Climate changes threaten human security of communities due to its impact on global-disease patterns. In turn, this has economic and political consequences. Improving the resilience of water resources to extreme weather events can mitigate these trends.

A new report by the United Nations University aims at supporting the UN, its partners and member states in developing climate-sensitive conflict prevention approaches. The report recommends to focus, for example, on indirect impacts, governance, inequality and maladaptation issues. The publication presents two case studies from Bangladesh and Nigeria.

A study by Social Inquiry, in partnership with the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre and the Norwegian Refugee Council, analyses how environmental degradation and governance challenges contribute to displacing farmers in Iraq. The analysis demonstrates that water scarcity in three southern Iraqi provinces is a major trigger of displacement and instability.

What is needed to fully tackle the complex challenges around environmental dimensions of armed conflicts? Civil society, affected states and experts have struggled with this essential question for decades. This briefing note elaborates on the latest insights on this issue as expressed during an informal (Arria formula) meeting on this topic in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Using water as a strategic asset and powerful tool during violent conflict and war is not a new phenomenon. It became particularly relevant in the recent conflicts in Syria and Iraq where water resources have been used as a weapon, water infrastructures targeted and the provision of water supplies turned into a recruitment tool.

The Horn of Africa is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change such as droughts and floods. This policy paper provides regional analysis of environment, peace and security linkages with specific focus on water security and governance. The paper presents entry points for the international community to address the multi faceted risk landscape in the Horn of Africa.

A new report by the Clingendael Institute for the Netherlands Ministry of Defence highlights how military organisations respond to climate change through systematic adaptation and mitigation strategies. The study looks at how the Netherlands and 11 other armed forces predict, prepare, operate and contribute to climate change. Impacts are felt not only in their missions abroad, but also at home.

How can climate action contribute to peacebuilding? And how can peace intervention be more effective due to taking to account of climate impacts? This new study on the role of climate adaptation in reducing security risks was commissioned by the Global Commission on Adaptation as part of a series of background papers for the 2019 Flagship Report Adapt Now.

The conflict over the GERD and the use of the Nile water is taking place in the context of an acute water emergency in Egypt. Even without filling the GERD reservoir, the country will reach the threshold of absolute water scarcity in 2025. Europeans would have to demand a reorientation of Egypt’s spending policy, where political reforms towards better governance and accountability would be indispensable.

A group of security, environment and sustainability experts will gather in Paris to pinpoint the limitations of our current response to the climate crisis. This is a plea for a new thorough approach; scaling up our capacities to face up to future catastrophes.