The Interplay between Conflict and Climate Change Needs a Rethink

Jul 22, 2024 | Mauricio Vazquez
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The recent news that Somalia was elected to become a nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council has generated headlines. As one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, Somalia’s accession offers an important opportunity for the country to bring a more hopeful narrative on climate and security.

Somalia is viewed as a tentative but emerging success story in the increasingly fragile Horn of Africa. But at a time when the links between climate change and conflict are gaining increasing attention,  it will need to combat an unhelpful — and increasingly commonplace — narrative about the relationship between the two things.