Project Summary

Maritime security is bound to be one of the most vulnerable domains of security in the context of climate change especially for countries with long coastal boundaries. The Quad namely, India, Japan, Australia, and the US. share deep concerns of impending multidimensional maritime security challenges emanating from climate change. Climate induced changes such as rise in ocean surface temperature and sea level will severely threaten coastal regions and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region. These can derail the collective goals for which the Quad was established, that is, securing a free, open, prosperous, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. Climate change will act as a threat-multiplier to existing maritime security challenges leading to intensified resource competition, maritime violence and conflict, and control over sea lanes. Recognising this is critical for the Quad to secure their collective strategic and economic interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

The proposed project is therefore designed to study the new maritime security challenges that emerge for the Quad due to climate change. To that end, the research is structured around three central questions:

1. 1.What new maritime security challenges does climate change pose for the Quad in the Indo-Pacific region?
2. 2.How do the existing maritime security mechanisms of the Quad measure up to address these new challenges.
3. 3.What areas of cooperation can the Quad forge to secure their shared maritime security interests in the context of climate change, and what challenges may stand in the way to achieving these goals?

The research will be undertaken using two main research tools - systematic literature review and analysis, and interviews of experts/policymakers across Japan, Australia, and India.

Media Coverage

The Japan Times April 17, 2024, Climate change is political and we must treat it that way