Examines the intersection of climate change, security, and peacebuilding efforts. Conducted mainly by the UN Peacebuilding Support Office and several partners, it evaluates projects funded by the UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) from 2016 to 2021. The review encompasses various climate security and environmental peacebuilding projects in regions and countries.

Key Findings and Recommendations

1. Cross-border and Regional Approaches: The review emphasizes the importance of cross-border and regional strategies due to the transnational nature of climate and security risks. It suggests these approaches are crucial for building political engagement and effective programming.
2. Risk-tolerant Approach: The review highlights the need for a risk-tolerant approach in funding and implementing projects, especially in the most vulnerable countries to climate change. This approach has shown potential in proving concepts that other climate funds and donors could scale up.
3. Co-benefits of Climate, Peace, and Security: Investments in projects that integrate climate, peace, and security considerations provide multiple benefits, enhancing the overall impact of peacebuilding efforts.
4. Inclusion of Gender and Youth: The review highlights the significance of including women and youth in climate adaptation strategies. This inclusion addresses immediate climate and security challenges and empowers these groups within their communities.
5. Innovative Project Design and Learning: There is a strong focus on reinforcing project design, learning, and innovation to adapt to the evolving nature of climate-security challenges. The review suggests that continuous learning and adaptation are essential to successful peacebuilding in the context of climate change.

Geographic Focus and Case Studies

The review includes detailed analyses of projects in various regions:

• Sahel Region: Projects addressing farmer-herder tensions exacerbated by climate change.
• Pacific Islands: Initiatives supporting nations facing existential threats from sea-level rise.
• Yemen, Burkina Faso, Mali, Somalia, and Sudan: Projects that integrate environmental considerations into peacebuilding efforts.

Overview

I. Introduction

It provides an overview of the concept of climate security and its increasing prominence on the global agenda in peacebuilding. It highlights how climate change can directly or indirectly exacerbate risks of violence, conflict, and other vulnerabilities. The section sets the stage for the thematic review by emphasizing the importance of understanding how climate change impacts peace and security concerns. Additionally, it introduces the key themes that will be explored throughout the document, such as the intersection of climate change, security, and peacebuilding efforts.

II. Overview of PBF-Supported Climate-Security Projects

Highlights the growing emphasis and investment in climate-security and peacebuilding within the Peacebuilding Fund, focusing on climate-responsive strategies. This approach aims to synergize SDG 16 with other water, climate change, and natural resource management SDGs. Delves into the specific initiatives and projects supported by the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), focusing on climate security and peacebuilding. It emphasizes the growing recognition of addressing climate-related challenges in peacebuilding efforts.

The PBF strategically invests in projects addressing conflict dynamics and environmental factors impacting peace and security. It promotes a climate-responsive peacebuilding approach to align peacebuilding goals with sustainable development objectives, including water resource management, climate change mitigation, and natural resource governance. This section highlights the PBF’s support for projects addressing environmental issues in conflict-affected areas, standard methods used, and recurring themes. It emphasizes the fund’s dedication to promoting resilience and sustainable peacebuilding.

III. Country, Regional, and Subregional Case Studies

Provides a comprehensive examination of specific case studies that offer detailed insights into the intersection of climate change, security dynamics, and peacebuilding efforts in diverse geographic contexts. These case studies are carefully selected to represent various regions and countries facing distinct challenges related to climate-security issues. This section discusses the methods used to analyze diverse case studies for a comprehensive view of climate change and peacebuilding. These studies focus on areas like West Africa’s Liptako Gourma, Yemen, and Pacific Island nations, highlighting unique vulnerabilities and resilience strategies regarding climate-related security threats.

Through detailed narratives and project analyses, the case studies offer valuable lessons on the effectiveness of climate-responsive peacebuilding interventions in conflict-affected areas. They highlight the need for context-specific approaches that consider each region’s social, economic, and political dynamics to address the root causes of conflict exacerbated by climate change. Case studies highlight the crucial role of community engagement, gender inclusion, and cross-border cooperation in promoting resilience to climate-security risks. Using real-world climate-security programming examples, this section offers practical insights for those fostering sustainable peace amid environmental challenges.

IV. Best Practices, Lessons Learned, and Other Key Issue Sets

This section presents a comprehensive analysis of the best practices, key lessons learned, and critical issues identified in the context of climate security and peacebuilding initiatives. It aims to distill valuable insights from project experiences and evaluations to inform future programming and investments in this field. The section underscores the significance of mid-level project reviews and stakeholder interviews. It synthesizes findings from evaluations, literature, and coding to understand effective practices and challenges in climate-security programming.

This section systematically examines 32 projects to identify common themes, successful approaches, and areas for improvement in climate-responsive peacebuilding interventions. It emphasizes the significance of gender-responsive programming, youth engagement, and inclusive approaches in addressing climate-related security risks and promoting sustainable peace outcomes.

Furthermore, the section delves into specific project components and activities that have successfully mitigated conflict risks associated with climate change. It also explores the catalytic effect of the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) in driving innovation and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders to address climate-security challenges in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

This section synthesizes best practices and key issues from various climate-security projects and provides essential resources for improving future climate-responsive peacebuilding initiatives. It presents practical advice and insights to help policymakers, practitioners, and donors design interventions that address the intricate relationship between climate change, security dynamics, and peacebuilding.

V. Conclusions

This section provides a synthesis of key findings, insights, and recommendations drawn from the thematic review on climate-security and peacebuilding initiatives supported by the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF). It offers a comprehensive overview of the projects analyzed’ implications and outlines strategic directions for enhancing the impact of future climate-responsive peacebuilding efforts. The conclusions underscore the transformative potential of climate-security-related peacebuilding within the PBF portfolio. By addressing environmental challenges and promoting resilience, these interventions can effectively tackle human security issues and lessen conflict and violence within communities.

The section highlights the need to use climate-security and environmental peacebuilding strategies to address systemic issues like exclusion, marginalization, and gender inequality. It advocates for continued investment in these strategies for immediate conflict resolution, long-term peacebuilding, and sustainable development goals. The conclusions note the climate-security and peacebuilding field’s evolution, emphasizing iterative projects, longitudinal studies, and testing of Theories of Change for learning and effectiveness while advising against premature conclusions.

Annex 1: Table of All 74 Projects

The table serves as a valuable resource for stakeholders interested in gaining insights into the diverse range of initiatives focused on climate security and peacebuilding efforts. It contains key details for each of the 74 initiatives, including unique tracking codes. It categorizes projects with specific labels, such as “CB” for cross-border, “GPI” for Gender Promotion Initiative, and “YPI” for Youth Promotion Initiative, clarifying their theme and target beneficiaries.

Moreover, the table incorporates additional coding on project typologies, providing a deeper insight into the specific goals and approaches of the projects. By categorizing projects into different typologies, such as climate-security projects and environmental peacebuilding projects, the table highlights the diversity of interventions supported by the PBF that address climate-related security risks and promote sustainable peace outcomes.

The section serves as a comprehensive repository of information on the 74 projects, offering a snapshot of the innovative strategies, thematic diversity, and geographic spread of interventions funded by the PBF. Stakeholders, policymakers, and practitioners can use this table to explore the breadth and scope of climate-security and peacebuilding initiatives, identify trends in programming design, and draw lessons learned from the diverse set of projects analyzed in the thematic review.

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