Beschreibung
This book is the result of a Symposium on Potential
Global Strategic
Catastrophes, which took place in Geneva, Switzerland in 2008. The
catastrophes chosen do not include remote and less immediate events. Only
those with the potential to produce multiple cascading strategic dilemmas
for states and the international system were selected. These dilemmas
include balancing the sovereign rights of states with human rights,
transnational responsibilities and burden-sharing under occasional
geopolitical uncertainties. The book deals with the theoretical
foundations of coping with catastrophes and the relevant inter-state and
organisational paradigms. Other sections address specific catastrophes and
their potential consequences: pandemics, water crises, global warming,
nanosecurity, nuclear catastrophes, financial meltdown, cyber crises,
demographic imbalances and forced migrations, state failure and war,
massive conventional terrorist attacks and threats to energy
supply.
Dr. Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan is Senior
Scholar in Geostrategy and
Director of the Programme on the Geopolitical Implications of
Globalisation and Transnational Security at the Geneva Centre for Security
Policy, Geneva, Switzerland.
“The tremendous power of globalisation unleashed some two decades ago
demonstrates in fact how fragile the planet is. Never in history has man
faced simultaneously seemingly unlimited opportunities and equally
unlimited daunting threats and challenges. Potential Global Strategic
Catastrophes is a remarkable publication based on the collective thoughts
of some of the world’s leading thinkers covering a broad spectrum of
reality, the catastrophes that might ensue and the strategic implications.
It is an excellent map for the 21st
century.” Jean-Pierre
Lehmann, Professor of International Political Economy, IMD and Founding
Director of The Evian Group, Lausanne, Switzerland.
