Expert Roundtable - The Security Implications of Climate Change in South Asia

Dhaka, Bangladesh - 28th-29th March 2010

Concept Paper

 Co-hosted by International Alert, the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) and the Peacebuilding and Development Institute in Sri Lanka (PDI-SL)

Climate Change, Conflict and Fragility by IA

‘Climate change is already adding to the burdens that developing countries have to face. Its impact is hardest on the poorest and most vulnerable members of society…Their vulnerability is shaped not only by the persistence of poverty, the lack of good infrastructure, the difficulty of getting a foothold in the world market, and thus the intractability of underdevelopment, but also by the fragility of state institutions, the instability of political arrangements, and the effects of recent armed conflict or threat of looming violence. In many, as climate change interacts with other features of their social, economic and political landscape, there is a high risk of political instability and violent conflict’. [Extract from ‘Climate Change, Conflict and Fragility’, International Alert, 2009]

The impacts of climate change are part of the daily reality for South Asia. Higher temperatures, more extreme weather patterns, melting glaciers, water scarcity and rising sea levels are now a common feature both in people’s daily lives and in media and political attention around the world. The environmental concerns are clear and the socio-economic impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent. However, little attention has yet been paid to the risks of instability and violent conflict that arise from the interplay between poverty, economic and social vulnerability and the consequences of climate change.

The roundtable aims to initiate discussion in South Asia on the relationship between climate change, resilience and security. This discussion is equally urgent at the subnational, national and regional level. It will bring together selected experts from the region to discuss the complexities of responding to climate change in conflict-affected contexts in South Asia, explore institutional responses to dealing with such risks and to identify issues of critical importance to managing the conflict risks associated with climate change.

The roundtable is envisaged as the first step of a process to assess where the gaps in knowledge, understanding and institutional responses lie. Taking this process further could include research and dialogue through a series of workshops, seminars and networking. If adequate resources can be raised, this continuing process could have the participation of different segments of society such as members of governments, the private sector, civil society organisations and the future generation.

Aim: To generate a critical discussion on the inter-linkages between climate change and conflict in South Asia.

Objectives:

To explore the implications of current and future climate impacts on security in South Asia.
Preliminary recommendations for climate-sensitive development for governments and donors.
To build knowledge around who can do what and how to promote peaceful responses to climate change.
To build a regional coalition to identify and address the gaps in policy and institutional understanding of climate change and conflict risks in South Asia.

Methodology: This two-day workshop will be structured around case study presentations, in-depth panel and working group discussions. The roundtable will also launch International Alert’s latest report ‘Climate Change, Conflict and Fragility’.