Proceedings: International Symposium on Climate Security in Asia-Pacific

As the climate crisis worsens, the nexus between security considerations and climate is
attracting both policy and academic attention. Despite its socio-political importance, the
significance of considering climate change from a security and diplomatic perspective
has not yet been fully explored in the policy arena and on-the-ground actions. The
interwoven nature of this nexus demands that policymakers be equipped with informed
decision-making approaches to shape efficient policies.
Against this background, the Asia-Pacific Climate Security (APCS) project, a new
initiative of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) funded by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, has been established to investigate how we can
and should utilise multiple security approaches in responding to climate changeinduced
uncertainties. This research project deals with some of the key thematic areas
that interconnect with climate security, such as energy security, food security, climateinduced
mobilities, climate change adaptation and maritime security. Such an integrated
approach is crucial because climate change is an extremely cross-disciplinary issue, and
it is essential to be aware of the linkages among the various fields in order to develop
efficient responses.
IGES has organised an international symposium on climate security in Asia-Pacific to
mark the launch of this initiative. Through interactive discussions with experts from
Japan and abroad, it aims to strengthen the understanding of the necessary interventions
needed in this dynamic policy area and to design research directions on how to respond
to these challenges. In addition, this symposium facilitated discussions on the current
issues within each of the key themes mentioned above and unravel the complex
dynamics among them. For that, following the plenary session, which introduces the
issue, three thematic sessions are planned to facilitate discussions on the overarching
issues: resource diplomacy, climate security and geopolitics; migration, food and human
security, and risks mitigation; ocean policy and maritime governance. Through these
discussions, we aimed to gain insight into the relationship between climate change and
security and possible policy responses.
Please refer to the website below for the program of the day, recordings, and some of
the report materials. This proceedings summarizes the discussions to the main points.
https://www.iges.or.jp/en/events/20240208