Climate Change, Conflict and the COP

Nov 9, 2021 | International Alert
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Climate change is having a major impact on conflict and security around the world, but these issues failed to make it onto the agenda at COP26 in Glasgow. Governments, donors and financial institutions need to finance incentives to drive the design of climate efforts that consider conflict dynamics and simultaneously aim for peacebuilding outcomes.

In FCAS, governmental shortcomings in responding to the impact of climate on conflict dynamics, can erode people’s trust in their governments. Pledges made to address climate change need to bring people together to shape the climate response and to agree on how to share and use scarce resources. If done right, this will not only help to prevent conflict, but it can also be an opportunity to build peace.

As the dynamics between climate and conflict will only intensify in the years and decades to come, we need to start seeing this being discussed at the COP tables. Next year, COP27 will take place in Egypt, a country experiencing extreme water scarcity and locked in an escalating diplomatic dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam.