In recent years, Germany has increasingly directed its foreign policy focus toward the effects and risks of climate change. The 2021 elections marked a change, as the political party Alliance 90/The Greens secured five ministerial positions in the Scholz Cabinet. On their behalf, Annalena Baerbock assumed office as Minister of Foreign Affairs in December 2021. The new minister has been clear in acknowledging the interconnectedness of climate change with emerging security threats.

The following text is a press release by the COP28 presidency, published on 31 October 2023. Cross-posts do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of PSI but rather serve to inform and stimulate debate and conversation on the multifaceted topic of climate change and its security impacts. 

''When the Indus breathes, as rivers do, the lives and livelihoods on the floodplains are quietly absorbed by the water''. 

From unprecedented floods to record-breaking heatwaves, the impacts of the climate crisis are more evident than ever. Rising temperatures, more severe and frequent extreme weather events, and erratic rainfall are driving biodiversity loss, affecting food prices, undermining livelihoods, and have been linked to increasing social and gender inequalities and large-scale displacement. In many coastal areas, sea level rise is fast becoming an existential threat and is raising questions regarding maritime boundaries and national identity.

The following text is a shortened version of an article written by Cedric de Coning, Gracsious Maviza and Kheira Tarif. It was published by the International Peace Institute (IPI) in The Global Observatory on 25 September 2023. Read the original article here.

The following text is the abstract of a research paper written by Ruben Dahm, Karen Meijer, Ernst Kuneman and Louise van Schaik. It was published on 19 September 2023 in Climatic Change, and interdisciplinary international journal devoted to the description, causes and implications of climatic change. Thanks to Deltares, the paper is open access.

The latest country added to the hunger crisis appeal of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in Africa (IFRC), Djibouti is experiencing one of the worst series of successive droughts in history as well as an influx of thousands of migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia. IFRC's Anne Wanjiru Macharia delivers this special report.

“Gargaar” is a local Somali word used in Djibouti to express community solidarity. Evident throughout the country, gargaar means communities are hospitable and welcoming, ready to host and help anyone they encounter.

More than 11,300 people are confirmed to have died in the floods that struck eastern Libya on September 11, 2023, far surpassing many estimates of the death toll in the country’s 2011 civil war. Thousands are still missing.

The following text is an introduction to the Policy Brief ‘Roots for peace: uncovering climate security challenges in Haiti and what to do about them’. The piece was written by Beatrice Mosello and Nina Schmelzer and published by the German think-tank adelphi.

The following text is a summary of a practice paper published by Conciliation Resources, an international organization committed to stopping violent conflict and creating more peaceful societies. It was authored by Laura Aumeer, Tom Barton and Kat French, with editorial input from Zand Ramsbotham and Alison Wright. Read the full paper here.