From Environmental Concern to Security Priority: Nature Loss as a Systemic Risk

May 19, 2026 | Shahzoda Alikhanova
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The idea that biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation pose security risks is not new. What is new is a step change in how governments are responding to it: from acknowledgment to formal threat assessment and integration into core security planning. In 2026, the UK took a notable step: the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) assessed biodiversity loss using the same threat-assessment frameworks applied to terrorism, state threats and pandemics.