Solomon Islands is presently in the middle of civil unrest. Violence erupted over concerns that the government is increasingly operating under the unwarranted political influence of China. The impacts of climate change can be considered an underlying driver of the tensions. Shifting weather patterns, reduced fishing grounds and the threat of sea-level rise place considerable strain on island populations.
The first-ever resolution calling for stepped-up international efforts to understand and respond to the implications of climate change for peace and security was vetoed by Russia on Monday, 14 December. The resolution calls on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to deliver a report on the security implications of climate change for the regions and countries on the Council’s agenda by December 2023. It also asks UN peacekeeping and political missions to pay attention to climate-related risks in their areas of operation.
The Planetary Security Initiative (PSI) interviewed Carolina who advises the Colombian military on security-related environmental topics. In this interview, she suggests that a holistic, cross-department approach is the only way for Colombia to address environmental security issues.
The UN Security Council is set to vote on a resolution calling for stepped-up international efforts to understand and respond to the implications of climate change for peace and security. Ireland and Niger, two elected members of the body, put the draft “in blue” – meaning the text is in near-final form – late on 6 December. On 9 December, Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum will preside over a Council session on climate change and terrorism. A vote on the draft resolution could come as soon as 10 December, or early next week.
In November 2021 at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), world leaders raised promising perspectives and outcomes on how to move on with accelerating the world’s response to climate change. Yet, one topic that has been overlooked is the impact of climate change on security. But how is climate change threatening our security?
With rising human demand, the availability of biological resources such cropland, pastures, fishing grounds and forests is limiting prospects for sustainable peace and development more than ever before. Humanity’s use of these resources exceeds what our planet regenerates — its biocapacity — by at least 73 per cent.The effects of this ecological overshoot are visible in climate change, groundwater depletion, soil erosion, fisheries collapse, deforestation and other planetary boundaries.
The Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) is holding its 14th annual forum in Amman, Jordan for the period 3 - 5 December 2021. This year's forum 'Journalism & Accountability in a Disrupted World' will be a hybrid event connecting speakers and attendees from all over the world. The ARIJ forum is the Arab world’s largest gathering for investigative journalists.
The Geneva Graduate Institute has announced that the second International Conference on Environmental Peacebuilding will take place in Geneva from the 2nd to the 4th of February 2022. The conference has been convened in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, the Geneva Water Hub, the Geneva Environment Network, and the PeaceNexus Foundation.
In the Central Sahel, climate commitments are hampered by a lack of coordination and finance, while insecurity puts further pressure on the region. Can COP26 help address some of these blockages?
Can the Taliban address climate-related risks in Afghanistan? In the wake of the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan is confronted with various risks to human security and hard security, especially in the context of climate change. Climate-related security risks have been increasingly manifesting and aggravating the drivers of violent conflict. For example, the impacts of more frequent and intense droughts on depleting groundwater sources and natural reservoirs are a huge threat to the water supply of many communities.
