CO09058 | Responding to Non-Traditional Security Challenges in Asia

These have resulted in an array of human insecurities, from poverty and human deprivation; mass population displacement; worsening human rights abuses; marginalisation; threats of infectious diseases; and forced migration to a host of transnational crimes. In Southeast Asia, these internal conflicts include the the recently-resolved secessionist problem in Aceh and communal violence in Indonesia, the problem in Muslim provinces in Southern Thailand, and the Moro problem in the Philippines.

Climate Change

The interconnectedness of Asia’s security is further heightened by the transboundary nature of the challenges of climatic change. In Southeast Asia, the ‘immediate’ risks and threats posed by climate change include food security, water scarcity and threats of vector-borne diseases. These risks exist because the region is one of the highest emitters of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) and is frequently plagued by serious forest fires, natural disasters and long periods of drought.

Further, the risks and vulnerabilities from climatic change are multiplied as most of Asia’s densest aggregations of people and productive lands are on or near the coast. Thus, it is necessary to examine whether regional institutions can develop an effective multilateral approach on energy, environment and climate security. It is also important to ask whether Asia could strengthen institutional and state capacity to help protect communities from the risk-multiplier effects of climate change.

Energy security in the future would be confronted by the projected increase in demand and consumption of primary energy sources, and also by a parallel increase in GHG emissions. The shortage of fuel for economic development could also see Southeast Asia turning to nuclear energy. Given the frequency of earthquakes in the region and the poor safety record of countries that are keen to build nuclear power plants, questions about safety, risks of proliferation and “sanitisation of land” for waste disposal have to be studied carefully. The interdependent nature of these problems underscores the role of markets and governance, involvement of non-governmental actors, and the need for greater international cooperation.

Recommendations for Policymakers

The RSIS Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies seeks to address these questions. It will do so by producing research findings and recommendations that will better inform policymakers and highlight the impact of the challenges of internal conflict, climate change and energy security, on communities and individuals. The Centre will convene policy dialogues and roundtables to bring together representatives from partner institutes, as well as invited representatives from academic and policy communities, and members of civil society organisations across Asia.

Further, research workshops will be held to share the findings of existing research, explore potential for collaborative work, and discuss ways for research work to feed into policy. Research fellowships will be provided for researchers, NGOs, media, and policymakers from the region who are interested in working on projects related to internal conflicts, climate change and energy security.

To facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration across the ASI network, the Centre will create an ASI web portal as a repository for project outputs. An online collaborative discussion forum will be created to facilitate virtual engagement between policymakers and subject matter experts. The Centre will also produce an Asia Security Initiative policy paper series, and monographs outlining recommended actions for policymakers and civil society in Asia.