Environmental Insecurity Research Articles

Climate change and changing environmental insecurity in the Lake Chad region

Climate change and changing environmental insecurity in the Lake Chad region

Environmental impacts and risk factors of renewable energy paradigm-a review.

The transition to a low carbon society is dependent on renewable energy-based electrification. Nevertheless, energy programs have resulted in growing societal polarization in several regions. Therefore, around the globe, government and legislative authorities at the local, regional, national, and international levels are highly concerned about the environmental impacts and risk factors that influence the energy paradigm. Thus, to minimize and/or limit the environmental insecurity issues, the world needs swift and effective actions to secure the climate for a better tomorrow. Moreover, there is a dire need to look for new energy alternatives, along with reducing the complete dependence on petro-based energy sources. Keeping this burning issue in mind, herein, an effort has been made to present the potential of several renewable energy sources, including wind-based renewable energy, solar-based renewable energy, hydro-based renewable energy, and biomass-based renewable energy. Following a brief introduction of energy-related problems and opportunities, a comparative overview is given to renewable vs. non-renewable energy sources. Then, several renewable energy sources, including wind, solar, hydro, and biomass, along with the worldwide energy capacity of each energy source are given with suitable examples and statistics. Finally, risk factors, concluding remarks, and future guidelines are discussed towards the end.

Contributions of recycled wastewater to clean water and sanitation Sustainable Development Goals

Water resources are essential for every development activity, not only in terms of available quantity but also in terms of quality. Population growth and urbanisation are increasing the number of users and uses of water, making water resources scarcer and more polluted. Changes in rainfall patterns threaten to worsen these effects in many areas. Water scarcity, due to physical lack or pollution, has become one of the most pressing issues globally, a matter of human, economic and environmental insecurity. Wastewater, whose value had not been appreciated until recently, is increasingly recognised as a potential ‘new’ source of clean water for potable and non-potable uses, resulting in social, environmental and economic benefits. This paper discusses the potential of recycled wastewater (also known as reused water) to become a significant source of safe water for drinking purposes and improved sanitation in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Military Dimension of Niger Delta Crisis and Its Implications on Nigeria National Security

This article uses qualitative research method to obtain information from high-profiled respondents through verbal interaction in semi-structured interviews in addition to some secondary data to examine the military dimension of Niger Delta crisis and its implications on security sectors in Nigeria. The Nigerian militarized political system attests to the influence of long-term military rule in the country thereby the perpetual deployment of Nigerian armed forces to complement the duty of police in ensuring internal security has been found unassailable within Nigerian democratic governments. Consequently, there have been numerous cases of civilian casualties characterizing the historical record of these military interventions in which the case of Niger delta crisis has been no exception. This article finds it worthwhile to examine the outcomes of these military operations in Niger delta crisis over security sectors in Nigeria and finds them to be terrifically counterproductive. The result unveils the impracticality of military armed forces becoming instrumental in addressing economic and environmental insecurities of a state as well as the need to expand the agenda of security beyond the military armed forces. Theoretically, this article uses the Copenhagen School of Security Studies’ (CS) conceptualization of security sectors as conceptual and structural framework of the study.

The unseen transboundary commons that matter for Cambodia's inland fisheries: Changing sediment flows in the Mekong hydrological flood pulse

This paper focuses on the ‘the unseen transboundary commons’ of residues, nutrients and mobile matter associated with the annual flood pulse that support Cambodia's inland fisheries. We develop the idea of biophysical geopolitics concentrating on political‐socio‐natures rather than the purely biophysical. In the context of multiple mega‐projects in the Basin, we argue the flood pulse has become increasingly compromised, which is an urgent socio‐ecological security issue facing the Mekong region. Scores of livelihoods are dependent on the hydrological flood pulse via the reproduction of the inland fisheries, and a diversity of wetlands resources. Our paper builds on cross‐comparative research focusing on a geo‐strategic mouth of the Tonle Sap (Chhnok Tru) and a transborder area along the Mekong main‐stream (Stung Treng, Cambodia – Champasak, Laos area). By viewing biophysical matter as becoming trans‐border geopolitical matter, we wish to emphasise the critical socio‐ecological character of the hydrological flood pulse, and the urgency of cumulative spatial and temporal changes affecting diverse wetlands communities. Loss of wild capture fisheries and the more unpredictable flows of the Mekong are signs of an emergent and dangerous era of increasing environmental insecurity.

