Event

Afghanistan is the world’s sixth most climate-vulnerable country and among the least equipped to respond, yet it stands outside international climate finance and normal diplomatic relations. Five years after the Taliban took power, large-scale armed conflict has ended. The pressures on stability now run through water, land and livelihoods. Development assistance, including over USD 800 million in climate financing, was suspended in 2021. Yet engagement has widened. Where does that leave technical cooperation on climate adaptation? Meanwhile, recommendations to the UN and donors wait on political decisions no one is close to taking.

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This seminar asks what can be done in the meantime, and which structures on the ground can carry the work.

This event is part of Afghanistan Week 2026, and is organized in collaboration with the Afghanistan Committee. Lunch will be served from 11:30 and the programme will start at 11:45. Please not that this event will not be streamed.

Panel

• Moderator: Cedric de Coning, Research Professor and co-director of the Climate, Peace and Security Risk project, NUPI
• Bjørn Staurset Jahnsen, Norway’s Special Representative to Afghanistan
• Charity Watson, Climate, Peace and Security Advisor, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
• Ibraheem Bahiss, Senior Analyst Asia Program, International Crisis Group
• Karim Merchant, expert on climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction and natural resource management in Afghanistan and fragile states
• Katongo Seyuba, Researcher, Sipri

Panelists

Bjørn Staurset Jahnsen

Norway’s Special Representative to Afghanistan

Charity Watson

Climate, Peace and Security Advisor, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)

Ibraheem Bahiss

Senior Analyst, Asia Program, International Crisis Group

Katongo Seyuba

Researcher, Sipri

Karim Merchant

Expert on climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction and natural resource management in Afghanistan and fragile states

Moderator

Cedric H. de Coning

Research Professor

Related projects

Research Project

2020 - 2026 (Ongoing)

Climate, Peace and Security and the UN Security Council

The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) are collaborating on a climate, peace and security project that...

• Security policy
• The Middle East and North Africa
• Africa
• Asia
• Peace operations
• Humanitarian issues
• Conflict
• Fragile states
• Climate
• United Nations

• Security policy
• The Middle East and North Africa
• Africa
• Asia
• Peace operations
• Humanitarian issues
• Conflict
• Fragile states
• Climate
• United Nations