Responses to climate-related security risks: Regional organizations in Asia and Africa

This SIPRI Insights presents a concise analysis of four regional intergovernmental organizations (IGOs)—two in Asia and two in Africa. The main findings show that, in various ways, climate-related security risks have found their way into the IGOs’ policy frameworks and institutional discourse. Some organizations have been concerned with climate security for several decades. In the case of one organization, climate-related security risks in the form of droughts were part of the very reason it was established. Other organizations identify climaterelated security risks as a direct challenge to their mandate to promote prosperity and stability. Overall, it was found that both the regional security context and the regions’ vulnerability to climate change affect the framing of climaterelated security risks.

The transnational character of climate-related security risks often goes beyond the capacity of national governments to respond adequately. As such, it creates challenges for and increases the relevance of IGOs. It is, therefore, not only important to understand the climate-related security risks that regions are experiencing but also to analyse how regional IGOs are developing their capacities to deal with these risks.