Piloting the Climate Security Sensitiveness Scoring Tool (CSST) A case study assessing the climate security sensitiveness of Climate-Smart Villages (CSV) in Nyando, Kenya

This report aims to pilot the Climate Security Sensitiveness Tool (CSST) on an existing climate adaptation intervention package: the Climate Smart Village (CSV) approach implemented in Nyando, Kenya. This report provides the theoretical and conceptual background underlying the CSST, it provides introductory information on the case study through describing the characteristics of the Nyando basin and of the CSV approach. It then proceeds on testing the CSST on this case study with the goal of providing recommendations for improving the conflict-sensitiveness and peace responsiveness of this climate action program

Are climate- and peace and security-related policies coherent? A policy coherence analysis for climate security

The impacts of climate change and variability will likely be experienced in different and uneven ways depending on the different extents to which societies – and the communities within them – are exposed, vulnerable, or possess the adaptive capacity to mitigate said impacts. Certain countries, such as those located near the equator or the poles, are exposed to a rapidly changing climate to a greater degree than other countries. Furthermore, countries whose economies are highly dependent on climate-sensitive resources and sectors and that face challenges in diversifying their economic base are inherently more vulnerable to climate-induced perturbations (Feitelson & Tubi, 2017). These forms of exposure can be compounded by persistent or periodically high levels of fragility – defined by the World Bank (2011) as periods when states or institutions lack the capacity, accountability, or legitimacy to mediate relations between citizen groups and between citizens and the state – which can in turn undermine the extent to which societies as a whole and certain groups within them possess the adaptive capacity to manage, absorb or mitigate climate risks. Communities that are highly dependent on climate-vulnerable livelihoods and sectors, face socio-economic and political marginalisation (therefore possessing little scope or capacity for diversification), or that are located in unstable and conflict-prone environments are far more likely to experience tangibly destabilising climatic impacts than others. As a consequence of the uneven landscape upon which climate impacts play out, climate change is therefore likely to set in motion or accelerate any number of different existing processes of change simultaneously - yet in qualitatively different ways.  

Evidence and processes for mainstreaming peacebuilding in climate adaptation efforts. A framework and a safeguard approach for conflict-sensitive and peace-responsive climate action: the Climate Security Sensitiveness Tool (CSST)

This paper aims to provide a theoretical and conceptual framework to distil the complex problem around linking climate adaptation, conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding, with the final goal of operationalizing it into a practical tool. By linking such fields of practice, it provides a scheme for climate action practitioners to better identify and address contextual drivers of conflict and insecurity while advancing peacebuilding processes. This paper lays the theoretical groundwork for this model and presents an actionable ex-ante tool for prioritizing mechanisms to address contextual conflict and insecurity drivers when designing climate adaptation interventions

Putting gender at the heart of climate security

Climate-related threats to human security affect millions of people worldwide, but not equally. The most marginalized, including women, youth and ethnic minorities are often disproportionately impacted because of deeply rooted gender and social norms, relations and inequalities that inhibit their capacity to adapt and respond to these shocks. For the discussion, we focused on the following key questions: • How do climate-related security risks impact men and women differently, and how can we assess and analyse these impacts better? • What kind of approaches are best suited to address the gender and climate security nexus? • Why is it important to engage women and young people when designing and implementing programs? • Where do gaps lie with how policymakers and researchers have engaged with gender and climate security previously, and what needs to be done in the future to inform future research and policy

Piloting the Climate Security Sensitiveness Scoring Tool (CSST). A case study assessing the climate security sensitiveness of Participatory Rangeland Management (PRM) in Baringo, Kenya

Climate adaptation interventions, such as programs promoting climate-smart agricultural innovations, are proving effective in increasing farmer resilience as well as food and nutrition security (Mizik, 2021; Thornton et al., 2022). However, there is often little understanding of the potential positive and negative externalities that these programs can have (Smith et al., 2021), particularly in terms of peace and security. Maladaptation is the process whereby improperly built adaptation strategies can result in more vulnerability of other systems, sectors or social groups (Schipper, 2020; Barnett & O’Neill, 2010). It can create and sustain lock-ins, magnify inequity, marginalize people, and places vulnerable to climate-related risks, such as low-income households, people who reside in informal settlements, ethnic minorities, and Indigenous Peoples among others (IPCC, 2022). These are commonly recognized drivers of conflict which must be accounted for while designing programs to avoid creating or exacerbating conflicts. Acknowledging the interlinkages between climate action, natural resource use and peace and security is fundamental to integrate climate and conflict-sensitive programming interventions. Maladaptive climate initiatives neglecting those associations can foster power asymmetries, grievances, and competition for resources, especially in conflict-affected and fragile contexts (Moran et al., 2018; Krampe et al., 2021)