Resource and Environmental Insecurity in the Lake Chad Region

Resource and Environmental Insecurity in the Lake Chad Region

Examining the Cross-subject Coherence in Environmental Education in Vietnamese High School Curricula

Vietnam is deemed particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of environmental changes caused by climate change effects. The country’s climate change policy acknowledges education as an essential element of the national response to environmental insecurity threats. To be effective, environmental education (EE) may be mainstreamed across multiple subjects and cross-subject coherence is essential. But how applicable are these claims to the Vietnamese high school education? A growing interest in EE and recognition of the challenges inherent in addressing this issue creates an opportunity to conduct a systematic and comprehensive review to scrutinize how it is mainstreamed at the high school level. Using the cases of Grade-10, Grade-11, and Grade-12 curricula, this paper investigated the extent of coherence in EE across high school subjects. A two-pronged qualitative approach is applied using Qualitative Document Analysis of relevant education policies and subject syllabi, combined with expert interviews. Findings show that school subjects experience different degrees of EE coherence, currently being highest in Geography, followed by Biology and poorly represented in other science subjects. Even though EE is formally embedded in several discipline textbooks, there remains a series of barriers to implementing EE in high schools.

Security for Enhancing Peace and Stability in Changing Context of Nepal

The world is facing new security challenges in 21st century that has forced global and national security actors to think differently. Unconventional security issues such as resource scarcity, climate change effects, livelihood insecurity, environmental insecurity, food and water insecurity, health insecurity, natural calamities and disasters, pandemic diseases, etc. are now integral part of security going beyond conventional security issue of protecting sovereignty and territory of the state. Further, Nepal has also specific geopolitical and geo-strategic issues and challenges emerged from the Sino-Indian dynamics. Global economic and strategic power is shifting from US to China and therefore China will be most influential in the world order in coming few decades. Similarly, India is also rapidly expanding its influence in global and regional sphere. Hence, small countries like Nepal will have both negative and potentially positive efforts (economically, politically, strategically) to deal in the changing global order (protecting national interests in a situation of aggressive approaches of old and emerging powers) in the context of China-India revelry. As Nepal is having rapid change in political and strategic sphere advancement of security sector is eminent. However, dealing with new security challenges requires enabling environment (favourable legal-regulatory provisions, supportive institutional arrangement, required resources, investing in capacity development especially in education and research, developing sound intelligence and integrating security policy with international relations, economic development and social services). Hence, it is essential to expand security discourse and engage citizen to develop ownership, strengthen the National Security Council, create enabling environment (developing relevant policy and strategies, promulgation of laws and development of rules and procedures, creating responsive institutional mechanisms, developing capabilities, making required resources available, parliamentary oversight and monitoring provisions, invest in security research and education) to address emerging new security challenges of the 21st century.

Involuntary Displacement and Human Security: A Study of the Kaptai Dam in Bangladesh

Involuntary displacement caused by development projects has become a great concern in the present era of the free market economy across the globe. There has been extensive research on involuntary displacement; however, it was confined to subjects like anthropology, sociology, and development studies earlier. However, after the 1990s, a very useful theoretical approach to human security is evolving in analyzing the effects of involuntary displacement caused by a number of reasons. Studying the case of the Kaptai Dam of Bangladesh, the study shows that it has brought a broad range of human insecurities into focus—like economic insecurity, food insecurity, health insecurity, environmental insecurity, community insecurity, personal insecurity, and political insecurity. Hence, the paper has suggested for the application of human security approach as a useful tool for researchers while studying the global problems of involuntary displacement.

