The key takeaways from the first European Climate Risk Assessment Report by the European Environment Agency

On the 11th of March 2024 the European Environment Agency published its first Climate Risk Assessment Report, describing in detail the current and future impacts of the climate crisis on the European continent. Rising temperatures, floods, draughts, wildfires, destruction of ecosystems and their biodiversity, health hazards and social catastrophes.

The sixth UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) has adopted a consensus resolution that aims to reinvigorate UNEP’s work on the environmental dimensions of armed conflicts to make it more responsive to global environmental challenges. The resolution, which was proposed by Ukraine, and which was greatly informed by its recent experience, also urged states to abide by the legal framework, and drew attention to its most recent addition – the Principles on the protection of the environment in relation to armed conflicts (PERAC Principles).

Insights from the Horn of Africa

Climate change has become widely recognised as a security concern and a key priority area in European and broader Western initiatives for global peace and security, with a significant focus on Africa. It is commonly perceived as a ‘threat multiplier’, posing risks to stability by catalysing migration, contributing to resource conflicts and bolstering recruitment for non-state armed actors.

From the 21st – 23rd of February the Observer Research Foundation in partnership with the Foreign Ministry of India will host the 2024 edition of the Raisina Dialogue. The Raisina Dialogue is the foremost conference in India for discussing topics related to geopolitics, economics, security and climate change. One of the 6 pillars this year is titled “Peace with the Planet”, highlighting both the damage that pollution and the global economy exert on the environment, but also how we in turn are dependent upon it for our own wellbeing.

"The environmental consequences of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine are arguably better documented than any conflict in history." 

On the 13th of February 2024, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) convened under the initiative of Guyana to debate the interconnection between the global issue of climate change, the rising number of armed conflicts, and the worrying growth of food insecurity on the planet. The threat of food availability is of particular concern as its consequences are multifaceted and wide reaching for millions across the globe.

This book brings together two important fields in the study of international politics and policy: climate change adaptation and mitigation (climate action) and the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). Both have attracted strong scholarly attention in their respective research silos, but there is yet to be a strong research push that explores the relationship between the two.

Between the 16th and 18th of February 2024, the international community’s most prominent figures in the field of defence and security will gather in Munich for the 60th Munich Security Conference to “debate on the world’s most pressing security challenges”. Within the overarching aim of building peace through dialogue, one of the crucial topics that will be addressed are the security implications of climate change.

Perspectives from a Regional Working Group on Climate Change, the Environment, Peace and Security in Latin America

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is a region of unparalleled ecological diversity, encompassing tropical rainforests, arid deserts, and expansive coastlines, making it particularly susceptible to the far-reaching impacts of climate change and environmental degradation. Beyond its diverse and unique natural landscapes, Latin America faces a complex web of climatic and environmental challenges that transcend national borders.

Climate and security risks are compounding in Yemen, impacting its population clearly and directly, but also through less visible, indirect effects. While violent conflict, at both the national and local levels, is likely to continue in the near future, the effects of climate change are projected to grow more pronounced over time. Problems including rising temperatures, rainfall variability, desertification, and vanishing water reserves are all set to intensify, exacerbating both the drivers and the effects of the conflict on the population.