The debate on how climate change and security are related is confronted by those fearing unnecessary securitisation and others being cautious about the topic of security stretching to issues beyond the abuse of power leading to deadly conflicts. This Clingendael alert is a call for a more open debate on what lies behind fears for the securitisation of climate change, particularly on the opposition to engage the military.

Families from towns and villages south of Basra migrated north in 2018 due to the sea salt intrusion, a threat to local lives and lifestyles in Basra Governorate. The phenomenon of saltwater intrusion threatens food security in southern Iraq. Officials suggest adopting dialogue as a sustainable solution to restore the country's fish resources.

Geneva Peace Week (GPW20), the flagship event of the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, will be held online from 2-6 November 2020. This annual leading forum aims to inspire leadership, built trust and support transforming worldwide cooperation in the wake of COVID-19. The theme of this year is 'Rebuilding trust after disruption: Pathways to reset international cooperation'. The final day of the GPW will be devoted entirely to topics in environmental peacebuilding, water stresses, and climate change and conflict. 

How can humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors operate more coherently in addressing both the causes and consequences of climate and security crises? And what solutions are working and showing impact on the ground? Join experts from UNDP, SIPRI, WFP, Elman Peace & Human Rights Center and the Government of Sweden on 15 October 2020 at 8:30-10:00 am EST.

There is a lack of consensus on which bodies are most appropriate to respond to climate-related security risks. A new SIPRI publication argues that the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) is the most appropriate organ to address climate-related security risks at the UN, with its mandate to promote an integrated, strategic and coherent approach to peacebuilding across the areas of security, development and human rights.

The Center for Climate and Security (CCS) published an article on the security implications of the current US wildfires. It highlights the direct and indirect impact of the wildfires on people and the military. For the military, it disrupts the units' operational readiness which means their response to emergencies is reduced.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has established the Environmental Migration portal, within which it collects relevant and recent research and data on migration, environment and climate change. The Environmental Migration Portal aims to support solutions for environmental migrants and connect various audiences interested in migration, environment and climate change nexus.

The second part of Berlin Climate and Security Conference 2020 (BCSC II) takes place virtually from 7 September to 2 October.  The conference aims to explore how more comprehensive risk assessments can be rendered into forward-looking, preventative foreign policy. It also aims to bring together and support the climate-security community. The conference is being held in webinar format events, including both closed as well as public sessions focusing on scientific expertise, developments on the ground and overarching issues such as gender and migration in the context of climate-security.

CGIAR, a global research partnership, has launched a detailed climate-security database, in which users can navigate the contributions of the organisation to peace. The database offers filters to specify conflict drivers, region or country of interest. The database is informed by research that identified direct and indirect factors that contribute to the prospects of peace.

Besides the transboundary water disputes with Turkey and Iran, provinces in Iraq are internally competing on the limited water recourses. Water Peace and Security Initiative (WPS) has identified interconnected factors that are impacting water availability and, hence, water-related conflicts at interprovincial level. In order to address these factors, WPS proposes three approaches as building blocks to stability: (1) researching interprovincial water challenges, (2) fostering dialogue between stakeholders and (3) supporting activities to prevent conflict risks.