21 April 2021 – by Evelyn Workman
A report released last week by U.S. intelligence officials predicts that factors such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and growing inequality will lead to further unrest both in the U.S. and across the world. The Global Trends report is released every four years by the National Intelligence Council, and predicts “trends and uncertainties” the U.S. can expect over the next two decades.
The report forecasts that the next 20 years will be increasingly fragmented and turbulent. “Shared global challenges — including climate change, disease, financial crises, and technology disruptions — are likely to manifest more frequently and intensely in almost every region and country,” the report’s authors write. This will produce “widespread strains on states and societies as well as shocks that could be catastrophic.”
Increased rates of climate migration over the next two decades is also predicted in the report. This is a trend which has already been observed, particularly in rural populations which are increasingly migrating to urban settings due to struggles with framing in changing weather and climatic conditions.
In addition, the report also highlights that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of the world order, and has worsened global challenges including exposing disparities in healthcare, increasing inequality and highlighting failed international cooperation.
