Climate Security In India - A Critical Analysis Of National Policies And International Climate Obligations
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Category: Environmental Law
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CLIMATE SECURITY IN INDIA: A CRITICAL
ANALYSIS
OF NATIONAL POLICIES AND INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE OBLIGATIONS Dr. H.T. Aravinda, Assistant Professor of Law, Visveswarapura College of Law, Bengaluru.
ABSTRACT
Climate security has become one of the most pressing policy issues of our time, as we increasingly understand that climate change not only poses environmental threats, but also economic, health, governance and security challenges to countries. The term climate security has become a popular term both in international policy and academic debate but its definition is far from uniform between countries. While the Global North's discourse on climate security is often focused on military planning, conflict mitigation, and geopolitical dynamics, India's perspective is more complex. The concept of climate security in India is not limited to the spheres of military strategy, conflict prevention, and geopolitical rivalry, which are central to the Global North's framework.
Rather, the Indian climate security narrative is more defined by India's development priorities, socio-economic vulnerabilities, constitutional mandate of sustainable development and being a prominent developing country in the international climate change negotiations. This approach, therefore, also incorporates issues related to poverty alleviation, food and water security, disaster resilience, energy transition and inclusive economic growth as part of the larger agenda of environmental protection and climate justice. The article tries to analyse the interplay of internal policy needs and external geopolitical considerations in the evolution of climate security discourses in India. It says that there are two interrelated dimensions that form an India's narrative around climate security.
The article also examines the contribution of various stakeholders such as government bodies, academia, policy research institutes, the military, disaster management organisations and civil society groups to the changing contours of the climate security discourse in India. It shows how, as climate change has increasingly become part of India's domestic security and governance agenda, there have been increased levels of disaster preparedness, adaptation to climate change, renewable energy and climate resilience building.
Meanwhile, India remains open to cautionary stance on international securitised approaches to climate change, always asserting that climate governance should be grounded in the principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities, sustainable development and multilateral cooperation in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). According to the study, India's climate security framework is a unique model that addresses developmental needs along with the newfound security challenges and paves the way for future discussions on climate governance in the Global South. This can help inform the way developing countries manage climateinduced risks while still achieving their development goals and meeting their international obligations.
Keywords: Climate security, sustainable development, international commitments, environmental protection and climate justice.
1. Introduction
Climate change is no longer an environmental issue but is one of the most multifaceted challenges faced by the international community in terms of governance and security. The global rise of extreme weather, climate-induced displacement, sea level rise, biodiversity loss, water scarcity and food insecurity are increasingly endangering economic development, political stability and human security worldwide. Climate change is not, and has never been, a new source of security problems, but rather a "risk multiplier" which is making existing social, political and economic vulnerabilities worse, as repeatedly emphasised by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In response, the governments and international organisations have started to incorporate climate into the national security policies, foreign policy, disaster management policies, and development planning process.
Climate security is a new policy concept which highlights a large shift in the international thinking. In the past, national security meant only military threats, territorial integrity and interstate conflict. However, modern scholarship acknowledges that environmental degradation and climate change can also have indirect impacts on state security such as through resource scarcity, public health issues, migration, destruction of infrastructure, and the rise in the number of disasters. Climate security has thus matured into a multi-faceted concept, which includes environmental security, human security, economic resilience, and institutional preparedness. However, there is a country-by-country variation in climate security understandings. In developed countries, such as in Europe and North America, the concept of climate security is often discussed strategically and geopolitically.
Climate change is increasingly being recognized by their policy frameworks as a driver towards regional instability, armed conflict, migration and strategic competition over natural resources. Climate Risk Assessments have been integrated into military planning in these countries, as climate change conditions can affect national resilience, humanitarian operations and potential conflict scenarios. The curve of Indian knowledge about climate security, on the other hand, is very different. India is one of the largest developing economies in the world and faces the double burden of climate vulnerability along with the need to continue economic growth and increase the quality of life for its more than 1. 4 billion citizens.
