Enhancing Responses to Climate Change in Fragile Contexts

States and societies are increasingly under pressure by a multitude of shocks and stressors, including population growth, resource constraints and political unrest. Climate change is a ‘threat multiplier’. It will worsen already fragile situations, making it harder to promote peace, adaptation and sustainable development. Security concerns resulting from climate change include impacts on food and water supply, increased competition over natural resources, climate-related disasters and loss of livelihoods, migration and displacement. UN Environment has commissioned adelphi to develop a guidance tool to address these destabilizing effects holistically.

Crisis-affected countries are amongst the most vulnerable to the security risks of climate change, resulting from often inherently weak governance and lack of resources. Simultaneously, existing state fragility is hampering efforts at adaptation. This threatens to lock many societies into ‘fragility traps’. To tackle the destabilizing effects of climate change in fragile contexts comprehensive and cross-sectoral responses are required

On behalf of the European Union and in cooperation with UN Environment, adelphi developed and implemented one of the first climate security projects worldwide. This five-year project was one of the first of its kind to integrate climate change adaptation and peacebuilding objectives into the analysis, planning and implementation of projects in conflict-affected contexts. The project also made important contributions to strengthening the capacities of key actors at international and local level to identify and address climate-related security risks. The experiences of the project were compiled in a guidance note and an online training program