Presentation short abstract

Reimagining Climate Security: Environmental Peacebuilding in Conflict-Affected Regions

Presentation long abstract

This paper reimagines the relationship between climate and security by moving away from dominant narratives of climate change as a “conflict multiplier” toward a paradigm of environmental peacebuilding. Situated within critical political ecology, it challenges the securitization of climate change and highlights research showing its potential to promote collaboration and resilience (Breese, Ritzer, and Gilmour 2015; Rüttinger et al. 2017). Instead of presenting climate change as a driver of conflict, the paper examines how shared climate vulnerabilities can encourage communities to transcend political and ideological divisions and work collectively for climate action.

Drawing on my experience working in conflict-affected regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Northeast India, which are shaped by deep historical conflict and intensifying environmental stress, the paper analyses how climate impacts may generate opportunities for intergroup dialogue, trust-building, and cooperation. Studies indicate that shared environmental challenges, including resource scarcity and disaster-induced displacement, can foster collaboration and contribute to more enduring forms of peace (Youngs et al. 2018). This perspective reflects Herbert Kelman’s insight that collective threats can unify divided groups, reimagining climate change as a catalyst for cooperation rather than conflict (Kelman 2016).

Through this conceptual recalibration, the paper contributes to dialogue between critical political ecology and mainstream security studies, highlighting practical possibilities for more inclusive, community-rooted responses while remaining attentive to the politics and risks of such engagement.