ENVIRONMENT-SECURITY NEXUS: BANGLADESH PERSPECTIVES

This article explores the critical nexus between the environment and security from a Bangladeshi perspective. It argues that for Bangladesh, a country exceptionally vulnerable to environmental degradation and climate change, environmental issues are not a matter of "low politics" but are at the very core of its national security. The study examines the various pathways through which environmental stress poses a threat to the country's security. These include the threat to territorial integrity from sea-level rise, the threat to food and water security from resource degradation, and the threat to social and political stability from climate-induced displacement and migration. The research posits that the concept of "environmental security" provides the most appropriate framework for understanding the fundamental security challenges facing Bangladesh. The paper concludes by calling for a full integration of environmental considerations into the country's national security strategy and for a proactive "climate diplomacy" on the global stage.

The traditional definition of security, focused on military threats, is dangerously inadequate for a country like Bangladesh. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the nexus between the environment and security from a Bangladeshi perspective, arguing for a fundamental rethinking of what constitutes a "security threat." The study is structured around the key environmental challenges that have direct security implications for the country. The first is climate change. The paper details how sea-level rise, increased cyclone intensity, and more erratic rainfall patterns are not just environmental problems but existential threats to the lives, livelihoods, and territorial integrity of the nation. The second focus is on water security. The paper analyzes how the combination of upstream water diversion and climate change is creating a severe crisis of water scarcity, which is a direct threat to food security and social stability. The third area examined is resource degradation. The paper discusses how issues like land degradation and deforestation can lead to internal displacement and conflict over scarce resources. The core argument of the paper is that these environmental challenges must be elevated to the status of first-order national security threats. The findings lead to a call for a new, comprehensive national security doctrine for Bangladesh, one that is built around the concept of environmental security. The paper concludes that such a paradigm shift is essential for mobilizing the national and international resources needed to address these profound and long-term challenges.