Holistic Approaches to Maritime Security - Tharishini Krishnan
The video discusses holistic approaches to maritime security, highlighting both traditional and non-traditional aspects. Traditional maritime security often focuses on state-to-state issues such as US-China rivalry. However, Tharishini Krishnan emphasizes the growing importance of non-traditional maritime security, which involves issues like human security that directly affect communities. These issues require practical, people-centered solutions and greater collaboration within the maritime community.
One key recommendation from Krishnan is fostering collaboration between different groups, including governments and local communities. She argues that governments alone cannot address all maritime security challenges. Cooperation among different agencies, such as navies, coast guards, and police, is crucial for a more comprehensive approach to maritime security. This inter-agency collaboration could lead to more effective responses to the multifaceted threats present in the maritime domain.
Krishnan also stresses the need for increased public awareness about maritime issues. Despite many countries identifying as maritime nations, there is often limited public understanding of the maritime domain’s importance beyond leisure activities. She suggests that governments should create programs to educate the public and engage communities in addressing maritime challenges.
Ultimately, Krishnan advocates for a “whole of government” and “whole of society” approach, where both governmental agencies and society work together to develop holistic and sustainable policies for maritime security. This comprehensive strategy, integrating both inter-agency cooperation and community involvement, could better address the wide range of challenges in the maritime domain.
This video is part of the Center’s series on Collective & Human Security.
Speaker Biography
Tharishini Krishnan is the head of the Strategic and Defence Studies Department at the National Defence University Malaysia (NDUM). She holds a degree in international relations and a master’s in strategic and security analysis from the National University of Malaysia. She earned her PhD at King’s College London, researching Malaysia-India maritime cooperation.
Krishnan has served as a fellow at NDUM, an associate member of the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies, and was awarded the ASEAN-India Youth Award. She has participated in various leadership programs, including the Malaysia-Australia Maritime Exchange and the International Visitor Leadership Program.
She has been a speaker at key defense events and consulted for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Her work has appeared in outlets like the New Straits Times, The Star, and Diplomat. Krishnan’s research focuses on maritime security and Indo-Pacific strategy, and she teaches at NDUM, the Malaysian Armed Forces Staff College, and the National Resilience College.
