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Establishing an Ecological Security Framework for Southeast Asia
By John Lichtefeld, Ecological Security Fellow
Edited by Andrea Rezzonico and Francesco Femia
Introduction
The concept of “ecological security” references the threats to human, national, and global security that arise from the interconnected effects of climate change, environmental degradation, and ecosystem collapse. Though ecological security is a relatively novel concept, its constituent elements—including aspects of traditional and non-traditional (e.g., human, environmental, climate, and bio) security concepts—are generally understood globally, even as their use and application vary by region.
In Southeast Asia, non-traditional security concepts are recognized but tend to have specialized contexts and are applied uniquely among different stakeholders in different countries. Ecological security is not well recognized at this point, and its framework for holistic assessment of complex and interconnected threat groupings has not yet gained wide traction.
This briefing note assesses the relevance of ecological security and related concepts in Southeast Asia and provides a preliminary cataloging and analysis of some of the most pressing complex ecological security threats facing the region, including recommendations for establishing a framework for future analysis, policy, and practice. It has been informed primarily by three roundtable sessions with participants, including regional academics and practitioners and US and European experts on regional and ecological security concepts. Three major ecological security trends emerged from the discussions: the Mekong ecosystem polycrisis, the unanticipated externalities of an accelerated green transition, and the impact of environmental crimes on regional security. The brief offers three preliminary recommendations to interested practitioners for establishing an ecological security framework for Southeast Asia, including; increasing dialogue between experts, security services, and civil society; developing working groups among experts to break silos and bridge practical divides; and drawing clear connections between ecological security risks and political-security outcomes.
Ecological Security Threats in North Africa for 2040: Water Scarcity and Desertification
By Malak Altaeb, Ecological Security Fellow
Introduction
Climate change is one of the world’s most prominent challenges, with serious impacts on food systems around the world. These impacts include low agricultural productivity, food insecurity due to water scarcity, and desertification. North Africa is considered a hot spot for climate change. A combination of water scarcity and desertification is taking its toll on many countries in the region, leaving many communities under stress. The region’s dry climate—getting increasingly drier due to climate change— is making the situation even worse. Countries in North Africa, including Tunisia, Libya, and Algeria, are experiencing different water scarcity and desertification levels, driven by multiple factors and amplified by political and economic constraints. This briefer delves into the multifaceted dimensions of water scarcity and desertification in the region, identifies key drivers of these challenges, and proposes key recommendations for addressing them before 2040.
Countries in the region must focus development on sustainable agriculture and enhanced water management by:
- Reviving deserted lands, encouraging conservation in agriculture, and introducing irrigation techniques that would enhance water usage for agriculture, such as drip irrigation
- Investing in drought-resistant crops and wastewater recycling plants
- Promoting enhanced business-oriented community-based initiatives centered on the environment and community resilience through capacity building and training programs
- Adopting a holistic approach to better water resource usage and land conservation practices to protect available arable land.
- Developing policies to incorporate technological advancement in food and water security
Sleeper Species: Increasing Threats to Great Lakes’ Ecological Security and What to Do About It
By Chris Bobryk, Ecological Security Fellow
Introduction
Biological invasions—the establishment and spread of non-native species in new regions—is one of the greatest threats to the ecological security of the Great Lakes basin, which spans the United States and Canada.1 The threat lies with the ability of a non-native introduced species to become invasive—to spread aggressively and cause undesirable impacts to the environment, economy, and human health.2 However, not all non-native introduced species become invasive, at least not immediately. There can be a time lag between introduction, establishment, and harm, dictated by some local environmental condition (e.g., temperature or precipitation) that limits or suppresses the non-native species. When a shift in that environmental condition occurs, perhaps driven by changes in climate, nutrients, or water levels, a threshold may be breached, triggering an eruption in the once-inconspicuous (i.e., “sleeping”) non-native population. Once this biotic eruption has occurred, the newly invasive species may destabilize the local ecosystem, potentially even tipping an entire ecological system into an alternative state.3 Major changes or state shifts in ecosystems resulting from species invasions can undermine biodiversity, food, and economic security and even increase exposure to zoonotic diseases.4
The potential for non-native species to meet the “sleeper” definition is growing as climate change drives more frequent and intense fluctuations in weather events, thus providing conditions for these species to erupt. Consequently, management might require a new suite of special monitoring and response capabilities. However, the unpredictable nature of sleeper species makes it difficult for land and water resource managers to prioritize funds and conservation activities to predict and counter invasion potential. For instance, species introductions can occur in small batches and isolated areas, and species need time before they can establish populations large enough to be noticed.
Even if natural resource managers know that a non-native species is present, the complexity of how that species interacts with the environment makes it extremely difficult to pinpoint exactly how or when it may become invasive. Understanding what environmental factors currently suppress the species’ population would bring resource managers closer to identifying potential tipping points that would release the sleeper, enabling invasion (Fig. 1).5 This management complexity grows when also accounting for the variety of ways species are introduced to new regions.
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