Climate Change Stress

There is an emerging global consensus
that climate change will stress the

economic, social, and political systems
that underpin each nation state.
Where institutions and governments are unable to manage the stress
or absorb the shocks of a changing climate, the risks to the stability of
states and societies will increase. Climate change is the ultimate
“threat multiplier” aggravating already fragile situations and potentially
contributing to further social tensions and upheaval.
UN Environment’s initial work on climate change and security began

when it was requested by Jan Egeland, the UN Special Envoy for
Climate Change, to conduct an analysis of climate change and
security risks in the Sahel Region. The UN Special Envoy visited the
region in 2008 and concluded it was “ground zero” for climate change
risks due to its extreme climatic conditions and highly vulnerable
population.
In 2009, UN Environment partnered with IOM, OCHA, UNU, and

CILSS to investigate the implications of climate change for livelihoods,
conflict and migration across the Sahel region. The resulting report
“Livelihood Security: Climate Change, Migration and Conflict in the
Sahel” (2011) identifies 19 hotspots where climatic changes have
been most severe over the past 20 years. It concludes that climate
change effects on resource availability have already led to migration,
and increased competition over scarce resources in some of the
hotspots.
As a follow-up to this initial work, UN Environment was requested in

2009 by the UN Secretary General to provide technical inputs to the
drafting of the report to the General Assembly entitled “Climate
Change and its Possible Security Implications” (A/64/350).
UN Environment’s Executive Director was invited to address the

Security Council in 2011. This thematic debate resulted in the Security
Council Presidential Statement S/PRST/2011/15 on climate change.
In the statement, the council requested the Secretary General to
report on the possible security implications of climate change when
such issues are drivers of conflict, represent a challenge to the
implementation of Council mandates or endanger the process of
consolidation of peace.
The next major international milestone was the report “A New Climate
for Peace,” commissioned by G7 foreign ministries, was launched in
New York in June 2015. Based in part on substantive contributions by
UNEP, the report identifies seven key compound climate and fragility
risks that should form the basis for united action. These include local
resource competition, livelihood insecurity and migration, volatile food
prices and provision, transboundary water management, and
unintended effects of climate change policies.
As a direct follow-up to the G7 report, UN Environment has

established a partnership with the EU to address the security
implications of climate change in two pilot countries. At the national
level, UN Environment will develop and deploy a state-of-the-art
methodology to help stakeholders map and prioritize climate change
and security hotspots. UN Environment will then help key national
stakeholders identify the most suitable combination of physical and
institutional investments to reduce specific security threats.
At the local level, UN Environment will work directly with communities

to pilot test innovative approaches to measuring and building
resilience to a range of different climate change and security risks. A
combination of different approaches to build resilience will be tested
ranging from ecosystem restoration and improved resource
management, to the development of social capital and early warning
mechanisms, to training, monitoring and local institution building. UN
Environment will either provide additional funding to help existing
climate change adaptation projects understand and address security
risks, or help scale-up existing good practices.
Findings and best practices will be documented and communicated to

the relevant global and trans-regional institutions to improve the
knowledge base and further inform more effective field-level policies
and programmes. This will ensure the partnership has a global reach
and influence beyond the boundaries of the pilot countries.
Role of Security Council
Local resource competition
Livelihood insecurity and migration

Extreme weather events and disasters
Volatile food prices and provision
Trans-boundary water management
Sea-level rise and coastal degradation
The unintended effects of climate policies adaptation and mitigation
Security Professional & Organization

Climate Change Stress

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Climate Change Stress

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There is an emerging global consensus

that climate change will stress the

UN Environment’s initial work on climate change and security began

In 2009, UN Environment partnered with IOM, OCHA, UNU, and

As a follow-up to this initial work, UN Environment was requested in

UN Environment’s Executive Director was invited to address the

As a direct follow-up to the G7 report, UN Environment has

At the local level, UN Environment will work directly with communities

Findings and best practices will be documented and communicated to

Role of Security Council

Local resource competition

Livelihood insecurity and migration

Volatile food prices and provision

Trans-boundary water management

Sea-level rise and coastal degradation

The unintended effects of climate policies adaptation and mitigation

Security Professional & Organization

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