Objective and perceived food environment and household economic resources related to food insecurity in older adults living alone in rural areas

BackgroundLimited attention has been paid to an association between food environment and household economic resources related to food expenditure in food-insecure seniors. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between factors of economic resource, food environment, and food insecurity in single seniors residing in rural areas of South Korea.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in 170 single senior households aged 65 years or over residing in rural areas. Face-to-face interviews were performed to collect data on demographic characteristics, household economic resources/expenditure, food environmental factors, and food insecurity.ResultsAmong economic resources, generally limited food expenditures due to housing fees and heating costs during the winter were positively related to food insecurity. Among food environmental factors, food accessibility at community level such as food stores located far from home and inconvenient bus routes was related to food insecurity. The most explainable economic and food environment factors related to food insecurity by stepwise logistic regression analysis were the percentage of total expenditure on housing fee (OR = 1.021, 95% CI: 1.008–1.034), foods purchasing at super supermarket (OR = 0.398, 95% CI: 0.166–0.951), having difficulties in food purchasing due to food stores being located far from home (OR = 14.487, 95% CI: 5.139–40.842) and inconvenient bus routes (OR = 0.083, 95% CI: 0.015–0.460).ConclusionInadequate community food environment as well as limited household food resources were an important risk factor for food insecurity in Korean single rural seniors. Findings of this study could help us better understand how characteristics of household food resources and community food environment can serve as barriers or facilitators of food security among single older adults residing in rural areas.

Environmental Insecurity: Another Case for Concept Change

For decades, scholars and policy-makers have disputed whether environmental degradation caused by human-induced climate change needs to be addressed and reversed in order to prevent conflict, or whether the instabilities generated by such degradation (resource scarcity, reduction of arable land, mass migration of so-called environmental refugees, etc.) provides a compelling new rationale for preparing militarily to fight the "climate change conflicts" of the future. Exploring the tension between these perspectives, the paper argues that any effective practical response implies and requires a change in the conceptual climate of the debate sufficient to discredit a literally devastating circular argument: that environmental problems, caused in part by the multiple impacts of industrial militarism, can be adequately addressed by new military strategies and spending, a "war reflex" only serving to exacerbate political tensions, widen and deepen already chronic inequalities, and inflict further ecological harm. The paper contrasts the state-centric status quo with the human-centric agenda of sustainable peace, a concept with the potential – if defined with sufficiently radical, transnational rigor – to disrupt and transform the sovereignty paradigm. The paper concludes by drawing on both Western and Indigenous political theory to ask what we think we mean by – or have come to accept as – "peace" and "power."

An Investigation On The Liveability Of Urban Settlement. Case Study: Mandy Villa, Segambut, Kuala Lumpur City, Malaysia

Urban areas are the main centres of growth in every country. However, urban areas face challenges such as environmental destruction, social deprivation, insecurity, health problem, and accessibility issue. These problems affect liveability level of the urban settlements. Liveability is influenced by the aspects of physical environment and social. A study had been carried out in Kuala Lumpur city with the Mandy Villa at Segambut as the study area. The purpose of the study is to investigate the liveability level of the study area and the relationship with the urban planning aspects of physical, and social. A questionnaire survey had been carried out. The respondents with different socio-economic background were mostly felt that the study area was liveable. From the relationship analysis by using correlation tests, the study found that some of the physical planning aspects and most of the social aspects were positively and significantly correlated to the liveability level. With the research findings, town planners, developers and government agencies are able to have a better understanding of the physical and social determinants of liveability. However, more future studies should be carried out for different cities and towns to further improve the understanding on the topic of urban liveability.

The Community Food Environment and Food Insecurity in Sioux Lookout, Ontario: Understanding the Relationships between Food, Health, and Place

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this community-based research project was to explore the community food environment and food insecurity in the northern Ontario community of Sioux Lookout. Previous informal conversations with local organizations identified food insecurity as a serious concern with particularly impactful consequences for Indigenous well-being. Community members were invited to a feast at the Friendship Centre where individuals participated in surveys (N = 76) and talking circles (N = 100) around the question: “When it comes to food what do you think is the most important issue in Sioux Lookout?” Four related themes emerged including: (1) The Community Food Environment; (2) Indigenous Food Knowledge; (3) Concerns about Health; and (4) Moving Forward. This article considers the community food environment and the relationships between people, food, culture, health, and place.

