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"Climate Change"
Recommended research
published by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
on August 8, 2024
Floods, temperature increases, and other natural disasters affect women and youth in rural Africa at a disproportionate rate. Different types of climate stressors affect people’s on-farm, off-farm and total incomes, labor allocations and adaptive actions, depending on their wealth, gender, and age. Developing policies to foster inclusive rural transformation processes and bring security to affected populations depends on policymakers’ accurate and comprehensive understanding of these stressors.
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published by Freedom Onuoha, Oluwole Ojewale, and Chukwunnonso Jospeh Akogwu
on December 14, 2023
Climate change contributes to conflict in indirect ways by worsening local fragility. Security sector actors and policymakers must prioritize reforestation, support local initiatives aimed at mitigating climate change, and deepen partnerships to allow regional organizations to respond to transboundary water resources challenges.
Video
published by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies
on March 7, 2022
This public roundtable assessed the range of climate-related security pressures on the continent and the importance of incorporating environmental security into African security policy.
Program Materials
On February 24, 2022, this webinar will take stock of climate-related security pressures on the continent and priorities for mitigating them.
Recommended research
published by Eoin F. McGuirk and Nathan Nunn, BREAD Working Paper No. 588
on May 4, 2021
A strong correlation exists between erratic wet seasons and conflict in areas where transhumant pastoralism spills into agricultural areas. Adverse rainfall shocks in transhumant pastoral territories force groups to migrate to neighboring agricultural territories before final harvest, increasing the likelihood of conflict. Where transhumant pastoral groups have less political power, the likelihood is even greater. Governments must enforce a balance of grazing and cultivating rights to mitigate the growing threat of increased droughts and declining rain fall in agropastoral zones.
Infographic
published by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies
on April 21, 2021
Climate change is straining livelihoods across broad swaths of Africa, intensifying instability in multifaceted ways. The continent’s ability to adapt to and mitigate these effects will have global repercussions.
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published by Ebimboere Seiyefa, African Security Review
on December 23, 2019
Climate-dependent livelihoods in West African countries have been under increasing pressure due to climate change. As a result, the growing need for alternate sources of income has spurred an expansion of the illicit economy and predatory behavior from criminal organizations. West Africa is, thus, facing a dual challenge to both mitigate climate impacts on regions that are conflict prone as well as address structural issues such as poor governance and limited state authority in large swathes of the region.
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published by Edem E. Selormey, Mavis Zupork Dome, Lionel Osse, and Carolyn Logan, Afrobarometer
on August 31, 2019
African countries are among the world’s most vulnerable to and least prepared for climate change. African citizens prioritize issues that are related to climate change, such as water supply, food shortages, and agriculture. Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns have devastated African countries that depend on agriculture. Only about 3 in 10 Africans are fully “climate change literate,” combining awareness of climate change with basic knowledge about its causes and negative effects. Building climate resilience will require commitment and coordination, backed by significant resources and a population that supports prioritizing it.
Infographic
published by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies
on November 17, 2016
Africa is more vulnerable to climate change than any other region on the planet. Research has found that climate change is as a threat multiplier, exacerbating existing issues such as political instability, poverty, and unemployment. Conversely, state fragility and poor governance are two of the principle circumstances that cripple communities’ ability to adapt to climate change. Meanwhile, Africa’s population is growing rapidly. This map reflects a few of the ways that climate change the changing environment is straining Africa’s social systems.
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published by Fabien Cottier and Idean Salehyan, Global Environmental Change
on November 17, 2021
Amid irrational fears that climate change is going to cause a flood of African migration to Europe, there is no evidence that a drought has ever increased such unauthorized migration. Rather, the incidence of drought has tended to exert a negative, albeit moderate, impact on the size of migration flows, in particular for countries dependent on agriculture. Higher levels of rainfall have also not led to increased levels of unauthorized emigration. In short, international migration is cost-prohibitive, and adverse weather shocks reinforce existing financial barriers to migration.
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published by Joshua W Busby, Journal of Peace Research
on December 28, 2020
Challenges to climate-related security include but are not limited to resource competition, shocks to food security, climate-induced migration, transboundary water management, and unintended consequences from climate policies. Mainstreaming a climate perspective into existing programming can help reduce the risks. However, to ensure success in fragile states, progress may sometimes depend on whether the domestic elite finds it is in their self-interest to embrace such policies.
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published by Janani Vivekananda, Martin Wall, Florence Sylvestre, Chitra Nagarajan, Adelphi
on May 31, 2019
This climate-fragility risk assessment identifies the key drivers for future conflict drawing on hydrological data, satellite observations, and interviews across Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger. Dramatic changes in temperature and growing population density have added strain to the areas surrounding Lake Chad. Clearer land rights that allow farmers, fishermen, and pastoralists to use the same land would improve efficiency and reduce the risk of exacerbating conflict.
