Mapping the Global Scientific Landscape of the Climate-Security Nexus within Non-Traditional Security Architectures (2017–2026): A PRISMA-Compliant Bibliometric Review

Abstract

The continuous escalation of climate-induced environmental anomalies has fundamentally reconstructed contemporary defense paradigms, positioning climate security as a core pillar of non-traditional security (NTS). Although scholastic literature on ecological crises has expanded significantly, a comprehensive, macro-structural synthesis evaluating the specific thematic networks and chronological frontiers of this nexus remains critically absent. This study aims to systematically analyze and map the global scientific landscape of the climate-security framework using a quantitative bibliometric approach integrated with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) protocol. Metadata from 882 high-impact publications spanning the years 2017–2026 were extracted from the Scopus database and processed via VOSviewer software. Author keyword co-occurrence analysis revealed a highly sophisticated topological network comprising seven distinct thematic clusters: (1) Disaster Governance and Human Vulnerability (Red), (2) Environmental Protection and Resource Sustainability (Green), (3) National Security and Strategic Conflict (Blue), (4) Public Policy and Regional Non-Traditional Security (Yellow), (5) Risk Assessment and Macro-Geopolitics (Purple), (6) Climate Security and Adaptation Strategies (Light Blue), and (7) Water Security and Sustainable Development Goals (Orange). Chronological overlay visualization demonstrates a clear paradigm shift, moving from foundational conceptualizations of human safety toward acute, operational policy demands centered on predictive ecological risk modeling and resource security heading into 2026. This paper provides a novel strategic framework for defense institutions, policy architects, and strategic studies scholars to reorient conventional security doctrines into predictive, ecologically resilient comprehensive national defense systems