69
mitigate chronic challenges. In countries where large portions of the population
experience chronic insecurity, the concept of country-wide “development” is critical
(see Sect. 3.4 below).
All kinds of security problems can be helped using a resilience analysis framework where we choose to proactively anticipate, sense, adapt, and respond to
stresses and shocks to get ahead of the problem. However, this can be challenging
when what could be seen as a short-term shock turns into longer chronic insecurity.
For example, the California drought that began in 2012 stretched into 2017. Tree
rings indicate that this region is subject to multi-decadal droughts. However, water
storage systems are built to withstand 2–3 year droughts, not multi-decadal droughts.
Even currently-secure communities are at risk of becoming insecure. Thus, much
effort on food, energy, and water security is risk-based—that is, devoted to identifying and managing the most significant risks. In Chaps. 9–11 (Ecosystems,
Infrastructure, and Climate), we will explore issues of risk and vulnerability at different scales of time and space.
There are three primary responses to vulnerability:
1. Mitigation to reduce the drivers underlying the risk.
2. Adaptation to reduce the impact of a hazardous event or outcome.
3. Crises Response that helps populations endure an event or outcome without
long-term negative consequences.
The principles of system science (Chap. 2) can be applied to resource security,
and the attributes of boundaries of space and time, external factors, structural
arrangements, internal interactions, human actions, dynamic changes, and models
all take on particular applications to populations and their sources of food, energy,
and water.
In Chap. 4, we will explore how individuals, communities, and nations respond
and adapt to food, energy, and water insecurity. In Chap. 20, we will examine how
food, energy, and water insecurity can create conflict and tools for reducing or managing these conflicts. In Sects. 3.4–3.7, and Chaps. 6 and 7, we will examine how
the international community attempts to address the issues of insecurity.
3.3 Population
3.3.1 Demography
We have already noted that an individual’s “basic needs” for each consumable is
related to many factors that are unique to that person. It is rarely possible to survey
the conditions and needs of every individual when determining the needs and prevalence of insecurity in a community or a country. Instead, data is gathered on a sample population. That data is then combined with a statistical profile of the total
population in a model to produce a quantitative indicator or metric of the condition
3 Development
mitigate chronic challenges. In countries where large portions of the population
experience chronic insecurity, the concept of country-wide “development” is critical
(see Sect. 3.4 below).
All kinds of security problems can be helped using a resilience analysis framework where we choose to proactively anticipate, sense, adapt, and respond to
stresses and shocks to get ahead of the problem. However, this can be challenging
when what could be seen as a short-term shock turns into longer chronic insecurity.
For example, the California drought that began in 2012 stretched into 2017. Tree
rings indicate that this region is subject to multi-decadal droughts. However, water
storage systems are built to withstand 2–3 year droughts, not multi-decadal droughts.
Even currently-secure communities are at risk of becoming insecure. Thus, much
effort on food, energy, and water security is risk-based—that is, devoted to identifying and managing the most significant risks. In Chaps. 9–11 (Ecosystems,
Infrastructure, and Climate), we will explore issues of risk and vulnerability at different scales of time and space.
There are three primary responses to vulnerability:
1. Mitigation to reduce the drivers underlying the risk.
2. Adaptation to reduce the impact of a hazardous event or outcome.
3. Crises Response that helps populations endure an event or outcome without
long-term negative consequences.
The principles of system science (Chap. 2) can be applied to resource security,
and the attributes of boundaries of space and time, external factors, structural
arrangements, internal interactions, human actions, dynamic changes, and models
all take on particular applications to populations and their sources of food, energy,
and water.
In Chap. 4, we will explore how individuals, communities, and nations respond
and adapt to food, energy, and water insecurity. In Chap. 20, we will examine how
food, energy, and water insecurity can create conflict and tools for reducing or managing these conflicts. In Sects. 3.4–3.7, and Chaps. 6 and 7, we will examine how
the international community attempts to address the issues of insecurity.
3.3 Population
3.3.1 Demography
We have already noted that an individual’s “basic needs” for each consumable is
related to many factors that are unique to that person. It is rarely possible to survey
the conditions and needs of every individual when determining the needs and prevalence of insecurity in a community or a country. Instead, data is gathered on a sample population. That data is then combined with a statistical profile of the total
population in a model to produce a quantitative indicator or metric of the condition
3 Development