The Sahel has been identified as one of the regions where climate change is most likely to undermine security and trigger violent conflict. This is a function of the region’s history of recent political instability and its vulnerability to climate change, itself a result of poverty, low levels of development and climate-dependent livelihoods, such as rainfed agriculture and livestock herding. This factsheet outlines the key climate security risks facing the region, scope for institutional response – with a focus on UN and African Union (AU) peace operations, and priority entry points for action.

There is great scope forcross-learning andcooperationin the field of climate change.What is needed are pragmatic multilateral solutions in order to effectively address climate security risks in the region.The obvious starting point isto support efforts for the United Nations and the African Union to closely work together on better climate and security risk assessment and responses in theadvancementofthe “Silencing the Guns” initiative. Whilst there is no explicit reference to addressing climate change-relatedrisks to peace and security inthe UN-AU Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security, the lynchpin for operationalizing of “Silencing the Guns”,this framework nevertheless suggests a number of concrete opportunitiesfor cooperative action.

Climate change may not be the single biggest factor affecting the evolving prospects of the Sahel region, butitshould be seen as a significant obstacle to peacethat can worsenexisting conflicts and compounding situations of fragility.