The Darkest Shade of Green: Strategic Weaponisation of Environmental Governance by Violent Extremist Organisations

Apr 22, 2026 | Fabrizio Minniti
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Over the last few years, a clear and troubling pattern has crystallised: where the state fails to manage water and energy scarcity, violent non-state actors step in. Although the link between climate stress and violence is mediated by pre-existing socio-economic fragilities (climate as a threat multiplier), a deeper structural shift is now underway. This is particularly evident across the Sahel and Yemen, where these dynamics have accelerated following the withdrawal of international forces from Mali and the intensification of the Yemeni conflict.