Symposium to Commemorate the Publication of “Does climate change destabilize society? ―The dynamics of international politics on water resources－”

The SDGs Collaborative Research Unit of the Institute for Future Initiatives at the University of Tokyo published the book “Does Climate Change Destabilize Society?” in November 2022. The book is the outcome of the research project “The Nexus of International Politics on Climate Change and Water Resources: Security and SDGs Perspectives,” which was conducted from 2019 to 2021.

Climate Change Politics has been gaining attention since the beginning of the twenty first century. Research on this topic has become important in the field of international politics and international relations. Since 2019, the SDGs Collaborative Research Unit had conducted a research project investigating the nexus of international politics in terms of climate change and water resources with case studies of the Global South. The project consisted of three parts. Firstly, this research project clarified the ways climate change posed stresses on societies and politics, and how such stresses contributed to social instability, resource acquisition competition, armed conflicts, and increase of refugees and immigrants. Secondly, this research project considered how nations and societies at the grassroots conduct mitigation and adaptation to contribute to “Climate Change Resilience”. Finally, this research project discussed global governance with addition of “Climate Security” as a new concern for national security.

The purpose of this symposium is to make the contents of the book, the result of three years of research, widely available to the public and to obtain feedback from those involved in research and practice closely related to this subject. Furthermore, by notifying that IFI is conducting a research project on Climate Change Politics, our hope is to stimulate research communities toward activation of related research.