Editorial: Climate Change, Natural Resources, and Human Security in Governance and Society: Vulnerabilites and Adaptation Strategies
Publisher: Frontiers
Author(s): Muhlis Madani, Simon Gray, Mergen Dyussenov, and Farida Tadjine
Date: 2025
Topics: Climate Change, Governance, Livelihoods, Renewable Resources
Climate change has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges of our time, affecting every aspect of life on Earth. Among the most significant impacts of climate change is its influence on natural resources and the consequent implications for human security (IPCC, 2022; Karso et al., 2025). The articles in this Research Topic explore these complex interrelationships within a governance and societal framework, underscoring the urgency of understanding how climate change affects the availability, quality, and equitable distribution of natural resources, and how these dynamics, in turn, shape the security and wellbeing of individuals and communities, particularly in resource-rich and climate-vulnerable nations.
In recent years, the scientific community has increasingly acknowledged that climate change is not only an environmental issue but also a socio-political and economic one (Barnett and Adger, 2007). Its effects permeate the very structures that support livelihoods, governance, and social stability. For resource-rich countries, climate change presents a dual-edged dilemma. On the one hand, the abundance of natural resources offers economic opportunities and a foundation for development. On the other, climate-induced stressors threaten their sustainable management, exacerbated by climate-induced stressors. Droughts, floods, sea-level rise, and temperature fluctuations can severely disrupt agricultural production, freshwater availability, and energy systems, all intimately tied to natural resource management.