SIPRI Publications

Contemporary warfare is characterized by military operations that encompass multiple arenas—from air, land and sea to the increasingly prominent cyber, outer space and information domains—and feature the convergence of advanced technological capabilities. New vectors of vulnerability stemming from this and from increasing interactions between nuclear and non-nuclear capabilities raise the spectre of escalation and introduce new potential pathways for nuclear weapon use.

Despite repeated efforts, much-needed improvements to increase the strategic impact of the European Union’s (EU) Civilian Common Security and Defence Policy (civilian CSDP) have failed to materialize. Simultaneously, the formulation of strategic guidance in Brussels has stalled. This state of affairs risks civilian CSDP’s credibility and legitimacy in addressing the EU’s foreign policy priorities and security challenges.

This SIPRI Policy Brief explores the connected challenges of climate change, human mobility and security, highlighting how fragmented policies and misconceptions—such as the myth of mass climate migration—hinder effective responses. The brief contributes to addressing this gap by presenting findings on three underexplored dynamics across the mobility spectrum. It finds that urban migration can support adaptation but also strain urban conditions, involuntary immobility can heighten people’s vulnerabilities, and poorly designed climate action can lead to displacement, inequality or unrest.