Securitization of climate change: issues for global and national security

In recent times, with the end of the Cold War, non-traditional security issues such as global pandemics and climate change have been securitized. The response to the COVID-19 outbreak shows how security establishments around the world have been involved in activities such as rescue, control, prevention and even cure. The United States Department of Defense, for instance, has army researchers who are working and collaborating to develop rapid COVID-19 testing technology and vaccines. India has also invoked the provisions of the Disaster Management Authority Act 2005 to treat COVID-19 as a national disaster and undertake measures, in coordination with state governments, for rescue, relief and rehabilitation. It is worthwhile to note that the parent ministry of the National Disaster Management Authority and National Disaster Response Force in India is the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is a security establishment. The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the need for strong global governance and coordinated efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic shows that non-traditional security issues, including climate change, can no longer be treated as a second-order world problem in global politics. The Energy and Resources Institute in collaboration with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung aims to bring together a diverse set of perspectives through research and dialogue on aspects of global security by involving experts, ranging from scientists to practitioners, drawn from the domains of climate change, governance and security.