Security Challenges of Climate Change in Southeast Asia

Photo by Nguyen Kiet on Unsplash.

“Southeast Asia will be one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate change unless countries make dramatic cuts in greenhouse gas pollution. According to a 2018 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a global warming increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.4 degrees Fahrenheit) will cause rising seas, dangerous flooding, and changing rain patterns leading to violent typhoons and drought. Global warming poses a threat to food security, hobbles economic growth, prompts political instability, and catalyzes pandemics. In extreme cases, it can create an environment conducive to terrorist activities.

“The 10 countries of Southeast Asia are critical to U.S. national security and economic wellbeing. The region has a population of 676 million, an economy topping $3 trillion, and the United States is its fourth-largest trading partner. Unless climate change is checked, the Asian Development Bank estimates the region’s economy could shrink by 11 percent by the end of the century due to the toll on agriculture, fisheries, and tourism. The United States and China are actively vying for the hearts and minds of this dynamic region. Mitigating the effects of climate change is key to the United States’ goal to secure a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”

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