Climate change acts as a threat multiplier with serious implication for peace and security across the globe. Over the last decade, insecurities induced by climate change have been part of shaping our understanding of climate change as an urgent global issue with real impacts beyond the realm of ecological degradation. Climate security has also cast a wider light on the causes and implications of challenges of particularly vulnerable countries, connecting climate with discussions about regional stability, state fragility, and forced displacement.
On all levels climate change is amplifying global security challenges and increasing the need for accelerated implementation of the Paris Agreement, e.g. the 2007-2010 drought in Syria has caused massive exodus from the rural areas to the cities, which has been considered a key driver for the extreme violence and destruction of the country; droughts in the Sahel pit pastoralists against farmers with deadly conflicts as a result; climate change aggravating water deficits in the “Dry Corridor” are an important push factor contributing to migration from Central America to the U.S.
The GCCA+ session at COP25 : Climate and Security- emerging trends and adaptive strategies will explore current challenges and opportunities to address the climate-security nexus in LDCs, SIDS and associated territories. In addition it will discuss the local and regional approach to tackle climate-security issues and analyse how various climate conflict resolution approaches could be integrated in current and future climate programs.
During this session we hope to expand our understandings of the ways in which climate change interacts with international, regional, national, human and environmental security by examining themes that can include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Case studies of how climate change adaptation has been utilised in cooperation or peacebuilding efforts;
- Climate induced conflict as a factor in communities’ vulnerability as well as their struggle to gain greater adaptive capacity;
- The multiple forms of mal-adaptation including divergent adaptations that tend to increase resentment and conflict;
- Political ecological approaches and interactions in relation to adaptations and conflict;
- State-led or state-sponsored adaptations that lead to greater human insecurity;
- The role of the Military in assessing the security implications of a changing climate, in adaptation and in responding to climate change related natural disasters.
The event is being co-organised with the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Institute for Environmental Security (IES) and the Global Military Advisory Council on Climate Change (GMACC).