Understanding Security and Sustainable Development in the Maritime Domain: A Framework

Maritime security and sustainability are the conceptual cornerstones of this volume, both encompassing important issues that are at the forefront of the global agenda and the collective concern of policymakers. As sustainability issues are increasingly framed as security threats, particularly as the impacts of climate change become manifest, the intersection between maritime security and sustainability is increasingly recognised, but not thoroughly conceptualised. This chapter sets out to do this by first providing conceptual clarity on the terms ‘maritime security’ and ‘sustainability’. It then develops a framework for systematically assessing the relationship between security and sustainability in the maritime domain. By highlighting the various ways in which maritime security and sustainable development are intertwined, and by explaining both reinforcing and disruptive effects between security and sustainability, our concept provides a useful analytical tool for analysing policy processes in the maritime domain.