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| SANSaC Meeting in Dhaka, March 2010 |
‘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]
Security implications of climate change
are a very real but relatively unexplored issue worldwide and in the region. An
expert roundtable meeting on the 28th/29th March 2010
brought together experts of Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan
and Sri Lanka to have regional exchanges on climate security in South Asia. The
roundtable was organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security
Studies (BIPSS), the Regional Center for Security Studies (RCSS) and
Peace-building and Development Institute (PDI) based in Sri Lanka, and
International Alert, a UK based NGO. This event created significant space for a
critical discussion on the interlinkages between climate change and conflict in
South Asia.
Water issues, large scale movements of
climate refugees, including cross border migration, loss of people’s livelihood
and food security, and an increase in urban-rural tensions over resource utilization
were identified as the major conflict issues in South Asia. Two states, the
Maldives and Bangladesh, are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of the
phenomenon. There is therefore a measure of urgency that requires concerted
action as fast as possible. This need to be addressed with unified approaches,
which means
1) stronger
regional understanding of potential social and conflict impacts of climate
change, and
2) regional
cooperation to build up the resilience of state institutions and civil society.
The network identified the following key
issues to be addressed:
• Regional approach – emphasising regional
approaches for addressing climate-related conflicts in South Asia through
establishing platforms for exchange, sharing and concerted action. There is
also a need for better multi-lateral cooperation in managing water resources
(e.g. trans-boundary river systems)
• Define/refine policy responses –
All responses must reflect the expressed needs of the people, involve them in
consultation, take account of power distribution and social order, and avoid
pitting groups against each other. At the same time they must be integrated
with overall development strategies.
• Shift climate change investment priorities – more research to address knowledge gaps and better
understand conflict related challenges of climate change impact in South Asia and
peacebuilding related opportunities in adaptation strategies. Explore also
private sector support.
• Devise a responsive institutional framework – with appropriate human capacity and institutional
collaboration, integrating and going beyond sectoral approaches.
• State responses – more than
adaptation, there is a need to strengthen capacities for resilience to cope
with climate change induced crisis situation. Development needs have to be
climate proof but similarly climate change needs have to be addressed in a
conflict sensitive manner
• Improve communication – ensure
information flow to citizens and key sectoral stakeholders. An improvement in
sharing and learning across sectors and between states will improve efficiency,
but also conflict sensitivity, of climate change response policies and
programs. Steps must be taken to strengthen social capacity to understand and
manage climate and conflict risks. This means communicating the knowledge
available on the issue in an open and honest manner to enable understanding and
response.
Collaborators & Supporters
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