Climate Security Integration
Peace operations have the potential to play a transformative role in mitigating climate-security risks, particularly when combined with innovative approaches to strategic analysis and planning, program design, resource allocation, partnerships and implementation. The Climate Security Mechanism aims to help the UN more systematically address linkages between climate change, peace and security. In addition, several peace operations have made progress in integrating climate security considerations into their work, but much more can be done.
- Climate Mainstreaming: The adoption of climate-sensitive approaches in peace operations can help prevent and manage conflicts. Peace operations should anchor climate-security responses in the implementation of the broader mission mandate, including through the mainstreaming of climate-risk assessments into conflict analysis and integrated mission planning.
- People-Centred Approaches: Climate security considerations should be more systematically integrated into peacebuilding efforts to help communities better manage risks and serve as catalytic entry points for political solutions and local reconciliation. Peace operations efforts must consider the fact that climate and security concerns affect men, women, boys and girls differently. Working closely with civil society actors, including women’s and youth organizations, ensures that responses are more inclusive and locally anchored.
- Partnerships: Because of the temporary nature of peace operations,it is crucial to engage in long-term climate sensitive programming and build sustainable partnerships with UN agencies, funds and programs, as well as with local, national and regional actors. Transboundary strategies, early warning systems, political support and predictable funding are key to adequate climate-security responses.