Nontraditional Security in the Global South:Vulnerabilities and Resilience in a New World Order

 Dr. Imran Ali Sandano

Nontraditional security is about everyday safety. It is food on the table, clean water, a job that pays, reliable power, a stable climate, basic health care, and trust in digital systems. These are not soft issues, but they decide who lives, who moves, and who gets heard.

The Global South carries a heavy share of the risk. Many countries sit on cyclone paths, face long dry seasons. Cities grow fast, Informal housing spreads on flood plains and steep hills. Budgets are tight,  debt payments eat space for public spending. When shocks hit, there is little cushion.

Climate change is the big force multiplier. Heat kills crops and workers, drought empties wells, heavy rain turns roads to rivers, and a storm can wipe out a decade of gains. Recovery takes years, then the next shock arrives.

Food security is now a constant worry. Farmers depend on rain that no longer follows past patterns. Fertilizer prices swing with war and trade fights. A missed planting season becomes a missed school year as families pull children into work. Malnutrition lowers learning and earnings for life.

Health systems were stretched before the pandemic. Covid-19 broke many of them, routine immunization stalled, and staff left for better pay. Stockouts of basic drugs became normal. Heat waves now push hospitals to the limit, and new pathogens will come.

Urban risk is growing, people move to cities for work and school, housing cannot keep up, drainage is poor, and a normal rain becomes a flood.

Digital space brings new threats, cheap smartphones put services in reach. They also open doors to scams, spyware, and theft of identity. Disinformation moves faster than fact. Infrastructure is often foreign owned, and data flows are not transparent. Rules are young, and rights are unclear.

Crime and illicit trade exploit cracks in governance. Ports with weak scanning become hubs. Forests fall to illegal logging. Fishing grounds empty. Small arms move across long borders. These markets pollute politics. They also drain local economies of trust and tax.

All this unfolds in a shifting world order. Power is more spread out. Big economies compete on chips, batteries, and minerals. Sanctions and export controls ripple through supply chains. Insurance costs rise with climate risk. Aid budgets face pressure at home. The South must navigate this maze while meeting basic needs.

Still, resilience is not a slogan. It is a set of choices that work on the ground. Early warning systems save lives when storms hit. They must reach the last mile with clear messages. Community health workers hold clinics together. They need steady pay and stocks. Social protection that is digital and simple can move cash fast after a shock.

Finance is central,  many states pay more to creditors than to schools and clinics. Debt swaps for climate and nature can free room to invest. Parametric insurance can pay out when a cyclone lands, not six months later. But premiums must be fair.

Energy policy is a security policy. Diesel is costly and dirty, solar and wind are now cheaper in many places. Mini grids can power clinics and cold chains. The goal is reliability, not only big megawatts. Local maintenance and spare parts are key.

Digital safety needs plain rules. It requires clear consent for data use. Ban bulk spyware purchases without independent oversight, and support local cyber response teams. Teach digital hygiene in schools, and public bodies should use open standards and publish code where possible.

Nature is infrastructure. Mangroves blunt storm surge, forests cool air and secure water, and coral reefs protect coasts and feed families. Protecting these systems is cheaper than rebuilding seawalls. I believe communities that steward them should be paid and respected.

Regional bodies can do more. The African Union, ASEAN, CARICOM, GCC, MERCOSUR, SCO, SAARC, and others are platforms for joint action. They can coordinate disaster drills, and set shared standards for power grids and rail links. They can negotiate fairer terms for critical minerals.

Partnerships must shift power. As South South ties are growing, countries share lessons on mobile money, disease tracking, and low cost housing. City networks trade solutions on flood mapping and heat shelters. Diaspora groups fund clinics and labs, and  these ties build resilience without asking permission.

Universities and media have roles too. They should translate science into plain language. They should name trade offs, not hide them. People can accept hard truths if leaders are honest. A plan with limits is better than a fantasy.

The Global South did not create most of the climate problem. Yet it bears the brunt, and fair finance is not charity. It is stability for everyone. But waiting for perfect fairness is not a plan.

We need to build early warning, fix water losses, pay community health workers, protect mangroves and forests, and expand mini grids. It is important to create cash systems that move fast. Set simple digital rights, and share data on rivers and storms. Use regional platforms to buy insurance and negotiate fair terms.

And keep the language plain, people know what safety feels like. Policy should start there and work back to the spreadsheet. That is how nontraditional security becomes daily security, even in a rough new world.