Cedric H. de Coning

In 2016, the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) signed the Final Peace Agreement, linking the country’s peace process to comprehensive rural reform, reintegration of former combatants and addressing illicit crop cultivation, among other issues. The Peace Agreement is hailed as a landmark achievement for ending the armed conflict in Colombia. It includes reference to environmental and biodiversity protection, respect for environmental and human rights, and sustainable development, as components of the peace process. Nevertheless, implementation of the Peace Agreement can give rise to challenges for environmental protection and climate action in Colombia. Comprehensive rural reform, a core component of the Peace Agreement, may increase natural resource extraction, contribute to environmental degradation and accentuate climate vulnerabilities. Furthermore, numerous non-state armed groups (NSAGs) continue to drive violence, insecurity and displacement, heightening the vulnerability of the conflict-affected population to climate change and environmental degradation. This Fact Sheet focuses on Colombia’s peace process since 2016 and how climate-related security risks interact with specific provisions of the Peace Agreement.

The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and the Training for Peace (TfP) Programme were pleased to welcome the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), H.E Ambassador Bankole Adeoye on 23rd June, for an open discussion on the evolving conflict and security environment in Africa.

As part of an official visit to Oslo, Former President Joaquim Alberto Chissano visited NUPI on 20 June, 2022.

In this new Fact Sheet from the joint NUPI and SIPRI’s joint Climate-related Peace and Security Risks Project (CPSR) team explore the nexus between climate change, peace and security

Ethiopia is currently experiencing one of its most severe droughts in decades following four consecutive failed rain seasons. The country has a high dependency on rainfed agriculture, and recent reductions in economic growth rates, rapid population growth, weak institutional capacity and high levels of conflict make it particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. While climatic conditions differ substantially across Ethiopia, the average temperature is projected to increase, and rainfall is expected to become more erratic. Ethiopia´s long history of drought, famine and locust outbreaks all further the need for increased capacity and resilience to cope with the projected impacts of climate change. Political instability and conflict have compounded the humanitarian situation in the country, hampering the ability of the Ethiopian Government to implement its climate adaptation and mitigation policies.

Sudan is severely exposed to climate change. As one of the world’s least developed countries, extreme weather, recurrent floods and droughts, and changing precipitation interact with other vulnerabilities – such as ecosystem degradation, unsustainable agricultural practices, natural resource scarcities and resource-based conflicts – limiting societal capacities to cope and adapt. The economic consequences of COVID-19, ongoing political instability (further aggravated by the October 2021 military coup), and rising inflation all weaken state and societal resilience, livelihoods and food security.