Climate Change and Poor Water Resource Management Will Have Serious Security Implications in the Balkan Peninsula

Climate Change is not a new or surprising event, but it has a significant impact human civilization. Our future depends on our ability to predict and mitigate the impact and threats created by climate change. The effects will influence all of us. Climate change is a threat multiplier and puts every nation at risk. The aim of this paper is to define the security threats for the Balkan Peninsula caused by climate change and poor water resource management. This research focuses on surface rather than groundwater and specifically explores the Maritza and Tundja Rivers which form the border area between Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. The paper details how poor water management in these rivers will create security threats. Using the mixed methodology to analyze the collected data, the results of the research show that climate change and population growth will strain the environment of the Balkan Peninsula, and it will be followed by resource crises. The biggest threat is water scarcity. Reduced water resources will create a tremendous impact on the three countries, their economies and societies will react to the stress. It is government s responsibility to avoid the conflict. The only peaceful solution is to establish a combined center for climate change and to work together for the good of the three nations.