South Asia Network For Security And Climate Change - SANSaC

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 28^th/29^th 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.

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