RSIS Webinar on “Climate Change and Communities – a Human Security Perspective”

Climate change has slowly but surely become central to conceptualising global security and peace. The link between climate change and increased unrest leading ultimately to potential violent conflict seems tenuous to some but in a theatre of increased fragility and risks of insecurity, these are not far-fetched ideas but can manifest as real-life scenarios for millions. As we realise the connections between climate change and global security and peace, we should turn our attention towards how climate change, as an international agenda is being framed and understood.

Rational scientific framing has revealed important insights on the impacts of climate change but a human security framework takes a different approach. It adds a crucial dimension of importance in examining the security and stability of Humans – as a representative term for the species – as well as humans – as individuals organised into collectives and communities and their networks, to weather the impacts of crises. By now, we’ve seen globally, how  social and economic growth and progress has resulted in an aggregative push upwards for all, but the ‘downside risks’ of a crisis are selective in terms of who bears the brunt. COVID-19 has merely magnified this phenomenon. If we are looking to create greater capabilities and resilience for communities to be able to adapt to climate change, we will need to shore up their resilience to ‘downside risks’.

This webinar aims to bring together a panel of experts to discuss how the issue of climate change can be viewed through a human security lens. How might a human security framing highlight climate-related insecurity? How will it help understand specific vulnerabilities? Can it assist in knowledge production that can inform policies? Can it help protect development gains by focusing on areas of social risk? But most importantly, it seeks to investigate how an alternative framing, in addition to the current narratives around climate change, might ensure the security and stability of communities in a new climate future.