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The Middle East and North Africa

The conflicts and crises in the Middle East and North Africa are central themes in NUPI research on the region.

What roles do the emergent big powers play in these conflicts? How do great-power politics influence regional dynamics? These are central question that affect relations elsewhere around the globe, especially as regards energy issues. Developments in individual countries like Egypt, Syria and Iran are also followed closely by NUPI researchers, as are questions of the security situation in the area and how this is affected by actors and conflicts elsewhere in Africa.

Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet: Iraq

Iraq is highly vulnerable to climate change and its impacts. The country’s vulnerability is shaped by its physical exposure, a strong natural resource dependency and low adaptive capacity due to violent conflict, poverty, political instability and corruption. Iraq is particularly exposed to floods, droughts and dust storms, increasingly linked to temperature and precipitation variability.
  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Climate
Publications
Publications
Anne Funnemark, Elisabeth L. Rosvold, Cedric H. de Coning, Anab Ovidie Grand, Florian Krampe, Elizabeth Smith, Kheira Tarif

Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet: Afghanistan

Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change: rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. Currently, Afghanistan is experiencing its worst drought in 27 years, which, compounded with COVID-19 and the economic contraction that followed the takeover of the government by the Taliban in August 2021, has significantly increased livelihood and food insecurity and contributed to a growing humanitarian emergency.  Climate change exacerbates the deteriorating conditions for agriculture-based livelihoods and food insecurity.  Conflict and the effects of climate change have increased internal displacement and changed migration patterns. High levels of displacement accentuate food and livelihood insecurity and increase the vulnerability of marginalised groups, including women.  The effects of climate change may heighten the risk of more frequent and intense local conflicts over land and water and increase tensions over transboundary resources.  Conflict has eroded the resilience of communities and local authorities to adapt to climate change and to deal with the current humanitarian crisis. This creates opportunities for elites to manipulate and profit from land and water disputes, with elevated risks for marginalised groups.

  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Peace operations
  • Conflict
  • Climate
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  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Peace operations
  • Conflict
  • Climate
Publications
Publications

Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet: Afghanistan

Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change: rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. Currently, Afghanistan is experiencing its worst drought in 27 years, which, compounded with COVID-19 and the economic contraction that followed the takeover of the government by the Taliban in August 2021, has significantly increased livelihood and food insecurity and contributed to a growing humanitarian emergency.  Climate change exacerbates the deteriorating conditions for agriculture-based livelihoods and food insecurity.  Conflict and the effects of climate change have increased internal displacement and changed migration patterns. High levels of displacement accentuate food and livelihood insecurity and increase the vulnerability of marginalised groups, including women.  The effects of climate change may heighten the risk of more frequent and intense local conflicts over land and water and increase tensions over transboundary resources.  Conflict has eroded the resilience of communities and local authorities to adapt to climate change and to deal with the current humanitarian crisis. This creates opportunities for elites to manipulate and profit from land and water disputes, with elevated risks for marginalised groups.

  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Peace operations
  • Conflict
  • Climate
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  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Peace operations
  • Conflict
  • Climate
Publications
Publications

Making Sense of the European Side of the Transatlantic Security Relations in Africa

This article aims to investigate the character of transatlantic security relations in Africa: How can it be characterized? Have they become weaker or stronger over the past decade? How can this development be explained? As NATO has not yet been heavily engaged on the African continent, it is prudent to study the relations between the EU and the US. Africa has been of concern to the EU (and its member states) for decades due to its geographical closeness and historic bonds. Since 2001, for both Europe and the US, Africa has become a region of increasing security concern due to the threat of international terrorism—for Europe, we can also add the migration concern. The European side of this relationship has also been largely dominated by France, making the transatlantic security cooperation in Africa essentially about French-American relations. As France has taken the lead regarding Europe’s security and defense engagement in Africa, increasingly with the support of other EU member states and associated non-members, this bilateral relationship is more than simply cooperation between two states. By applying a framework that understands EU security and defense policy as a process increasingly characterized as a differentiated and flexible integration under French leadership, the development of the Franco-US security relations in Africa must be understood as an expression of the transatlantic security relations in this region.

