Good neighbours: strengthening environmental security in the Indian Ocean region

In coming years, the Indian Ocean region (IOR) will experience a significant number of security threats associated with climate change and the impact of other human activities on the natural environment.

Those environmentally related issues may have a significant impact on the social, economic and political stability of the region. For many Indian Ocean states, those threats are higher security priorities than traditional state-based threats.

Environmental security is now a central element in Australia’s engagement with Pacific island countries. Similarly, the Australian Government should include environmental security as a key pillar in its engagement with Indian Ocean states.

Currently, there are no effective mechanisms or structures in the IOR to facilitate cooperation on:

• policy formulation on climate change and environmental security
• mitigation of and response to different types of environmental security threats.
• professional development and training of officials from national agencies with responsibilities for environmental security.

As part of enhanced engagement on environmental security, the Australian Government should pursue the following initiatives:

• Promote an Indian Ocean Dialogue on Environmental Security (IODES). IODES would be a regional multilateral mechanism that includes regular meetings at ministerial / senior officials level to develop shared perspectives and coordinate responses to selected environmental security threats.
• Sponsor the establishment of an Indian Ocean Centre for Environmental Security (IOCES).  OCES would be a centre to provide professional development in environmental security to personnel from civil and military agencies of Indian Ocean states.