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Researcher

Asha Ali

Junior Research Fellow
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Contactinfo and files

asha.ali@nupi.no
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Summary

Asha Ali is a Junior Research Fellow in the Research Group on Peace, Conflict and Development where she focuses on climate, peace and security, the effectiveness of peace operations and African-Nordic multilateral cooperation

Asha earned a master’s degree in Social and Public Policy from Cardiff University focusing on the development of welfare policies in East Africa and the impact of loan conditionalities from development banks on these policies. Asha has a bachelor’s degree in Law from Queen Mary University of London. She has a background from the British Institute of Human Rights working on human rights law in the United Kingdom as well as a research background from the Norwegian Council for Africa focusing on the inclusion of women in the informal sector in trade policy. 

Her main research interests are climate, peace and security, human rights and the inclusion of women and youth in peace processes

Expertise

  • Security policy
  • Development policy
  • Foreign policy
  • Europe
  • Africa
  • South and Central America
  • Peace operations
  • Conflict
  • Climate
  • Governance
  • The EU
  • United Nations
  • AU

Education

2020-2021 Master of Science from Cardiff University

2017-2020 Bachelor of Law with Honours from Queen Mary University of London

Work Experience

2021 Norwegian Council for Africa

2019-2020 British Institute of Human Rights

2014-2016 Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Oslo

Aktivitet

Articles
New research
Articles
New research

The critical role of human rights in UN peace operations

In a new EPON report, experts highlight the importance of human rights work in United Nations peace operations.
  • Peace operations
  • Conflict
  • Human rights
  • United Nations
Articles
New research
Articles
New research

How climate change redraws peace and security

Novel research collaboration and dissemination illustrate how climate impacts conflict.
  • Conflict
  • Climate
  • United Nations

Climate, Peace and Security in DRC

In a new Fact Sheet from the joint NUPI and SIPRI Climate-related Peace and Security Risks Project (CPSR), the team explore the nexus between climate change, peace, and security in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
  • Africa
  • Conflict
  • Climate
  • United Nations
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Climate, Peace and Security Research Paper: Insights on Climate, Peace and Security

Climate change is transforming and redefining the global security and development landscape. United Nations member states are increasingly acknowledging that the impacts of climate change have implications for international peace and security. The growing recognition of this link has been reflected by the UN Security Council adopting over 70 related resolutions and presidential statements since 2017.
  • Conflict
  • Climate
  • United Nations
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How does climate change impact peace and security?

Since 2021, NUPI and SIPRI have analysed the links between climate, peace, and security in countries and regions on the agenda of the UN Security Council. These are the researchers’ key findings.
  • Conflict
  • Climate
  • United Nations
Publications
Publications
Report
Asha Ali, Cedric H. de Coning, Ingvild Brox Brodtkorb, Minoo Koefoed, Thor Olav Iversen, Anne Funnemark, Florian Krampe, Kyungmee Kim, Kheira Tarif, Katongo Seyuba

Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet: Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is faced with a confluence of climate change, environmental degradation, resource exploitation and conflict dynamics that is exacerbating insecurity in the country. The dual impact of climate change and the global green energy transition risks deepening divisions over resource management and fostering intercommunal conflict over resources such as land and water. Climate related security risks threaten to undermine human security through increased livelihood and food insecurity and changing patterns of transhumance.

  • Africa
  • Conflict
  • Climate
  • United Nations
ba30be0e7187-CPSRDRCPUB.png
  • Africa
  • Conflict
  • Climate
  • United Nations
Publications
Publications
Research paper
Kheira Tarif, Katongo Seyuba, Anne Funnemark, Elisabeth L. Rosvold, Kyungmee Kim, Florian Krampe, Asha Ali, Cedric H. de Coning

Climate, Peace and Security Research Paper: Insights on Climate, Peace and Security

Climate change is transforming and redefining the global security and development landscape. United Nations member states are increasingly acknowledging that the impacts of climate change have implications for international peace and security. The growing recognition of this link has been reflected by the UN Security Council adopting over 70 related resolutions and presidential statements since 2017. Since 2021 the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) have analysed the links between climate, peace and security in countries and regions on the agenda of the UN Security Council. With support from Norway during its elected membership of the UN Security Council in 2021–22, NUPI and SIPRI jointly published 11 Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheets covering Afghanistan, the Central African Republic (CAR), Colombia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Mali, the Sahel region, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. These fact sheets build on an analysis of four pathways from climate change to conflict that were identified in the context of East Africa; and supplement research on South and South East Asia, West Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa. The relationships between climate change and conflict have been studied in numerous other empirical studies and literature reviews with complementary findings. This paper outlines how climate change can affect peace and security (section I) and how climate change interacts with social, economic and political vulnerabilities in the countries covered by the Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheets (section II). The paper then synthesizes (section III) four key findings from the fact sheet series: (a) livelihood security is important, if not crucial, to the ways in which climate change influences conflict risk; (b) the impacts of climate change in one location can increase security risks in other locations; (c) the impacts of climate change interact with local vulnerabilities in ways that can create new security risks and exacerbate existing risks, such as conflict; and (d) conflict is not an inevitable consequence of climate change, but can be a response to its effects. This paper concludes with recommendations for how the UN Security Council shapes policies to address the complex challenges arising from climate change (section IV).

  • Conflict
  • Climate
  • United Nations
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  • Conflict
  • Climate
  • United Nations

Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet: Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is faced with a confluence of climate change, environmental degradation, resource exploitation and conflict dynamics that is exacerbating insecurity in the country. The dual impact of climate change and the global green energy transition risks deepening divisions over resource management and fostering intercommunal conflict over resources such as land and water. Climaterelated security risks threaten to undermine human security through increased livelihood and food insecurity and changing patterns of transhumance.
  • Africa
  • Climate
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Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet: Somalia

Somalia experienced its worst drought on record from 2021 to 2023, with an unprecedented five consecutive failed rainy seasons that displaced hundreds of thousands of people, undermined livelihoods and raised the spectre of famine in some areas. From August 2022, clan militias and the Somali armed forces launched operations against al-Shabab in some of the most drought-affected regions. As climate change and conflict continue apace in Somalia, the need for robust analyses and responses to climate-related security risks has never been greater.
  • Africa
  • Climate
2023 SIPRIΓÇôNUPI Fact Sheet Somalia Sep .png
Publications
Publications
Scientific article
Cedric H. de Coning, Minoo Koefoed, Thor Olav Iversen, Asha Ali, Florian Krampe, Kyungmee Kim, Katongo Seyuba, Kheira Tarif

Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet: Somalia

Somalia experienced its worst drought on record from 2021 to 2023, with an unprecedented five consecutive failed rainy seasons that displaced hundreds of thousands of people, undermined livelihoods and raised the spectre of famine in some areas. From August 2022, clan militias and the Somali armed forces launched operations against al-Shabab in some of the most drought-affected regions. As climate change and conflict continue apace in Somalia, the need for robust analyses and responses to climate-related security risks has never been greater.

  • Africa
  • Climate
CPSR Somalia.PNG
  • Africa
  • Climate
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