COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY FOR SOUTH ASIA: AN ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH

This article advocates for an environmental approach to achieving comprehensive security in South Asia. It critiques the region's traditional, state-centric, and militarized conception of security, arguing that it fails to address the most pressing threats to human well-being. The study posits that environmental degradation, resource scarcity, and climate change are the most significant long-term security challenges facing the region. The research examines key transboundary environmental issues, such as the management of shared river basins, cross-border air pollution, and the melting of Himalayan glaciers, arguing that these are shared threats that require cooperative, regional solutions. The paper proposes a new security framework for South Asia, one that prioritizes environmental sustainability and human security. The analysis concludes that an environmental approach not only addresses critical threats but also offers a new, and less politicized, pathway for building trust and cooperation among the states of the region.

The concept of security in South Asia has long been held captive by the logic of military competition and inter-state rivalry. This paper offers a radical alternative: an environmental approach to comprehensive security. The study begins by deconstructing the traditional security paradigm and highlighting its inadequacy in addressing the real-world vulnerabilities of the region's vast population. The core of the article is the articulation of a new security framework, one that places environmental security at its center. It provides a detailed analysis of the major environmental threats that are inherently transnational in nature and thus cannot be solved by any single state. This includes a deep dive into the issue of water security, arguing that the future stability of the subcontinent depends on the cooperative management of its shared Himalayan river systems. It also explores the looming threats of climate change, which will disproportionately affect the low-lying and densely populated coastal areas of the region. The findings lead to a powerful conclusion: the shared ecological vulnerability of South Asia creates a compelling, non-negotiable imperative for regional cooperation. The paper argues that by focusing on a common, existential threat like environmental degradation, the countries of SAARC could find a new and powerful rationale for working together, potentially creating positive spillover effects that could help mitigate the more traditional political and military conflicts.