NAPSNet 25 August 2011

• ENERGY SECURITY: Ecological and nontraditional security challenges in South Asia
• CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Climate and conflicts: the security risks of global warming
• DPRK: Kim’s Russia trip focusing on energy issue
• DETTERENCE:New details emerge about U.S. nuclear missile test failure
• GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: Contrasting protests in South Korea
• AUSTRAL SECURITY: Malaysia solution verdict due next week

ENERGY SECURITY: Ecological and nontraditional security challenges in South Asia, National Bureau of Asian Research (June 2011) [PDF, 1.69MB]

A recent National Bureau of Asian Research Report by Dennis Pirages, Farooq Sobhan, Stacy D. VanDeveer and Li Li describes non-traditional and ecological crises in South Asia as being more responsible for human misery than military threats.  Demographic changes, globalization, urbanization, and climate change destabilize the equilibrium between humans and their environment, creating challenges that make cooperation between countries essential.

• Non-traditional security threats in Asia: Finding a regional way forward, East Asia Forum (04 June 2011)
• Cooperating in the energy security regime complex, Center for Non-Traditional Security Studies (August 2011) [PDF 292.03KB]
• The inadequate US response to a major security threat: Climate change, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (20 July 2011)

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Climate and conflicts: the security risks of global warming, Regional Environmental Change (2011) [subscription required]

Scheffran and Battaglini discuss the potential security risks and conflicts associated with climate change by introducing an assessment framework of climate stress, human security and societal impacts. They discuss a few regional hot spots of climate security and consider concepts and strategies to minimize the security risks and move from conflict to cooperation in climate policy.

• Security risks and conflicts of climate change and natural resource scarcity: Issues of future research, Research Group Climate Change and Security, University of Hamburg (6 and 7 July 2011) [PDF, 748 KB]
• Security risks of climate change: vulnerabilities, threats, conflicts and strategies, Coping With Global Environmental Change, Disasters and Security (2011) [subscription required]

DPRK: Kim’s Russia trip focusing on energy issue, Khaleej Times (23 August 2011)

Kim Jong-Il traveled to Russia to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. On the agenda will be DPRK–Russia–ROK energy and economic cooperation. Possible projects include connecting the railways and/or electricity grids in the three states or constructing a gas pipeline. These projects would facilitate energy for capital trade between South Korea and Russia and support the rehabilitation of the DPRK energy sector.

• Kim Jong Il passes through Khasan railway station, Russia, KCNA (20 August 2011)
• FM spokesman on Russian Vice-Foreign Minister’s visit to DPRK,  KCNA (15 March 2011)
• The DPRK power sector: Data and interconnection options, Nautilus Institute (9 August 2011)

DETERRENCE: New details emerge about U.S. nuclear missile test failure, Global Security Newswire (22 August 2011)

A July 27 operational test firing of a Minuteman missile from Vandenberg Air Force Base to Kwajalein Atoll failed on July 27 when its single re-entry vehicle was propelled to its post-boost phase motor trajectory.  The test was one of two each year which have a 90%+ success rate.

• Chasing gravity’s rainbow, Centre for Defense and Strategic Studies, Australian National University (1991) [PDF, 8.59KB]
• Report of the secretary of defense task force on DoD nuclear weapons management, Phase II: Review of the DoD Nuclear Mission (December 2008) [PDF, 1.10MB]

GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY: Contrasting protests in South Korea, Wall Street Journal (21 August 2011)

Protesters in Seoul turned out in three separate rallies, highlighting tensions among domestic, foreign and nationalistic issues as election year approaches. A demonstration against DPRK human rights abuses had several hundred participants, but was overshadowed by another demonstration regarding welfare programs in Seoul, held at the same venue and time. Another group protested against the Japanese government and potential Korean unification.

• South Koreans protest North’s prison camps, Wall Street Journal (20 August 2011)
• South Koreans protest against Japan and unification with the North, NTD Television (16 August 2011)

AUSTRAL SECURITY: Malaysia solution verdict due next week, Australian (23 August 2011)

The Malaysian Deal has come under severe criticism, and is currently under review in the High Courts. While the Australian Government deems the issue of asylum seekers a regional one, refugee advocates claim that Australia cannot  process asylum seekers in states that have no domestic or international legal obligations to protect them. The following articles explore the Malaysian Deal and its regional impacts.

• Australia and Malaysia sign transfer deal, Chris Bowen, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (25 July 2011)
• A limit to Australian openness, Asia Times (24 August 2011)
• Swap plays into Malaysia’s explosive racial divide, Australian (22 August 2011)

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Editors

• Arabella Imhoff & Mihiri Weerasinghe

Contributors

• Deterrence: Peter Hayes
• Governance and Civil Society: Yi Kiho
• Climate Change Adaptation: Saleem Janjua
• DPRK: Scott Bruce
• Energy Security: David von Hippel
• Austral Security: Arabella Imhoff, Mihiri Weerasinghe