Sustainability and National Security

focus, concerns, threats, and responses by major security

type (Hearne 2009).

Source: Adapted from Liotta 2005; Liotta and Owen 2006; Kha-

gram et al. 2003; Abbott et al. 2006

Table 1. Comparison of Security Approaches:

Traditional and Non-Traditional

The referent object in “traditional security” is fo-

cused on the nation-state and is, therefore, more un-

derstandably responsive to immediate external threats

and challenges from other states. Although the Cold

War, Vietnam, and other major events shaped con-

Type Focus Concerns Vulnerabilities Threats/ Responses

Traditional
Security
The State Sovereignty and
Territorial Integrity
Challenges from other states
and non-state actors
Diplomatic intervention
Economic crisis response
Military intervention
Humanitarian Support
Environmental
Security
The Ecosystem Protection of
Natural Infrastucture
Resource scarcity/depletion
Resource degradation –
pollution/waste
Demographic changes
Shocks – natural, manmade

Multinational governance

Conflict prevention

Conflict resolution

Human Security The
Individual
Integrity of
Individual
[freedom from fear]

[freedom from
want]

Personal security – violence,

hazards

Political security – repressive

state

--------------------------------

Economic security – poverty

Food security – famine,

contamination

Health security – injury,

disease

Community security – cultural

integrity

Environmental security–scar-

city, abundance, waste

Preventive diplomacy

Disaster planning

Humanitarian support

Aid investment

Sustainable
Security

The

Generational

Quality of Life

Global Sustainability Unsustainable environmental,

social, economic, and institu-

tional systems

Inequitable resource distribu-

tions

Marginalization of the majority

world

Unplanned development/

urbanization

Nonadaptive and nonresilient

systems

Institution building

Security sector reform

Military professionalism

Energy sector efficiencies

Economic investment

Adaptive management of natural

resources