Governing Asia-Pacific Climate Refugees: Problems and Reflections

Abstract

Given the “geographic environment” and “population distribution,” Asia Pacific region not only faces both higher risks of climate change and refugees due to the climatic catastrophe. 2012 ADB report indicated that natural disasters triggered by the climate change from 2010 to 2011 in Asia Pacific region had caused over 42 million people homeless, and it could get worse by times if the international society doesn’t make any efforts. Ironically, although the main countries like China, Japan, India, New Zealand and Australia also face the potential threats of Asia-Pacific climate refugees, their economic development are fast enough to support them to adjust to climatic catastrophe. Therefore, they pay little attention to these governance problems. In this light, this article will first introduce the ideas of Critical Security Studies and illustrate the ways it is applied to research analysis. Secondly, this article will review the development stages of the Asia-Pacific climate refuge’s problems, explaining the background of its formation, its influence and developing tendency. Finally, the author will give a reflection through the approach of Critical Security Studies, and formulate some contentions about relieving the threats of the Asia-Pacific climate refugees.