Climate resilience can be a catalyst for peace and prosperity in the Sahel
Publication year
Resource type
UNCCD Library
Material Type
news article
Located on the borders between the West African countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger is the landlocked region of Liptako-Gourma.
With around 17 million people living across 536,000 square kilometres of the Sahel, it is a region rich in traditions, languages, and customs, intertwined over centuries.
It is also an area rich in possibilities. Young people under 25 make up two-thirds of the population. Above and beneath the ground are considerable mineral, water, and biodiversity resources. At the crossroads of West Africa, its location presents economic opportunities while serving as a potential bridge for cultural exchange and cooperation.
Despite this, the region remains beset by intersecting economic, environmental, political, and humanitarian crises. The security situation continues to be marked by terrorism and violent extremist groups. Inter-communal tensions frequently boil over, fuelled by conflict over dwindling natural resources.
The impacts of climate change, including long-term stress and sudden shocks, are acting as a threat multiplier.
The UN Development Programme's focus on climate security is about understanding the risks to peace and stability in the region, brought on by the climate crisis – and weaving a safety net of adaptation, collaboration, and innovation.
Our work in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger illustrates the challenges but also the solutions at hand.
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With around 17 million people living across 536,000 square kilometres of the Sahel, it is a region rich in traditions, languages, and customs, intertwined over centuries.
It is also an area rich in possibilities. Young people under 25 make up two-thirds of the population. Above and beneath the ground are considerable mineral, water, and biodiversity resources. At the crossroads of West Africa, its location presents economic opportunities while serving as a potential bridge for cultural exchange and cooperation.
Despite this, the region remains beset by intersecting economic, environmental, political, and humanitarian crises. The security situation continues to be marked by terrorism and violent extremist groups. Inter-communal tensions frequently boil over, fuelled by conflict over dwindling natural resources.
The impacts of climate change, including long-term stress and sudden shocks, are acting as a threat multiplier.
The UN Development Programme's focus on climate security is about understanding the risks to peace and stability in the region, brought on by the climate crisis – and weaving a safety net of adaptation, collaboration, and innovation.
Our work in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger illustrates the challenges but also the solutions at hand.
READ further from the source:
Keywords
climate risk management
Sahel
conflicts
human story