Climate Change as a security threat: theoretical dilemmas and the limits of climate (in)action in the Anthropocene

Ahmed Hassan Awan; Dr. Salma Malik

Authors

Ahmed Hassan Awan PhD Scholar at the Department of Defense & Strategic Studies, QAU, Islamabad and a Faculty Member at the Department of International Relations, FJWU, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Author
Dr. Salma Malik Associate Professor at the Department of Defense & Strategic Studies, QAU, Islamabad, Pakistan. Author

Keywords:

Anthropocene, Security Paradigms, Climate Security, Ecological Security, Climate Change Governance

Abstract

The rising recognition that environmental degradation is no longer just about ecology; we are now seeing resource scarcity, loss of biodiversity, and ecological decline as important security problems, not just at the level of nation-states but also at other levels of society. As a result, over time, the climate-security linkage has emerged onto the main international debates concerning climate change. The emergence of the Anthropocene has challenged many of the underlying assumptions we had about how to control or predict climate change. This paper considers this by viewing the environment as a security object and exploring how different theoretical lens will shape how we respond to climate change. The paper analyses climate security through the prism of international regime theory, hegemonic stability theory, and securitization theory — all of which highlight specific tensions within these theoretical perspectives. Although these theoretical frameworks give political weight and urgency to climate issues, they also have the potential to sideline underlying structural drivers of climate issues and to promote state-centrist responses to climate issues. Ironically, as a result of this, despite increased focus on climate issues, many of our existing mechanisms are not structured to adequately address the breadth and complexity of the climate crisis.

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