This is Part 2 of a 3-part webinar series exploring how military personnel are prepared for environmental extremes in operational settings.
In this session, Professor Tim Hodgetts returns to examine how climate change is reshaping the future of warfare — from strategy and logistics to medical response and ethical frameworks. As environmental pressures intensify, military operations must evolve to meet new threats: extreme heat, rising sea levels, water scarcity, and shifting disease patterns.
This conversation explores:
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The growing risk of climate-driven conflict and competition over critical resources
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How extreme environments are redefining logistics, soldier health and medical readiness
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The military’s response to carbon reduction and sustainable operations
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Ethical implications and challenges to international humanitarian law in future warfare
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The increasing role of humanitarian and disaster response as part of defence strategy
Building on the physiological foundations of Part 1, this session shifts the focus to systems-level adaptation, operational readiness and global security considerations.
Professor Tim Hodgetts is the Master General of the Army Medical Services and former Surgeon General of the UK Armed Forces. He has held senior NATO medical leadership roles and brings decades of strategic and frontline experience to this vital discussion.