Nautilus Peace and Security – 5 February

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"Nautilus Peace and Security – 5 February", NAPSNet Weekly Report, February 05, 2015, https://nautilus.org/napsnet/napsnet-weekly/nautilus-peace-and-security-5-february/


DETERRENCE: The security risks of China’s nuclear reprocessing facilitiesHui Zhang, Nuclear Security Matters Commentary, Belfer Center, Harvard University (8 October, 2014)

Zhang writes that China must address the inherent security risks of expanding spent fuel reprocessing including facility protection, material accounting, and transportation security. Liu summarizes Zheng’s 2005 study of terrorist attack on spent fuel in China.


DPRK: North Korea says it sees no need to negotiate with ‘gangster’ U.S. Reuters. (3 February 2015)

For various reasons, none of the Six Parties have found a mutually acceptable mix of actions to resume discussions. Russia is considering military exercises with North Korea – a move sure to complicate what is already a remote chance of re-starting Six Party Talks. These proposed military drills are also likely meant to signal a willingness to move away from both China and the United States.


GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: Gov’t seeks to disband anti-state activist groups, Yonhap News (21 January 2015)

The ROK Ministry of Justice has unveiled plans to strengthen its ability to disband “anti-state” groups, particularly any who are seen to be praising the DPRK, and will also work with the Education Ministry to revise textbooks to allow students to better understand the Constitution and create a more law-abiding society. Some activist groups fear this will lead to limitations on freedoms of speech, among others.


CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Public health adaptation to climate change in canadian jurisdictions, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, Stephanie E. Austin et al., vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 623-651 (2015) [PDF]

Despite the importance of adaptation in a public health context, to our knowledge there has not been a systematic examination of the current state of health adaptation across Canada. Health Canada and Natural Resources Canada, departments of the federal government, have conducted comprehensive vulnerability assessments which outline some examples of adaptation. However, these assessments were not designed to characterize and compare adaptations at different jurisdictions, across regions, and over time.


CLIMATE CHANGE AND SECURITY: As Davos meeting closes, climate ‘warning shots’ from Africa and Pacific, Maarten van Aalst, Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre (29 January 2015)

Davos global actors talked “complexity, fragility and uncertainty” this year, with “extreme weather events” as the second most likely Global Risk in 2015. Clued into complexity by their task, Red Cross/Red Crescent aims “to quickly provide indications of the role of climate change in current events – within days rather than months or years after the event.” But climate and society early warning systems require messages with conflict consequences to be heard – as did not happen in Syria.


The Nautilus Peace and Security Weekly Report presents articles and full length reports each week in six categories: Austral security, nuclear deterrence, energy security, climate change and security, the DPRK, climate change adaptation and governance and civil society. Our team of contributors carefully select items that highlight the links between these themes and the three regions in which our offices are found — North America, Northeast Asia, and the Austral-Asia region.

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