IAN HALL, TROY LEE-BROWN AND REBECCA STRATING |
The Indo-Pacific is one of the most dynamic and contested regions in the world, home to vast oceans, diverse states, and complex maritime challenges. From the escalating risks of inter-state conflict and piracy to the pressing threats of climate change and marine resource depletion, the region’s maritime security landscape is as vast and intricate as the waters that define it. Addressing this complexity requires a fresh, holistic perspective—one that acknowledges the interconnectedness of environmental, economic, and geopolitical factors.
Enter Blue Security in the Indo-Pacific, published by Routledge as part of the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies Series. This volume brings together leading experts to provide an interdisciplinary examination of maritime security across 18 Indo-Pacific states, advancing the innovative concept of “Blue Security.”
What is Blue Security?
At its core, Blue Security represents a comprehensive approach to maritime security that goes beyond traditional military concerns. It integrates national, regional, international, human, and environmental dimensions to address a wide range of challenges, including:
- Blue crimes: Piracy, smuggling, and illegal fishing.
- Environmental threats: Climate change, marine pollution, and biodiversity loss.
- Geopolitical tensions: Competition over strategic waterways and natural resources.
By embracing this multidimensional framework, the book offers new insights into how states in the Indo-Pacific perceive and manage these challenges, focusing on the evolving strategies, capabilities, and cooperative mechanisms shaping the region’s maritime landscape.
Key features of the volume
The book provides a country-by-country analysis of maritime security policies across the Indo-Pacific, including contributions from prominent scholars and practitioners. Highlights include:
- Diverse Case Studies: The strategies of 18 states, from Australia and China to Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka, are examined in detail.
- Global Relevance: The Indo-Pacific is home to half the world’s population and serves as a critical hub for global trade and security.
- Innovative Perspectives: By conceptualising security holistically, the book challenges traditional frameworks and highlights the interconnectedness of human and environmental security.
Why this book matters
The Indo-Pacific’s strategic importance cannot be overstated. As the centre of gravity for global geopolitics and economic activity, the region’s stability is vital to the prosperity of nations worldwide. This volume makes a significant contribution by bridging academic scholarship with policy-relevant insights, offering a roadmap for addressing the region’s complex maritime challenges.
Blue Security in the Indo-Pacific is a must-read for:
- Students and scholars of maritime strategy, security studies, Asian politics, and international relations.
- Policy-makers and practitioners looking to understand and shape maritime security frameworks.
- Anyone interested in the future of the Indo-Pacific and its role in global security.
The book includes contributions from an impressive roster of scholars, each providing unique insights The book includes contributions from an impressive roster of scholars, each providing unique insights into the maritime strategies of individual states. Chapters include:
- Introduction: Ian Hall, Troy Lee-Brown, Rebecca Strating
- Australia: Justin Burke
- Bangladesh: Lailufar Yasmin
- China: Edward Sing Yue Chan
- Fiji: Michael O’Keefe, Ilai (Jack) Moceica
- France: Mélodie Ruwet
- India: Pooja Bhatt
- Indonesia: Dita Liliansa
- Japan: Kyoko Hatakeyama
- Malaysia: Ruhanas Harun
- New Zealand: David Capie
- The Philippines: Charmaine Misalucha-Willoughby
- Papua New Guinea: Bernard Yegiora
- Singapore: Chulanee Attanayake
- South Korea: Sanghoon Kim
- Sri Lanka: Nilanthi Samaranayake
- Thailand: Kitti Prasirtsuk
- United States: Gregory B. Poling, Harrison Prétat
- Vietnam: Nguyen Thi Lan Anh
Published by Routledge, the Corbett Centre series is renowned for its interdisciplinary approach to maritime strategy and policy. Drawing on the expertise of King’s College London and other global institutions, the series provides a platform for academic and policy-driven debates on key issues such as naval power, maritime security, and the commercial uses of the sea.
Blue Security in the Indo-Pacific is a timely and essential contribution to our understanding of one of the world’s most critical regions. Whether you are a researcher, policy-maker, or maritime enthusiast, this book offers invaluable insights into the strategies and challenges shaping the Indo-Pacific’s maritime future.
The Open Access version of this book has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.
Professor Ian Hall is a member of the Griffith Asia Institute. Dr Troy Lee-Brown is a Research Fellow at University of Western Australia Defence and Security and the project manager for ‘Blue Security’, a joint DSI-La Trobe Asia-Griffith Asia Institute-UNSW project which focuses on issues of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. Rebecca Strating is the Director of La Trobe Asia.
