Climate change poses a threat to more than two-thirds of mission-critical military installations in the U.S., according to a report DOD published Friday.
The study, required by the 2018 defense authorization bill, considered the long-term effects of flooding, drought, desertification, wildfires and thawing, at 79 installations in the Army, Air Force and Navy. No Marine Corps bases were included.
Military Times published a searchable list of the installations included in the study.
The report clarifies that it only covers threats over the next 20 years, even though most experts say climate threats will increase beyond then.
“Projected changes will likely be more pronounced at the mid-century mark; vulnerability analyses to mid- and late-century would likely reveal an uptick in vulnerabilities” if they aren’t addressed, according to the report.
It also stated that DOD incorporates resilience efforts into its ongoing decision-making “and not as a separate program or specific set of actions.”
A U.S. Forest Service firefighter monitors a prescribed burn at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cory Rose
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