Political Science and Public Administration Journal

Opening Speech “Central Asia and Southeast Asia: A Tale of Geopolitics, Hedging and Regionalism in Two Regions” Dr Paradorn Rangsimaporn at the Comparative Regionalism Workshop Chiang Mai University, Thailand 8 February 2023

Paradorn Rangsimaporn — 2024-06-30

Navigating Environmental Security in the Anthropocene: The Potential for Cooperation and Conflict in International River Basins

Christian Ploberger — 2024-06-30

The paper argues that from an analytical perspective, an international river basin (IRB) offers a particular geographic and structural context, as it represents an interrelated, connected, geographic space. Climate change impacts have not only direct consequences for the availability and quality of water resources - spanning from changing precipitation events, flood events, or a higher rate of evaporation - but even more fundamental, long-lasting impacts as the major source of comprehensive environment degradation associated with the Anthropocene approach. When considering the actual and further potential impact on the availability of water resources and the distribution challenge, the prospects for aggravating lingering political conflicts, or even generating new political conflicts between the countries sharing an IRB becomes an even greater possibility. However, it would be misleading to assume that all countries within an IRB are exposed to environmental degradation and climate change impacts to the same extent. It is worth recognising that structural inequality exists within an IRB, that between upstream and downstream countries, as up-stream countries may be in a better situation to address related challenges. Moreover, environmental and climate change impacts in an IRB go far beyond the water resource issue, representing a microcosm for applying the Anthropocene approach.

Green Energy Diplomacy in the Post Covid-19 World: India’s Efforts towards Climate and Energy Security in the Global South

Aditi Basu — 2024-06-30

India currently faces a situation where economic growth and citizens' welfare depend on factors like access to energy. Under these circumstances, it becomes critical to examine the need of renewable energy in India. With its commitments on dealing with climate security issues and its own Nationally Determined Contributions, India now banks on clean and renewable sources of energy as the best option available at its disposal. Amidst the Covid-19 and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, energy security has, therefore, become the key concern of India’s foreign policy. India’s excessive reliance on coal and petroleum led to its increase in emissions generating environmental havocs. To avert these crises, India is boosting up its renewable energy sector as the best option for a sustainable future. It has also taken progressive steps in the promotion of renewable energy through multilateral partnerships like the International Solar Alliance. At the 27th Conference of Parties (CoP-27) held in Egypt in 2022, India stated how it had achieved great heights in RE through its updating of the Nationally Determined Contributions in August 2022. Therefore, the paper answers an important question in the literature on renewable energy politics: “In which ways has India linked climate diplomacy with energy security after Covid-19 through the promotion of renewable sources at the international and national levels?” The paper is significant for researchers to view India’s role as a Global South climate leader in a post-pandemic world order by bridging the Global South and the global north divide through renewable sources promotion. The paper also explores the close relationship between climate change and energy security, especially in a post Covid-19 world, where climate change and energy crises are no more national issues but global issues.

Sino-Thai Energy Collaboration: A Chinese Perspective on the Present State, Emerging Challenges, and Prospective Trajectories

Qian Wang — 2024-06-30

China-Thailand energy cooperation has made significant progress in recent years, positively contributing to the economic development and energy security of both countries. The purpose of this article is to discuss the current situation, challenges, and prospects of energy cooperation between China and Thailand. Firstly, the article reviews the history and development trends of China-Thailand energy cooperation, emphasizing the collaborative projects between the two countries in oil, natural gas, renewable energy, and electricity. Second, the article analyzes the main challenges facing Sino-Thai energy cooperation, including energy price volatility, ecological concerns, and environmental protection in sustainable development. The article then explores potential opportunities for future Sino-Thai energy cooperation, including the prospects for promoting innovation in clean energy technology and strengthening regional cooperation through energy connectivity. Finally, the article summarizes the significance of energy cooperation between China and Thailand, emphasizing that collaboration in the energy sector will positively impact regional and global energy security.

Shedding Light On Climate Change as A Threat to Multi-Dimensional Security: Case study of Thailand

Warathida Chaiyapa — 2024-06-30

This study investigated how Thai stakeholders perceive climate change as a threat to security, aiming to answer the research question: "How do key stakeholders in Thailand perceive climate change-induced threats to security, and are the current climate governance and policy responses sufficient to address the multifaceted impacts of climate change?" Perceptions were gathered from key informants, including representatives of government authorities, scholars, NGO officers, and staff from international agencies. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using qualitative content analysis via MAXQDA software. The responses of 12 interviewees were examined using a framework for climate security discourse: who are the referent objects, what is the nature of threats, who are the agents to take action to solve the issues, and how to respond to or address those threats? The findings revealed a wide range of referent objects, the nature of threats, agents, and responses specific to Thailand, providing a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of climate change. Climate change is primarily considered a threat to human security. Additionally, the study found that some Thai government responses and efforts to address climate change have been misguided, thereby creating further threats to climate security. A clear understanding of the multifaceted impacts of climate change is essential for designing sound public policies and educating the actors leading the responses.

MERCOSUR: Challenges and Opportunities in the Regional and Global Order

Tales Henrique Simoes — 2024-06-30

Over the course of its 30 years, Mercosur (Southern Common Market) has undergone various political, economic and social transformations, which have had repercussions on its institutional configuration, enduring periods of progress, expansion, stagnation and setbacks. The bloc has certainly not been immune to challenges in the intra- and extra-regional relations of its member states. The present work seeks to analyze, from a critical and realistic approach, the evolution and development of Mercosur as a regional institution in the face of regional and global geopolitical challenges. Geopolitical uncertainties and economic difficulties show a tendency towards centrifugal forces in the regional organization, in which intra-regional trade and the joint insertion of member states show a propensity towards disarrangement and distancing. The study is justified by the need to investigate the ongoing challenges faced by Mercosur, first by delving into its historical background its institutional development and second by analyzing how it has evolved over the 1990s, the 2000s and the 2010s. We aim at identifying the current economic and geopolitical obstacles and adversities for the bloc to act as a radiator of South American integration.

Calibrating Climate Conflict and Poverty in South Asia

Saheli Bose — 2024-06-30

South Asia faces multi-dimensional vulnerabilities. The region is one of the densely populated region housing 23 percent of world’s population on barely 3 percent of the land area. It accounts for world’s 24 percent population living in extreme poverty. Muti-dimensional Poverty which is based on deprivation in terms of health, living standard and education also features South Asia in its lowest. The region is also one of the worst affected by climate change. Adverse effects of climate change are visible in the region in terms of increase in sea level, reduction in agricultural productivity, increase in floods and droughts. Therefore, the primary objective of this article is to show that the combination of the adverse effects of climate change and existing poverty can act as an accelerant of conflict or instability in the countries of the region which can be source of inter-state conflict. This article is based on secondary sources like articles in book, journals, policy reviews and internet sources of relevant international organizations to analyze the same. The paper identifies that the problem of climate refugees and hydrological war is the most pressing source of inter-sate conflict in the region. The paper suggests that pan South Asian institutional mechanism like South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) should be utilized for fighting climate change and associated vulnerabilities. Though SAARC has been rifted due to political difference yet climate change can be a common point of convergence to revive the organization. In the end the paper provides some policy recommendations in context to SAARC that can be included to manage the problem.

