Environmental risks are a major focus in IB Geography, particularly within the Global Risks and Resilience unit. Environmental risk refers to the potential harm caused by natural hazards, environmental degradation, and climate change. These risks threaten human security, which is concerned with protecting people’s lives, livelihoods, and well-being rather than just national borders.

One of the most significant environmental risks to human security is climate change. Rising global temperatures increase the frequency and intensity of hazards such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, and storms. These events threaten food production, water supplies, and housing, making it harder for people to meet basic needs. Climate-related risks disproportionately affect low-income populations who have limited capacity to adapt or recover.

Natural disasters pose immediate threats to human security. Earthquakes, floods, cyclones, and wildfires can cause loss of life, displacement, and destruction of infrastructure. When homes, schools, hospitals, and transport networks are damaged, communities struggle to recover. Repeated exposure to disasters can trap people in cycles of vulnerability and poverty.

Environmental risks also affect food and water security. Droughts reduce crop yields and livestock productivity, while floods can destroy farmland and contaminate water supplies. Water scarcity increases the risk of disease, malnutrition, and conflict over access to resources. In IB Geography, these risks are often linked to the Water–Food–Energy nexus, showing how environmental stress in one area can spread to others.

Health is another key dimension of human security threatened by environmental risks. Pollution, extreme heat, and changing disease patterns increase health risks, particularly for children, the elderly, and those with existing conditions. Poor air quality and contaminated water sources contribute to respiratory illnesses and waterborne diseases, reducing quality of life and life expectancy.

Environmental degradation also threatens livelihoods, especially in communities that depend directly on natural resources. Farmers, fishers, and pastoralists are highly vulnerable to changing environmental conditions. Loss of income can lead to migration, urban overcrowding, and social instability, further increasing human insecurity.

In IB Geography, it is important to recognise that environmental risks are unevenly distributed. Those who contribute least to environmental problems often face the greatest impacts. This raises issues of environmental justice and global responsibility.

Overall, environmental risks threaten human security by undermining access to food, water, health, shelter, and livelihoods. Strengthening resilience through adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable management is essential for protecting people in an increasingly uncertain world.

RevisionDojo helps IB Geography students understand environmental risks clearly by linking physical processes to human impacts and supporting confident, exam-ready explanations.