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V današnjem času se soočamo s številnimi varnostnimi grožnjami, med katerimi se pojavljajo tudi naravne nesreče, (ne)nalezljive bolezni ter lakota in žeja. Vpliv na manifestacijo teh groženj je moč posredno ali neposredno pripisati tudi stanju v našem okolju. V Evropi Zahodni Balkan izstopa s slabšim stanjem okolja in z višjo stopnjo okoljske degradacije v primerjavi s preostalimi regijami na kontinentu. V tem magistrskem delu sem preučeval stanje okolja v državah Zahodnega Balkana ter njegovo povezavo z varnostno paradigmo. Pri tem sem uporabil kombinacijo različnih raziskovalnih metod: analiza primarnih in sekundarnih virov, deskriptivna metoda, metoda primerjalne analize ter analiza statističnih podatkov. Prek analize sem ugotovil povezanost med stanjem okolja in varnostnimi grožnjami. Najvišjo stopnjo ogrožanja zaradi stanja okolja sta po indikatorjih imeli BiH in Črna gora, medtem ko sta najnižjo stopnjo ogrožanja zaradi stanja okolja imeli Severna Makedonija in Albanija. Pozitivni del okoljske varnostne paradigme Zahodnega Balkana, v primerjavi s preteklostjo, so zvišanje kakovosti vodnih virov gradnja sanitarne, vodne in okolju prijazne energetske infrastrukture, ter izboljšanje pravnih in regulativnih okvirjev za zaščito in varovanje okolja. Kljub napredku se Zahodni Balkan še vedno sooča z nekaterimi okoljskimi izzivi, kot so slabo stanje ozračja, slabo upravljanje z odpadki, ter slaba implementacija okoljskih strategij in pravnih aktov. Države Zahodnega Balkana bodo tako v prihodnosti morale še veliko postoriti za izboljšanje stanja svojega okolja, s čimer bi se znižala ogroženost ljudi, ki na tem prostoru živijo. We are currently facing numerous security threats, including natural disasters, diseases, hunger, and thirst. Some of the influence for the manifestation of these threats can be ascribed, either directly or indirectly, to the condition of our environment. In Europe, the region of the Western Balkans stands out as being in one of the worst environmental conditions and having some of the worst levels of environmental degradation, when compared to other regions. In this Master’s thesis I studied the condition of the environment in the states of the Western Balkans and its connection with the security paradigm. I utilised the following research methods: primary and secondary source analysis, descriptive method, comparative analysis, and statistical analysis. Through this analysis I established the connection between the condition of the environment and security threats. According to the indicators, the two states with the highest security risk due to environmental conditions were Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, while the two states which had the lowest risk were North Macedonia and Albania. The positive parts of the environmental security paradigm of the Western Balkans, when compared to the past, are the increase in the quality of water sources, the construction of sanitation and water treatment infrastructure, the construction of environmentally friendly energy infrastructure, and the improvement of legal and regulatory frameworks for the protection of the environment. Despite this progress, the Western Balkans are still facing problems such as poor air quality, inadequate waste management, and poor implementation of environmental strategies and legal acts. The states of the Western Balkans, therefore, still have a long way to go in order to improve the condition of their environment, which would also lower the security threat to the people who live in the region.

Namen prispevka: Namen prispevka je predstaviti dejstvo, da spremembe okolja vplivajo na varnostno okolje v državah in v regijah po svetu. Tradicionalni indikatorji, s katerimi ocenjujemo varnostno okolje v neki državi ali regiji, so znani. Navadno so vezani na ekonomsko, politično in socialno okolje države ali regije, na delovanje državne uprave, sodstva, na stopnjo korupcije in kriminala. Okoljske spremembe in naravni viri (navadno njihova omejenost) imajo vpliv na varnostno situacijo v posameznih državah in regijah. Zato bi moralo stanje okolja v državah in regijah postati tudi eden od ključnih indikatorjev, na podlagi katerega se ocenjuje varnostno okolje posamezne države ali regije v svetu. Metode: Za namen prispevka so bile uporabljene ključne kvalitativne metode, deskriptivna metoda, analiza vsebin, primarnih in sekundarnih virov. Ugotovitve: Ugotavljamo, da se države, mednarodne organizacije, predvsem pa nevladne organizacije že vsaj 30 let zavedajo globalnih klimatskih sprememb in s tem sprememb okolja in okoljske varnosti. Države po svetu okoljske grožnje uvrščajo med grožnje nacionalni varnosti in v ta namen pripravljajo različne strategije delovanja v boju proti okoljskim spremembam. Tradicionalni indikatorji stopnje varnostne ogroženosti so znani in definirani. Na njihovi podlagi izdelujejo svoje ocene mednarodne organizacije, obveščevalne službe, instituti, nevladne organizacije in različne znanstvene ustanove. Indikatorje, s katerimi bi merili vpliv okolja na potencialni konflikt, pa bo potrebno še identificirati in jih določiti. Omejitve raziskave: Raziskava je omejena na javno dostopne vire. Praktična uporabnost: Vsebina informira širok krog zainteresirane javnosti o okoljskih spremembah kot možnem vzroku napetosti in konfliktov v državah in regijah ter o pomembnosti, da se okoljski indikatorji upoštevajo pri ocenjevanju varnostnega okolja. Izvirnost/pomembnost prispevka: Prispevek utemeljuje, da je ena od možnih posledic globalnih okoljskih sprememb tudi konflikt večjih ali manjših razsežnosti. To ima posreden vpliv tudi na nacionalno varnost držav, ki na območje pošljejo vojaške enote v operacijo kriznega odzivanja in za stabilizacijo razmer, zato bi moralo okolje postati eden od opozorilnih indikatorjev glede varnostnega okolja v neki državi ali regiji. Purpose: The purpose of the following contribution is to present the fact that environmental changes influence the security environment in states and regions around the world. The traditional indicators used to assess the security environment in a certain state or regions are well established. Usually they are related to the economic, political and social environment of that state or region, the functioning of the state administration, judiciary and levels of corruption and crime. Environmental change and natural resources (or usually the lack thereof) have an impact on the security situation in individual states and regions. Therefore the state of the environment in states and regions should become one of the key indicators on the basis of which the security environments of certain states or regions in the world are assessed. Design/Methods/Approach: The methodology includes key qualitative methods, descriptive methods and analysis of contents as well as primary and secondary sources. Findings: We can establish that states, international organizations and especially nongovernmental organizations have been aware of the global climate changes and the consequent environmental and security environment changes for at least thirty years. The states all around the world include environmental threats among the threats to national security. To this end various strategies of dealing with environmental changes have been established. Traditional indicators of the security threat levels are known and well defined. They are used as the basis for the assessments carried out by international organizations, intelligence services, institutes, nongovernmental organizations and various scientific institutions. However, the indicators for measuring the influence of environment on the potential conflicts have yet to be identified and specified. Research limitations/implications: The research is limited to publicly accessible resources. Practical implications: The research contains information for a wide range of stakeholders on environmental changes as a possible reason for tensions and conflicts in the states and regions as well as on the importance of considering the environmental indicators when assessing the security environment. Originality/Value: The contribution establishes that one of the possible consequences of global environmental changes is also a conflict on a larger or smaller scale. This also indirectly affects the national security of states sending military units to certain territories in the context of crisis response operations and situation stabilization. Therefore environmental security should become one of the warning indicators with regard to the security environment in certain countries or regions.