Engineering Human Security

We face exacerbating climate change. Excessive precipitation and heat waves will become more frequent in the coming decades. These could lead to shortages of food, water and energy and subsequently to conflicts and displacement. By 2030, hundreds of millions of people could be leaving their homes searching for (more) human security. These social disruptions could further reduce our resilience to climate change. TU Delft’s new Climate Safety & Security Centre (CASS), led by Behnam Taebi, will address this human security challenge in times of climate change, focusing on the role of technology. For instance, modern waterworks can be vulnerable to cyberattacks, and new technologies allow us to manipulate cloud formation on a large scale. Each technology brings both opportunities and risks. These must be considered from the outset in the development and application of technology, with attention to the relevant social and ethical issues.