Global climate change and emerging environmental and strategic security issues for South Asia

Abstract

Global climate change-essentially an adverse consequence of global warming, is principally caused by progressive build-up and extensive spread of greenhouse gases (GHGs) across countries, regions or continents because of earth’s rotational movement. The potent sources of GHGs are fossil-fuels and biomass. With the increasing pace of globalization, industrialization and rapid change of life-style, the demand and consumption of these feed-stocks to stimulate economic growth is steadily rising- both in the developing and developed economy. In the process, the emissions level is also rising phenomenally; and of late become quite alarming - more in the former than latter case, affecting thereby the environmental quality as also its security concerns globally. This paper highlights the major impacts of global warming and consequential climate change on the environmental quality and overall security aspects- including commercial, strategic and defense angles for the South-Asian region. The paper also discusses some relevant aspects linking the larger question of energy security with environmental security through the approach of sustainable energy development for envisioning a balanced economic development as well as growth perspective for South Asia. The significance of International cooperation in the mitigation and adaptation of climate change impacts with special reference to Asia- Pacific and South Asian region is also discussed at some length in the paper. Key words: Global climate, environmental security, South Asia, sustainable energy development, mitigation and adaptation, international cooperation.