Climate change has direct impacts on key areas of agriculture, water availability, public health, energy supply, infrastructure, and livelihoods, which continue to be key drivers of India's development agenda. Therefore, for the general sense of the Indian policy-making community, climate security is not a ‘military problem' but a ‘development and governance problem' that must be addressed with comprehensive policy solutions. This overall perspective is further reinforced by the provisions of the Constitution of India. Under the Constitution, the State is duty bound to protect and improve the environment as per Article 48A and all citizens have a fundamental duty to protect natural resources as per Article 51A(g). Judicial interpretation of Article 21 has led to the addition of the Right to a Clean and Healthy Environment to the Right to Life.
These norms constitute a normative basis for incorporating environmental protection, sustainable development and climate resilience into public policy. Thus, the Indian approach to the issue of climate security has been shaped by the interplay of constitutional values, development agenda, disaster experiences, and international climate diplomacy. Indian policymakers acknowledge that climate change is more than a security threat it presents food security, water availability, public health, and urban resilience challenges, as well as energy transition and disaster risk reduction challenges. Meanwhile, India is not keen on the process of securitizing climate change in international institutions, especially when it threatens to supplant the principles of equity, historical responsibility and developmental justice.
This article suggests that one has to study the issue of climate security in India in the context of the interplay between domestic governance concerns and international diplomatic efforts. Both these dimensions mutually reinforce each other, impacting India's domestic climate policies as well as its engagement with global climate negotiations. This is an important aspect to understand to grasp India's unique role in the modern climate security discourse.
2. Indian Perceptions on Global Environment Safety Discourses
In the past twenty years, the debates and discussions on climate security have grown significantly at the international level. The United Nations Security Council, the European Union, NATO and multiple national governments are now all referring to climate change as a threat multiplier that can exacerbate conflict, migration, humanitarian crises, and geopolitical tensions. This view has led to the integration of climate risk considerations in defence planning, foreign policy and strategic security risk assessment in many developed countries. India has participated in these conversations, while also consistently charting its own course in the developmental experience and historical responsibility discourse.
Indian policymakers have stated that the primary emphasis of climate change should be on sustainable development and international environmental co-operation and should not be a question of global security governance. A key aspect of its stance is the Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) principle in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). India has always been a strong advocate of the concept that developed countries have greater historical responsibility for GHG emissions and thus have higher responsibilities in terms of mitigation, climate finance, technology transfer, etc. , and capacity building. The excessive focus on climate security from India's point of view risks international attention turning away from these basic obligations.
India also warns that securitisation of climate change could allow for interventionist measures in international politics. When climate change is predominantly a security issue, and the security-relevant institutions are different from what is defined in the UNFCCC, multilateral decision-making could gradually move from that inclusive body to the security-oriented body, with comparatively lower influence for the developing countries. Institutional change can harm the consensus-driven process that has been the hallmark of international climate negotiations since the UNFCCC was agreed in 1992. Meanwhile, India is not ignoring the security concerns of climate change. Instead, it takes an all-encompassing approach to security.
Indian policy becomes more attuned to the fact that climate change poses a risk to food production, freshwater supplies, coastal infrastructure, public health, biodiversity, energy resources, and disaster preparedness and resilience. Increased climate resilience is a part of national development, as these challenges have direct implications for economic stability and social welfare.
The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which was launched in 2008 is a significant step towards institutionalisation of this approach. The NAPCC demonstrates India's approach of climate change as an integral part of the country's development agenda rather than a singular security threat by having eight national missions such as the one on Solar Energy, Water Conservation, Sustainable Agriculture, Energy Efficiency and Ecosystems Protection, etc. The Paris Agreement is just a single example of India's balanced approach. The country has increased the renewable energy capacity actively largely supported green hydrogen projects, streamlined disaster management and disaster preparedness systems, enhanced coastal resilience programmes, and accelerated sustainable urban development.
These initiatives not only serve the cause of climate mitigation and economic development, but also national resilience – and they do all three without explicitly using the vocabulary of military or conflict-based climate policy. The same unique viewpoint is expressed in academic scholarship in India as well. There is a growing push to consider issues of human security, environmental justice, climate resilience and sustainable development as integral parts of climate change's security consequences rather than separate or second to the socio-economic and governance dimensions.
Indian think tanks such as the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) have played a pivotal role in shaping policy discussions, pushing for a more holistic perspective that integrates scientific research, institutional reforms, and cooperation with other countries. The Indian Armed Forces have also started to factor ‘climate considerations' into their plans, for instance, in preparing for disaster relief; humanitarian assistance; infrastructure in border areas and coastal security. However, these developments are not in isolation but part of a larger developmental and governance context; a military doctrine of climate security does not exist.
