Transboundary Ecological Citizenship: A Conceptual Framework for Youth, Climate Risk and Environmental Responsibility in Southeast Asia

Climate change and environmental degradation create risks that cross political boundaries, while civic education and public discussion often frame environmental responsibility primarily in national or local terms. This conceptual paper develops transboundary ecological citizenship as an analytical framework for examining environmental responsibilities across borders, generations and communities connected through shared ecological systems. Drawing on ecological citizenship, environmental justice, cosmopolitan responsibility, environmental citizenship and scholarship on regional environmental governance, the paper synthesises theoretical perspectives to clarify the proposed construct and derive propositions for future investigation. It does not report original human-participant research and is not presented as a systematic review. The framework comprises five interrelated dimensions: ecological interdependence; justice and differentiated responsibility; cross-border solidarity; participatory agency; and institutional accountability and cooperation. Its distinctive contribution lies not in claiming that cross-border environmental duties are entirely new, but in integrating these dimensions in a framework that links ecological relationships to the distribution of power, opportunities for civic participation and the obligations of institutions. Transboundary haze, climate-related flood risk and ASEAN environmental cooperation provide illustrative Southeast Asian contexts. The analysis emphasises that awareness is necessary but insufficient for meaningful responsibility, and that young people should not be made accountable for structural problems beyond their control. The paper concludes with implications for curriculum design, inclusive youth participation and regional governance, while recognising that the framework requires further conceptual and empirical validation.

Ecological Citizenship; Environmental Justice; Transboundary Environmental Governance

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