The Climate Change and National Security Nexus: A Bibliometric Analysis of Publication Patterns and Intellectual Structure

Abstract

Background: Climate change has emerged as a critical global challenge with far-reaching implications for national security. Growing concerns over its impacts on human, food, water, and energy security have led to increasing scholarly attention; however, the overall intellectual structure and evolution of this research field remain insufficiently explored.

Purpose: This study examines the nexus between climate change and national security by analyzing global research trends, thematic evolution, influential contributors, and existing research gaps.

Design/methodology/approach: A bibliometric analysis was conducted on 1,186 documents published between 2000 and 2025, retrieved from the Scopus database. The data were analyzed using Biblioshiny (R) and VOSviewer to perform performance analysis and science mapping.

Findings: The results reveal substantial growth in the field, with an annual growth rate of 22.35% and an average of 29.49 citations per document. Annual publications increased from 74 in 2020 to 155 in 2025. Sustainability (Switzerland) emerged as the most productive journal with 27 publications, while Climatic Change was the most influential source, receiving 1,922 citations. Wang Y was identified as the most productive author (10 publications), whereas Barnett J was the most impactful author (107 citations). The United States dominated research output with 178 publications and 7,330 citations. Science mapping identified climate change and national security as central themes, closely connected to human, food, water, and energy security. Thematic analysis further highlighted the absence of well-developed motor themes and the emergence of topics related to sustainable development and health risks.

Conclusion: The climate change–national security research domain is expanding rapidly but remains conceptually fragmented. The findings underscore the need for integrated climate–security frameworks, greater interdisciplinary collaboration, and increased scholarly attention to climate-vulnerable regions to strengthen future research and policy development.

Keywords: Climate change, national security, human security, environmental security, bibliometric analysis