India's efforts to join international climate governance programmes like the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and Mission LiFE also reflect its approach of collaborative development-oriented climate governance. These are aimed at resilience-building measures, at transitions towards clean energy, and at international cooperation, without any explicit securitising narrative. They reflect India's stance on climate security that goes beyond a conventional security approach to sustainable development, technological innovation and equitable international cooperation. Thus, the climate security discourse in India is a unique alternative in the global climate governance. It does not condemn the security concerns of climate change, nor does it wholeheartedly accept the military language that is common in some parts of the Global North.
Rather, it aims to balance environmental sustainability, economic development, constitutional principles and international justice in a holistic policy framework that reflects the reality of the Global South.
3. ‘Internal and ‘Global Spheres in Environment Protection Conversations
In India, the discourse of climate security has been developing over time, as a result of the constant interplay between national governance agendas and international climate governance. Climate security is a security construct that goes beyond borders and institutional frameworks, as traditional security architectures clearly divide the internal aspects of national security from the external ones. At the same time, domestic governance is impacted by climate induced disasters, environmental degradation, resource scarcity, and public health emergencies; they also shape international diplomatic matters. Therefore, the problem of climate security in India can't be discussed without looking at the synergy between the domestic institutional processes and international policy environments.
The focus of India's climate policy, especially in the past, was on environmental protection and developmental planning. Climate change was seen as something that could be dealt with through sustainable development, poverty eradication, and resource management, and not through the national security institutions. But this has changed the policy perception due to a rise in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events like the Kerala floods, the Uttarakhand floods, devastating cyclones like Fani, Amphan and Tauktae, and the prolonged heatwaves in northern and central Indian states, along with repeated droughts in various parts of the country.
These events have shown that climate change presents significant threats to ecosystem services as well as to the productivity of economic processes, food security and access to food, infrastructure, health, internal migration, and the capacity of government. Thus, climate security has been increasingly brought into the fold of domestic policy debates and agendas through institutions tasked with disaster management, environmental management and governance, infrastructure development, agriculture, water resources management and public health. However, instead of creating a new climate security architecture, India has built climate into the existing governance architecture, thereby strengthening the country's commitment to mainstreaming climate resilience into its developmental policies.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) continues to be the key ministry for the formulation and implementation of climate policies. It facilitates India's contributions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Paris Agreement and other multilateral environmental treaties and supports the implementation of national adaptation and mitigation initiatives. The Ministry has made efforts to incorporate climate resilience aspects under the sectoral policies on agriculture, water, forests, renewable energy, sustainable habitat and ecosystem conservation through the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs).
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is another important institutional entity that has increasingly moved away from the disaster response paradigm and towards the resilience paradigm. Since the enactment of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, India has put in place an institutional mechanism which has embraced the growing role of climate variability in disaster occurrence. Disaster management and climate adaption are converging, as shown in NDMA's guidelines for dealing with heatwaves, flooding, cyclone risks and urban disaster risk reduction. Climate resilience is no longer considered a purely environmental goal, but a part of national preparedness efforts. The NITI Aayog has also made commendable efforts towards climate integration in long-term development planning.
NITI Aayog has also advocated for climate responsive governance through policy papers on energy transition, water conservation, sustainable agriculture, electric mobility, green hydrogen, and circular economy initiatives and ensured the inclusion of climate diplomacy in foreign policy through strategic partnerships, South-South cooperation and multilateral engagement. India has been making a conscious attempt to position itself as a responsible global climate leader, while at the same time ensuring national developmental interests, through initiatives like the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and Mission LiFE. The Indian security forces have also started to accept the threat of climate change as a strategic threat.
India's Armed Forces are increasingly facing operational threats due to climate change, especially in ecologically sensitive areas including the Himalayas, Indian Ocean and the country's vast coastline. The melting glaciers have impacts on logistics and military facilities on northern borders, rising sea levels pose threats to naval bases, and extreme weather events drive up the number of humanitarian missions, emergency response, and disaster relief efforts. While India has not yet developed a military doctrine on climate security like NATO or the United States Department of Defence, the military is slowly making some of its processes more climate resilient. Academic institutions and policy think tanks have been transformative in their role in enhancing India's awareness of climate security.
