Small Group Socialization on Climate Change and Security | 03 Oct 2024
The Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) recently organized a second “small group socialization” at Hotel Renaissance Dhaka as part of the EU-funded project “Climate Change and Security: Addressing Potential Instabilities in Bangladesh.” Moderated by Major General ANM Muniruzzaman (retd), President at BIPSS, the event highlighted climate change as a critical security issue, with participants from the EU, International Partners, security institutions, civil society, and researchers.
Key discussions centered on the securitization of climate change, emphasizing its destabilizing effects, including displacement and conflict. Shafqat Munir, Senior Research Fellow at BIPSS, noted Bangladesh’s focus on ecological rather than security aspects of climate change. The military’s role in managing climate-induced threats was recognized, but the report advised against militarizing responses, advocating for a collaborative approach involving the government, NGOs, and the private sector.
The interactive session raised critical geopolitical challenges, particularly the reluctance of countries like India to engage in multilateral water management frameworks, which hampers basin-wide solutions for shared rivers. The session concluded by urging Bangladesh to integrate climate change into its national security strategies and promote civil-military cooperation to address climate-related security risks.