Climate change related policy environment in agriculture and food security in Nepal

Agriculture is the main stay of Nepal's economy. This provides about one-third of national GDP and two-third of national employment. Agriculture is highly vulnerable to climate change due to more marginal farmers with small landholding, limited irrigation, low income level, limited institutional capacity, and greater dependency on climate-sensitive natural resources. The adverse effect of climate change on agriculture impacts on farm revenue, employment, income and GDP. Policy formulation in agriculture and food security sector concerning to climate change has become an imperative for poverty reduction, livelihood improvement and economic development. Compliance with global and national agreement, review of existing policy will provide an essential foundation to policy makers, planners and development workers to reform process. This paper intended to find the strength and weaknesses of existing plans, policies, strategies, acts which will support stakeholders in agricultural development.

Gendered participation in community forest governance in India

ABSTRACTRecent forest governance practices in India have responded to environmental change and subsequent livelihood insecurity by focusing resource governance policies on communities. A paradigm shift has occurred involving participatory inclusive bottom-up approaches, rather than state-centric, top-down forestry. With the formulation of the 1988 National Forest Policy, several variants of participatory models of forest governance – social forestry, community forestry, joint forest management – have been tried out, with differing degrees of success. The 2006 Forests Right Act adopts a rights-based approach to participatory forestry to address the serious concerns of environmental degradation, livelihood insecurity, tenure reforms and questions of autonomy and identity of forest-dependent communities. Using mainly qualitative methodology, this paper reviews forest governance policies and undertakes a critical examination of recent participatory forestry practices. Drawing empirical evidence from two community-based forest governance institutions in the state of Odisha in eastern India, the paper demonstrates how participatory forestry programmes, albeit successful, may be exclusionary with regard to women’s engagement in cases where their involvement is under-represented.

Environmental Insecurity and Erosion of Women Socio-economic Status in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Environmental Insecurity and Erosion of Women Socio-economic Status in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Environmental Insecurity and Poverty in the Niger Delta: A Case of Ilaje

Environmental Insecurity and Poverty in the Niger Delta: A Case of Ilaje

Honduras is open for business: extractivist tourism as sustainable development in the wake of disaster?

ABSTRACT Following Hurricane Mitch in 1998, the Honduran government introduced legislative reforms designed to generate investment opportunities in energy, mining and tourism and to expedite the post-disaster recovery. This experiment in “disaster capitalism” provided a blueprint for the recovery strategy implemented by the government of Porfirio Lobo after the 2009 coup against Manuel Zelaya. The similarities between these two historical conjunctures necessitate a deeper engagement with the meaning of extractivism in post-disaster contexts, particularly in relation to so-called sustainable tourism development. While multilateral aid institutions have claimed tourism as a sustainable alternative to more exploitative forms of economic development, this paper draws on ethnographic research in a coastal Garifuna community to argue that tourism is analogous with extractivism. By analyzing the collective action and resistance of black and Indigenous organizations for territorial autonomy, this paper elucidates the connections between traditional extractive industries and tourism, both of which rely on state-orchestrated natural resource expropriation, enclosure and dispossession, resulting in widespread environmental degradation and ecological insecurity for coastal Indigenous communities. The paper highlights how neoliberal tourism policies are advanced under the guise of ecotourism and sustainable development, while creating the conditions for extractivism to take hold within black and Indigenous territories.

Saudi Arabia: The Strategic Dimensions of Environmental Insecurity

Saudi Arabia: The Strategic Dimensions of Environmental Insecurity

Institutionalising Women, Peace and Security in the Pacific Islands: Gendering the ‘architecture of entitlements’?

Efforts to adopt provisions of the United Nations Women, Peace and Security agenda in local policy contexts are often hailed enthusiastically by gender advocates as a transformative development. But closer scrutiny of these localisation efforts may reveal something different. This article draws on theories of feminist institutionalism to examine the formal and informal institutional interplays which have shaped the Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security that was formalised by the Pacific Islands Forum in 2012. My analysis shows that although the Regional Action Plan is a significant development in rhetorical terms for the Pacific region, and may lay the foundation for future policy progress on gender and security, its focus is also constrained. This becomes particularly evident when the Regional Action Plan’s emphasis on women’s peacebuilding is compared with the plan’s relative silence on the growing regional challenge of gender and environmental insecurity. To explain these developments I show how the plan sits in interesting, and unresolved, tension with existing institutional norms and practices which gender the ‘architecture of entitlements’ governing how Pacific Island women can legitimately enter debate on regional security.