The interdisciplinary scholarship between climate change and governance, migration, energy security, public health, food systems and geopolitical stability has been generated by organisations like the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Centre for Policy Research (CPR), Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and universities. Through their research, they have stimulated policymakers to shift from conventional environmental regulation to the governance of resilience. Civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations also have played a substantial role in engaging in some community-based adaptation programmes, raising climate awareness, contributing to disaster preparedness and advocating environmental justice.
The collaboration between them is an important aspect of the climate security conversation in India, as it goes beyond the state and is seen as a shared responsibility of the community, scientific research, industry, and international cooperation. What is being illustrated is the interplay between these different institutions, showing that India's climate security framework is not just a national security one. It is a model of governance that is multi-dimensional, multi-institutional, multi-community, multi-civil society, and multi-international organisations, all contributing to the response to the climate induced risks.
4. The Local–Intercontinental Aspect
One of the key features of India's climate security agenda is that the notion of development is a domestic consideration that influences India's approach to international climate governance. India has never made foreign policy decisions independent of domestic issues; instead, it always takes its negotiating stance on foreign policy based on its domestic socio-economic realities. This connection can be referred to as the domestic-international dimension of climate security. India still has one of the largest agricultural workforces, with millions of people working directly in climate-sensitive agriculture and allied fields for their livelihoods. Thus, food production, water supply, energy access, employment creation and the reduction of poverty are the core national priorities.
All of these sectors face threats from climate change, and sustainable development is inseparable from climate resilience. The international climate diplomacy of India, therefore, aims at ensuring a developmental margin at the international level while also playing a constructive role in global climate efforts. Environmental integrity is at the core of this charter. India continually asserts that the responsibilities of the countries are in proportion to their historical GHGs and economic capacities. It is reflected in the doctrine of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) under the UNFCCC. The Indian negotiators say developed countries must provide financial and technological assistance to developing countries and give them enough policy space to achieve elimination of poverty, sustainable industrialisation and enhance living standards.
India's national energy demands also influence its foreign policy approach to climate. India’s domestic energy requirements also drive India's foreign policy approach to climate. The necessary growth of electricity generation, industrial production, transport and digital infrastructure is great in the context of rapid economic growth. India has made great strides on the road to achieving net zero and expanding renewable energy, but fossil fuels also have a significant role in providing affordable energy access for the masses. India thus calls for a “just, orderly and equitable transition”, meaning that climate mitigation action needs to be tailored to the specific situation of each nation and that there should be no “one-size-fits-all” approach. India's foreign policies more and more seem to be driven by its own developmental priorities.
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an initiative that is promoting affordable use of renewable energy, especially for countries with high potential for harnessing solar energy in developing nations. The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) aims to increase the resilience of infrastructure to climate induced disasters and minimise economic losses and vulnerable people. Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) promotes sustainable consumption patterns, while acknowledging changes in behaviour alongside technological innovation. India's focus on adaptation as well as mitigation is another example of the domestic–international relationship. While most countries in the developed world have traditionally focused on reduction, India contends that adaptation should be treated in the same way due to the vulnerabilities of societies facing the impacts of climate change.
This reflects the domestic situation in terms of recurrent floods, droughts, cyclones, glacier retreat, coastal erosion, etc. and economically disadvantaged communities being hit the hardest by heatwaves. South-South cooperation is also a South-South diplomacy tool that is actively being used in India. Using technical assistance, renewable energy partnerships, disaster management cooperation and capacity building programmes, India makes efforts to build collective resilience of the developing countries. These efforts do more than just boost India's global presence; they also strengthen its domestic development principles, which emphasize equity, inclusion, and collective progress. More importantly, India's domestic governance experience has boosted its credibility in the international climate talks.
Climate action is compatible with economic development, as largescale investments in renewable energy, disaster management system improvements, forest expansion in some areas, the promotion of electric mobility, and investments in green hydrogen demonstrate. The domestic success of these efforts reinforces India's call for climate security to be achieved through sustainable development, and not securitisation. Hence, the external climate policy of India is deeply embedded in the domestic developmental realities, and this reflects the domestic–international dimension. Foreign policy is not separate from domestic policy priorities for good governance, but rather a component of national development plans. Climate security thus emerges as a link between constitutional pledges, socio-economic change, environmental sustainability and international cooperation.
