The COVID-19 pandemic has important implications for non-traditional security (NTS). The global outbreak has demonstrated again that NTS issues can pose existential security threats to individuals, states, and societies, evident in the high death toll and significant disruptions to socio-economic activities.

The Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre) at RSIS organised a two-part webinar series to raise awareness on NTS issues in the post-COVID-19 world. The first webinar on 1 June 2021 was titled “Non-Traditional Security Concerns in the ‘New Normal’”. Three researchers from the NTS Centre offered their perspectives on what this new normal may look like and the governance implications for the region from the angles of food, environment, and nuclear security.

Mr Jose Ma Luis Montesclaros discussed how COVID-19 has threatened food security and described the changes in the food sector. He concluded that whether recent developments related to food security would become a new “normal” depends on the state of global pandemic preparedness. Ms Margareth Sembiring presented four concepts related to environmental security – planetary health, integral ecology, steady state economy, and doughnut economics. She argued that a human-centric approach was insufficient to tackle environmental issues and concluded that synergy between different concepts was needed to formulate truly potent solutions to the world’s increasingly alarming issues. Mr Julius Trajano discussed the role of nuclear technology in addressing some NTS issues we face today. One example was the use of nuclear-derived testing techniques to support disease surveillance and prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Trajano emphasised the importance of a robust nuclear security regime to ensure the safe and secure use of nuclear technology to address the NTS threats we face today.

Catch it here on the RSISVideoCast YouTube channel: