Antropoceno, naturaleza y seguridad en el Sudeste asiático: una aproximación Eco-crítica a los conflictos del Mar de China meridional

Abstract

In recent years, the concept of the 'Anthropocene' and its theoretical and practical implications have permeated International Relations Theory, and especially studies focused on international security. Still scarce, most of the reflections are limited to theoretically-oriented works. However, more and more are exploring its potential to understand specific cases, challenges and conflicts. This work offers an eco-critical approach to the environmental dimension of conflicts in the South China Sea based on two main assumptions: first, the acceptance that human activity has a profound and varied impact on the planet's ecology and geology; second, the profound conviction that understanding contemporary international security requires a fresh and reflective analysis of conflict. The analysis yields two main conclusions. The first is that nature is not only not being protected in the South China Sea, but is often being sacrificed for the sake of different actions: actions directly linked to conflict dynamics (such as the construction of artificial islets or the recent process of militarisation); and, more paradoxically, actions aimed at promoting cooperation and the resolution of existing conflicts (such as agreements for the joint exploitation of fishing reserves or oil and natural gas resources). The second is that the different management and conflict resolution strategies developed by non-state actors over the past few years have also relegated nature and ecological considerations to a marginal position. This despite the higher sensitiveness of local and regional non-state actors to the agenda of transnationality compared to that of States and the former’s rhetorical emphasis on non-conventional aspects of security.