The Gender-Climate-Security Nexus: Conceptual Framework, CGIAR Portfolio Review, and Recommendations towards an Agenda for One CGIAR

This position paper provides a conceptual framework for the gender-climate-security-nexus, a CGIAR portfolio review of work related to the nexus, and recommendations towards an agenda for One CGIAR in addressing the nexus. We anticipate the paper will help inform the One CGIAR and its stakeholders towards an understanding of the connections between gender, climate, and security through case study examples of the gender dimensions of climate-related security risks, a review of the CGIAR work to date on the gender-climate-security nexus and how this work can be used to promote gender transformative goals in climate security research, policy, and programming, as well as recommendations for One CGIAR on what actions should be taken to inform future research and policy in addressing gendered climate impacts and associated threats to human security

Assessing the climate security sensitivity of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion Project (SOCO) in Ghana

The CGIAR Climate Security has developed a safeguard programming assessment tool for conflict-sensitive and peace-responsive climate action in agricultural settings. The Climate Security Sensitivity Tool (CSST) is used to evaluate, ex-ante, the extent to which a proposed climate adaptation intervention addresses local drivers of conflict and insecurity and recommends strategies to strengthen their suitability. It seeks to prevent unintended consequences, avoid conflict relapses, and contribute to peacebuilding. This Info Note reports on the CSST case study application for the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion Project (SOCO). It highlights the recommendations formulated by the CSST for the implementation of the SOCO Project in Ghana and the practitioners’ feedback on these results

Are climate and environment- and peace and security-related policy outputs coherent? A policy coherence and awareness analysis for climate security

The increasingly interconnected nature of our world means that failing to achieve coherence between climate- and peace and security-related policy domains forms a significant climate-related security risk. Poorly designed climate policies that are insensitive to pre-existing insecurities and conflict dynamics may undermine political stability, amplify social inequalities and grievances, and accelerate a loss of biodiversity and climate change-related impacts. Peace and security policies that do not account for climate risks may conversely promote ineffective and unresponsive interventions and risk locking communities into vicious cycles of insecurity and climate vulnerability. This work contributes to the climate security proofing of policy outputs by developing a methodological framework that assesses the degree to which policy outputs and strategy documents display awareness of climate-related security risks and climate peace opportunities. This framework is used to assess policies and strategies from across eight African countries. We find that despite some limited recognition of often place-specific climate-related security risks, a clear and shared conceptual understanding of the climate, peace and security nexus is generally lacking; climate and environment-related policies are generally more aware of climate security and have greater cross-sectoral engagement than peace and security-related policies; and that opportunities exist for the integration of climate security-related considerations into existing strategic priorities, instruments and programmatic activities

Environmental change, displacement, and pro-longed conflict: Climate Security in Singhere and Bissine, Casamance: Field Report

also available in French Sarzana C, Krendelsberger A, Diallo O, Ndiaye BMT, Pacillo G, Laderach P. 2022. Changement environnemental, déplacement et conflit prolongé : Sécurité Climatique à Singhere et Bissine, Casamance. Rapport de terrain. CGIAR Focus Climate SecurityThis report recounts historical information gathered through interviews and focus group discussions in Singhere and Bissine regarding displacement, resource use and production, climate and environmental problems, while also providing future outlook highlights. In addition, it provides recommendations on context-specific climate adaptation intervention needs

Are climate and security policies coherent and integrated in Kenya? A policy coherence analysis.

This fact sheet assesses the coherence and climate security-sensitivity of policy and strategy documents extracted from sectors relevant to the climate, peace, and security nexus at both the national level in Kenya and regional level across East Africa