now beginning to understand that environmental problems are one of the most important causes of social problems within countries, and they are one of the main causes of conflicts. The research sheds light on the relationship between sustainable development and how environmental security led to finding a common global base among countries. The conclusion of the research showed that the current international relations are moving towards a new world order that focuses on effective international cooperation between countries to confront global environmental threats. Traditional international relations that previously focused on the principle of sovereignty, borders, and military powers of states, now focus more on cooperation between all states, whether small or large, in order to confront environmental threats that cross borders. This has also led to the introduction of new actors in decision-making at the international level, such as civil society organizations and others, and not only states. Despite all efforts aimed at protecting the environment, the research revealed a lack of international will to adopt binding agreements to protect the environment.