Supporting climate security

Most academics and policy experts agree that while climate change does not cause violent conflict, in and of itself, it can through its interaction with other social, political and economic factors have negative impacts on international peace and security. The pathways through which these risks manifest are highly contextual and determined by the localized interplay of climatic hazards, the parameters of exposure, and, most importantly, the vulnerability and coping capacity of states and societies. The risks are greatest where institutions and communities are unable to manage the stress or absorb the shock of multi-hazard events and stressors and can lead to downward spirals when critical thresholds are exceeded and adaptive capacity compromised.

While the issues are not new, the interlinkages are still not well-understood nor are the solutions well-documented. The tackling of climate-related security risks represents a new line of work for UNDP and a strategic focus on delivering innovative and cross-cutting approaches to policy and programming in the nexus of climate change, conflict prevention and sustaining peace.

UNDP partners with DPPA and UNEP under the Climate Security Mechanism, which was established in October 2018 with the support of the Government of Sweden to strengthen UN’s capacity to address the linkages between climate change, peace and security, through:

• A conceptual approach and guidance package for climate-related security risk assessments,
• The design of early warning, risk prevention and management strategies, and
• The strengthening of the evidence base relating and targeted advocacy.