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Responses to Climate-related Security Risks: Regional Organizations in Asia and Africa

Cover Responses to climate-related security risks: Regional organizations in Asia and Africa
Publisher: SIPRI
SIPRI, Stockholm :
August, 2018

The transnational character of climate-related security risks often goes beyond the capacity of national governments to respond adequately. As such, it creates challenges for and increases the relevance of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). It is, therefore, not only important to understand the climate-related security risks that regions are experiencing but also to analyse how regional IGOs are developing their capacities to deal with these risks.

This SIPRI Insights presents a concise analysis of four regional IGOs—two in Asia and two in Africa. The main findings show that, in various ways, climate-related security risks have found their way into the IGOs’ policy frameworks and institutional discourse. Furthermore, it was found that both the regional security context and the regions’ vulnerability to climate change affect the framing of climate-related security risks.

Table of contents

I. Introduction

II. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations

III. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

IV. The Economic Community of West African States 

V. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development

VI. Implications for policy and research

ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)/EDITORS

Dr Florian Krampe is the Director of Studies, Peace and Development, at SIPRI.
Roberta Scassa is an intern in SIPRI's Climate Change and Risk Project.
Giovanni Mitrotta <p>was an intern with the Climate Change and Risk Programme during spring 2018.</p>