Environmental Aspects of Security Threats to Japan in Southeast Asia

Abstract

Since the end of the Cold War there has been growing attention paid to relationships between environment and security. Some scholars and policymakers have suggested that regional environmental protection provides a ‘soft power’ means by which Japan can contribute to its own as well as international security. However, there have been few studies devoted to articulating the links between environmental degradation and Japan's security. This study presents a case of how regional environmental problems affect Japan's security and strategic interests in Southeast Asia. The analysis suggests there are, in fact, compelling reasons for environmental problems in Southeast Asia to be viewed with concern from a security standpoint in Japan.