Chapter 12 - Environmental security in developing countries: a case study of South Asia

Abstract

The environmental challenges have shattered the dynamics of economics and security in the recent era. Environmental insecurity and climate change have been accepted worldwide as nonconventional ravage to economic development and security concerns. The divesting impacts of climate change have jeopardized the sovereignty, socioeconomic, political, national, and environmental security across the world. South Asia, a habitat of most vulnerable people to climate change has already agonized the damage due to climate and musing the risk to sustainable future. This chapter has built dynamics of environmental security, environmental security and sustainable development, climate change scenario in South Asia, the analysis of climate change policies and plans in South Asia, coherence of policies and procedures with the Paris Agreement, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Thimphu Statement on Climate Change, and the relationship of climate change with environmental security. The Multi-criteria Decision Analysis has been employed to determine the relationship of climate change with environmental security, coherence of policies and procedures in the region with the Paris Agreement and Thimphu Statement on Climate Change, and rationalize the quest for environmental diplomacy as pursuance to cooperation. Thirty-two technical, economic, environmental, social, and political criteria had been selected and tested. The results had demonstrated gaps in around 20 criteria that include low institutional capacity, less coherence with the Paris Agreement and the SDGs as well as limiting the implementation of proposed mitigation and adaptation measures. The chapter has suggested a quest for environmental diplomacy as pursuance to cooperation for sustainable development, viable economic, national, and environmental security.