Peacebuilding in a climate crisis
Climate change exacerbates the risk and impact of violent conflict, especially where there is competition for scarce natural resources, poverty, or insufficient government resources.
Climate change is a huge challenge for the communities we work with. Much of the Sahel already experiences many other potential drivers of conflict, and the climate emergency only aggravates these.
Climate change disproportionately impacts women in the Sudano-Sahel area because they face an increased risk of violence when undertaking daily tasks like collecting water and food.
Climate change affects migration and displacement by pushing groups to seek alternative livelihoods in urban areas, raising tensions in areas with low economic resilience.
Light, late and unpredictable rainfall disrupts farming patterns and seasonal movement of livestock. If migrating livestock unexpectedly move into farmland, conflict can arise with sedentary farming populations.
Extreme weather events destroy crops and people's means of subsistence. Where people lack resilience, the risk and impact of conflict further devastates communities' resilience to these shocks.
When peacebuilding mechanisms are in place, communities can meet and manage the challenges presented by climate change.
We're working on the front lines of the climate emergency, helping people work together to find sustainable methods to overcome the serious challenges posed by the crisis.
Our work enables communities to work together to manage the unexpected movement of people and livestock, including those caused by extreme weather events. When managed properly, seasonal livestock migration can be to the mutual economic benefit of both herders and farmers.
Increased economic diversification improves communities' resilience to shocks, to livelihood insecurity, to the effects of climate change and, ultimately, to conflict.