5. Universal–National Component
Climate security and governance in India is not a one-way street. Business-as-usual determinants are important in influencing India's negotiating positions in the international climate regime but so are developments in the international climate regime influencing India's domestic legal, institutional and policy frameworks. This two-way interaction forms the international–domestic aspect of India's climate security talk. It shows that the international norms, scientific evaluation, multilateral treaties, technology cooperation, and geopolitical changes increasingly shape the domestic governance of India, despite its efforts to maintain its development autonomy. The most important factor affecting the climate governance in India has been the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the international climate change regime that has developed since its inception.
India has been a Party to the Convention since 1992 and has been steadily moving towards adopting principles of sustainable development, adaptation, mitigation, transparency and resilience in its domestic climate policies, which form the basis of international consensus. India has always upheld the concept of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) but has also recognized the importance of active implementation of international commitments within its own country for effective climate governance. A key milestone came in 2015 when the Paris Agreement was adopted, with nationally determined contributions (NDCs) becoming the key tool for climate action.
The Paris Agreement differs from Kyoto because it is not a treaty involving binding commitments for only developed nations, but rather a treaty where all Parties must formulate their national commitments and then rework them from time to time. The flexible architecture allowed India to take a bold step in climate action while maintaining developmental priorities. The NDCs of India have played an important role in the policy making process in India. In consequence, a wide range of policy developments have taken place in various sectors, based on commitments made for the expansion of renewable energy, emissions intensity reduction, carbon sinks, and lifestyles compatible with sustainability. There has been a significant growth in renewable energy capacity, with large investments in solar and wind power.
At the same time, institutional momentum has been building behind the programmes related to electric mobility, green hydrogen, energy efficiency, afforestation and sustainable urban development. The international commitments show how more and more they act as an engine for domestic governance processes. Scientific institutions around the world have also been playing a significant role in India's climate security conversation. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has made several Assessment Reports, each foretelling the devastating impacts of climate change on South Asia, such as global warming, unpredictable changes in monsoon seasons, glacier melting in the Himalayas, coastal erosion, the decline of biodiversity, and frequent occurrence of extreme weather events.
These scientific evaluations have reinforced the scientific basis of domestic climate policies and given policymakers clear and useful empirical evidence of future climate risks. Concurrently, India has witnessed changes in its institutional landscape owing to the increasing focus on disaster risk reduction in international governance. Countries were urged to move from disaster response to disaster risk prevention and resilience building by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015 – 2030). India has integrated these within its national disaster management policies by making early warning systems more effective, strengthening community preparedness, making infrastructure more resilient, and integrating climate adaptation into disaster planning. Disaster management has thus developed from an emergency response system to a vital element of national climate security.
International financial mechanisms have also helped India in achieving the domestic climate transition. Climate finance, including from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and multilateral development banks, has been used to fund projects on renewable energy, climate adaptation, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable infrastructure. India has consistently insisted that developed countries do their "fair share" under international climate accords, yet it has been able to implement several home-grown climate measures with financial and technological support provided. Technology transfer is another area of the international–domestic link.
India's scientific and institutional capabilities have been bolstered through international cooperation in fields like solar photovoltaics, battery storage, hydrogen technology, climate modelling, satellite monitoring and early warning systems. Through joint initiatives with France, Germany, Japan, USA, Australia and EU member nations, India has been able to make a faster progress in its shift towards cleaner energy systems and strengthened climate resilience. The climate security priorities have also been influenced by geopolitical developments which are unfolding on the international stage. The strategic significance of energy diversification towards renewable energy has been further bolstered by energy security issues related to geopolitical tensions, price volatility and uncertainties in the international energy markets, as well as supply chain disruptions.
The shift to clean energy is considered not only as a measure for the environment but also as a tool for economic security and strategic independence. The efforts towards green hydrogen, critical mineral collaborations, and the development of hydrogen production facilities in India, as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, demonstrate how climate policy, industrial growth, and national security are interlinked. The judiciary of India has also translated into their domestic constitutional practice international environmental principles. In the interpretation of Article 21 of the Constitution, the Supreme court has very frequently referred to sustainable development, precautionary principle, intergenerational equity and polluter pay principle.
