Climate Security In India: A Critical Analysis Of National Policies And International Climate Obligations
Dr. H.T. Aravinda, Assistant Professor of Law, Visveswarapura College of Law, Bengaluru.
ABSTRACT
Climate security has become one of the most pressing policy issues of our time, as we increasingly understand that climate change not only poses environmental threats, but also economic, health, governance and security challenges to countries. The term climate security has become a popular term both in international policy and academic debate but its definition is far from uniform between countries. While the Global North's discourse on climate security is often focused on military planning, conflict mitigation, and geopolitical dynamics, India's perspective is more complex.The concept of climate security in India is not limited to the spheres of military strategy, conflict prevention, and geopolitical rivalry, which are central to the Global North's framework. Rather, the Indian climate security narrative is more defined by India's development priorities, socio-economic vulnerabilities, constitutional mandate of sustainable development and being a prominent developing country in the international climate change negotiations. This approach, therefore, also incorporates issues related to poverty alleviation, food and water security, disaster resilience, energy transition and inclusive economic growth as part of the larger agenda of environmental protection and climate justice.
The article tries to analyse the interplay of internal policy needs and external geopolitical considerations in the evolution of climate security discourses in India. It says that there are two interrelated dimensions that form an India's narrative around climate security. The article also examines the contribution of various stakeholders such as government bodies, academia, policy research institutes, the military, disaster management organisations and civil society groups to the changing contours of the climate security discourse in India. It shows how, as climate change has increasingly become part of India's domestic security and governance agenda, there have been increased levels of disaster preparedness, adaptation to climate change, renewable energy and climate resilience building. Meanwhile, India remains open to cautionary stance on international securitised approaches to climate change, always asserting that climate governance should be grounded in the principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities, sustainable development and multilateral cooperation in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). According to the study, India's climate security framework is a unique model that addresses developmental needs along with the newfound security challenges and paves the way for future discussions on climate governance in the Global South. This can help inform the way developing countries manage climate- induced risks while still achieving their development goals and meeting their international obligations.
Keywords: Climate security, sustainable development, international commitments, environmental protection and climate justice.