  • Security policy
  • NATO
  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Africa
  • The EU
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  • Security policy
  • NATO
  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Africa
  • The EU
Ståle  Ulriksen
Researchers

Ståle Ulriksen

Researcher

Ståle Ulriksen is a researcher at the Norwegian Naval College, part of the Norwegian Defence University, with a 20 percent position at NUPI, in Th...

  • Defence
  • Security policy
  • Terrorism and extremism
  • NATO
  • Regional integration
  • Diplomacy
  • Foreign policy
  • Europe
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • North America
  • The Arctic
  • The Nordic countries
  • Conflict
  • Nation-building
  • Insurgencies
  • Oceans
  • The EU
  • Comparative methods
  • Defence
  • Security policy
  • Terrorism and extremism
  • NATO
  • Regional integration
  • Diplomacy
  • Foreign policy
  • Europe
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • North America
  • The Arctic
  • The Nordic countries
  • Conflict
  • Nation-building
  • Insurgencies
  • Oceans
  • The EU
  • Comparative methods
Publications
Publications
Niagalé Bagayoko, Mahamoudou Savadogo

L’architecture de sécurité intérieure burkinabé face à la gestion d’une crise multidimensionnelle

The military response has been the main focus to address the multidimensional crisis that the Sahel has been going through since 2012. However, it is equally important to look at the internal security forces' role in addressing insecurity. In this regard, Burkina Faso represents a particularly interesting field of lessons. Faced with the spillover of the Malian crisis on its soil and the emergence of endogenous violence, Burkina Faso is faced with substantial security challenges. Therefore, the country has been forced to rethink its approaches to defence policy, fight against terrorism and sub-regional security, and its conception of public security in a context where threats are now both local and external. Community policing has been placed at the core of Burkina Faso’s security approach.

  • Defence
  • Security policy
  • Terrorism and extremism
  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Africa
  • Conflict
  • Fragile states
  • Insurgencies
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  • Defence
  • Security policy
  • Terrorism and extremism
  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Africa
  • Conflict
  • Fragile states
  • Insurgencies
Publications
Publications

Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet: Iraq

• Increasing temperatures, decreasing water availability and greater inter-annual variability in rainfall negatively affect agriculture, reduce household income and food availability, and exacerbate livelihood insecurity. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by the adverse effects of climate change, due to pre-existing gender norms and persisting inequalities. • Low agriculture yields and loss of livelihoods contribute to increased urban migration, with urban challenges including the risk of social unrest and protests in host cities. • Armed groups and militias leverage the economic hardships, further exacerbated by the compounding effects of climate change, for recruitment and support. Weak governance increases the opportunities for elite exploitation and corruption, which leads to further marginalization and exclusion that feed grievances and drive instability.

  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Peace operations
  • Conflict
  • Climate
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  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Peace operations
  • Conflict
  • Climate

Climate change, peace and security in Afghanistan

How does climate change affect peace and security in Afghanistan? NUPI and SIPRI, under the Climate-related Peace and Security Risks project have published a new fact sheet on this topic. Read it here.
  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Africa
  • Climate
  • United Nations
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Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet: Afghanistan

Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change: rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. Currently, Afghanistan is experiencing its worst drought in 27 years, which, compounded with COVID-19 and the economic contraction that followed the takeover of the government by the Taliban in August 2021, has significantly increased livelihood and food insecurity and contributed to a growing humanitarian emergency.
  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Africa
  • Conflict
  • Climate
  • United Nations
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Tinatin  Osmonova

Tinatin Osmonova

Former employee

Tinatin Osmonova was a Visiting Research Fellow at NUPI in 2022.

  • International economics
  • Economic growth
  • Development policy
  • Europe
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • North America
  • South and Central America
  • The Arctic
  • The Nordic countries
  • Oceania
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Governance
  • International organizations
  • International economics
  • Economic growth
  • Development policy
  • Europe
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • North America
  • South and Central America
  • The Arctic
  • The Nordic countries
  • Oceania
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Governance
  • International organizations
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