Exploring the Contributions of Climate Action in Displacement Contexts to Humanitarian-Development-Peacebuilding Goals: A Resilience-Based Analysis of UN Interventions in Pakistan and Bangladesh

Adam Savelli, CGIAR Climate Security (Vietnam)

Climate action is critical in Global South displacement contexts where food, land, and water, systems are under increasing pressure from extreme weather events. With limited access to resources and economic opportunities, evidence-based solutions are needed to support the agency and resilience of displaced communities. But while Global North humanitarian-development-peacebuilding (HDP) organizations often conceptualize resilience in terms of risk management, academic approaches focus more on transformative approaches. Accounting for this discrepancy, this research proposes a definition of resilience centred on agency by infusing the Sendai Framework’s with elements of political ecology. A conceptual framework is then developed to link resilience and HDP outcomes within a social-ecological system. Mixed methods were then used to analyse data collected through a quantitative survey, key informant interviews, and field observations from UN interventions in two displacement contexts: IOM’s Post-Flood Reconstruction intervention in Sindh, Pakistan and UNHCR’s Sustainable Land Management and Environmental Restoration project in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Results indicate that interventions in displacement contexts can contribute to resilience and HDP outcomes by supporting household and individual agency. In Pakistan, opportunities emerged for community-based organizations formed during implementation to influence local development planning. In Bangladesh, where Rohingya refugees can’t engage in formal employment, cash-for-work opportunities aligned with development goals can mitigate recruitment by armed groups. Despite positive outcomes in both contexts, deeper integration of displaced populations with ecological systems is needed. Additionally, the ability of external actors to support communities was limited by political economy factors, national policies, and insufficient funding.