While the notion of climate security is not yet fully established in Indian constitutional jurisprudence, recent judicial rulings have acknowledged how the degradation of the environment impacts on the inherent rights to life, health, livelihood and dignity. Environmental international law has, in turn, increasingly enhanced the in-country protection of climate resilience through legal frameworks. The international debate has been seen to influence Indian debate through academic research as well as research into policy. Cooperation between universities, think tanks, and research institutions with international organisations in the research of climate migration, energy transitions, climate finance, adaptation strategies, Arctic governance, blue economy projects and regional security implications has increased.
These partnerships have brought a greater diversity and depth to national policy debates and helped keep the national climate governance agenda informed of international scientific and policy advancements. However, India's involvement in international climate security efforts is still incomplete and selective. There has been continued caution from Indian policy makers towards the attempt to address climate change as a normal security concern in institutions like the United Nations (UN) Security Council. They say that it is important to keep the climate governance process within an inclusive multilateral environmental process and not be integrated into strategic security institutions that could politicise the decision-making process.
This cautious attitude seems to be part of India's efforts to maintain the developmental thrust in international climate governance, while acknowledging the real security concerns of climate change. The international–domestic dimension thus demonstrates how India's climate governance has become more entangled with the global climate institutions without losing its autonomy with respect to its policy framework. Collaborative efforts through international agreements, scientific findings and evaluation, financial aid, technology transfer and partnerships, and diplomatic relations have increased domestic resilience and India's adherence to equity, sustainable development and climate justice.
6. Conclusion
Climate security is one of the most pressing governance challenges of the 21st century, and the established and accepted divisions between environmental protection, economic development, and national security are being called into question. The above-mentioned dimensions have been illustrated in the context of India's climate security discourse, which shows that these dimensions are not incompatible and do not have a fixed priority order. Rather, they are intricately connected and jointly influence domestic governance and international politics within the country. Unlike some other nations of the Global North, where the concept of climate security is often defined in terms of geopolitical competition and military strategy, or conflict prevention, India has a unique approach based on development.
The climate security narrative is well entrenched in constitutional principles, socio-economic realities, environmental justice, as well as sustainable development in the country. India's perspective on climate resilience is not about securitisation of climate change; instead, it is fundamental to poverty alleviation, food security, water management, public health, disaster preparedness, and inclusive economic growth. The article has shown that there are two mutually reinforcing aspects to the climate security discourse in India. The domesticinternational dimension addresses the impact of domestic development agendas on India's negotiating positions in international forums, such as on climate justice, historical responsibility, adaptation finance, technology transfers, and equitable energy transitions.
The international domestic dimension, on the other hand, serves as an example of how international agreements, scientific research, financial mechanisms, technological cooperation, and multilateral governance are becoming more influential in the domestic climate policies and institutional reforms of India. The analysis also shows that climate security is not just a subject of the environmental ministry in India. The country's awareness of climate-related risks has been growing, thanks to various government departments, disaster management agencies, the armed forces, foreign policy institutions, academic circles, think tanks, civil society organisations and the judiciary.
The institutional diversification demonstrates the increasing awareness that climate change impacts virtually all facets of governance, such as infrastructure, agriculture, public health, urban planning, energy security, and economic planning. However, there are still plenty of hurdles to overcome. India still has to deal with the challenge of balancing the competing demands of fast economic growth, energy security, industrialization, and environmental sustainability. There is a need to foster better institutional coordination and long-term climate-resilient planning to address gaps in climate finance, technology, regional disparities, and growing climate-induced disasters.
The future of climate governance needs to therefore shift from piecemeal sectoral approaches to integration of policy approaches that tackle mitigation, adaptation, disaster risk reduction, green economy, and social equity. To conclude, the climate security discourse in India is an important alternative in global climate governance. It does not deny the security aspects of climate change, nor does it endorse the securitisation agenda of several developed nations. Rather, India advocates for a balanced approach based on sustainable development, constitutionalism, climate justice, multilateralism and human security. The lessons learnt from India are important for developing countries to find a balance between environmental sustainability and economic development and social inclusion, as climate change is changing the landscape of international relations and the nature of governance.
More holistic, inclusive, and resiliency-focused approaches to climate security will continue to be essential for national prosperity and the planet's environmental equilibrium. ‘
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