The Evaluation Practices of ODA Providers in Assessing the Effectiveness of Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Projects in Vietnam

Margaux Annie Marie Duhem — 2024-06-30

Vietnam is at the forefront of the environmental, social and health challenges posed by global warming, requiring robust climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. Official Development Assistance (ODA) is emerging as a potential solution, providing financial support from developed countries to less favoured countries. However, the effectiveness of ODA in addressing climate issues remains uncertain, with criticism mounting over its mixed results and the continued existence of asymmetrical donor-recipient relationships. Through the lens of the Support Programme to Respond to Climate Change (SP-RCC), a joint budget programme launched in 2009 by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and supported by the World Bank, this article examines ODA's commitment to international environmental governance by supporting Vietnam's development of an environmental institutional framework. Focusing on the SP-RCC's evaluation system, which is based on internationally established aid effectiveness criteria, the article shows that the evaluation framework struggles to capture the SP-RCC's contribution to coherent environmental governance in Vietnam. The study highlights the failure of the evaluation to explain and address the lack of cooperation between the different actors involved in the SP-RCC, the problems of the programme's alignment with the Vietnamese government's objectives, and the programme's impact at the local level. The analysis highlights the challenges of aligning international recommendations with national strategies and the complexity of assessing the impact of aid on climate change adaptation and mitigation. The paper contributes to research on aid effectiveness in climate change adaptation and mitigation by taking an original approach: examining the role of international aid effectiveness criteria in guiding ODA targets and the impact this can have on recipient countries. Recommendations include the refinement of evaluation methodologies to improve understanding of aid impacts, the need to emphasise context specificity, and to promote the inclusion of NGOs and academics in donor evaluation systems.

Brewing a Better Future: A Multi-Level Perspective on the Co-Production of the Specialty Coffee Imaginary among Coffee Producers in Northern Thailand

Hannes Groeneweg — 2024-06-30

In recent years, an increasing number of coffee farmers in the Northern highlands are starting to produce specialty coffee. The objective of the research is to add to the understanding of specialty coffee’s impact on the global coffee value chain in general, and on Thai coffee farmers in particular. Building on qualitative empirical research, Northern Thai coffee farmers’ responses to this emerging specialty coffee segment are analyzed using the multi-level perspective (MLP) as an analytical framework through the lens of sociotechnical imaginaries. It is found that they are motivated by improved income, but also see specialty coffee as a source of pride, and a way to sustainability, as well as meeting a changing lifestyle trend. To do so, they are using new knowledge to change their way of production, innovating farm management and processing, and using new forms of marketing and organization. They are facing several challenges: a lack of knowledge about specialty coffee, a volatile market with powerful competitors, a regulatory framework perceived as not supporting specialty coffee development, and lack of sustainability. By adopting international knowledge and standards of specialty coffee, but adding local cultural context, practices, and value to their products, they are co-producing a specialty coffee imaginary of socio-economic progress and cultural recognition that is driving this sociotechnical transition. Risks need to be mitigated to continue the trajectory. In addition to the empirical contributions, this study also adds to the theoretical understanding of sociotechnical transitions by linking MLP with sociotechnical imaginaries, highlighting the role of agency.

From the Battlefields of Chong Bok to the Marketplaces of Emerald Triangle: The (Missing) Piece Of Memory In International Relations

Thanachate Wisaijorn — 2024-06-30

This research article applies the politics of memory concept in International Relations to analyse the policy of the Thai state on the triple border of Thailand, Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR). During the Cold War, Chong Bok as the point where the border of the three nation-states meet was the space of ideological conflicts. Fierce military clashes occurred in the area between the Thai state, Khmer Rouge, and Lao resistant groups that fought against the Lao communist government and Cambodian troops supported by the Vietnamese. After the Cold War, the slogan of changing the battlefields to the marketplaces redefined the meaning of the area as the Emerald Triangle which has the implication of economic development. This research article is qualitative and acquires data from academic texts, journals, policy documents and interviews. Nowadays, Chong Bok does not contribute much to economic growth because of limited infrastructure and transport to the area. While sectors of the Thai state insist that the plan for the triple border development should continue, non-state actors propose that the economic development of Emerald Triangle should not be limited to just the border but extend to adjacent border provinces as well. This article argues that the Thai state should initiate a project for transport and infrastructure development for the area. In the process of memory transition, more voices of different actors should be recognised so the area of Emerald Triangle can be a space for developing common memory in international politics that enriches policy formulation and academic research in the future.