Suchergebnisse

Approaches to operationalising the linkages between climate, peace and security are increasingly demanded by international organisations. Yet, there is a limited understanding of what effective programming practices that address climate-related security risks entail. Critical voices argue that programme designs often rely on analyses that ignore structural and cultural realities on the ground, leading to technocratic understandings of risks, and prescriptions for action that do not relate to people's experiences, perceptions and values. Advised by social learning theory, this study developed and evaluated a participatory appraisal method to guide the design of environmental peacebuilding programming strategies meant to address climate-related security risks. The method was evaluated across nine rural locations in Kenya, Senegal and Guatemala, involving 221 participants. Based on a critical evaluation of the method, opportunities and challenges for the use of social learning approaches to advise environmental peacebuilding programming are discussed. Results indicate that appraisal processes of collective reflection can support jointly articulated and context-relevant understandings of climate-related security risks. This shared knowledge can then support local communities in the design of climate adaptation strategies that potentially contribute to sustainable peacebuilding. Settings characterised by low political legitimacy and the unwillingness of conflictive actors to engage in dialogue are identified as barriers for the development of feasible programming strategies.

Conflicts are increasingly analysed as exhibiting a stealth complexity in which triggers and consequences are intricately linked to climate, environmental degradation and the struggle to control a finite pool of natural resources. The climate crisis is a multifaceted reality and, against this background, many pressing priorities compete with each other. The disruptive effect of climate variability and change on food systems is particularly acute and constitutes a direct and tangible threat to livelihoods globally. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate and discuss the importance of food systems under a climate crisis in exacerbating conflicts in the Sahelian region and propose interventions beyond and complementary to the usual military and security solutions. We demonstrate for the Sahel that (i) climate hazards are frequent and exposure to climate variability is high, (ii) hotspots of high climate variability and conflict exist, and (iii) impact pathways by which climate exacerbates food systems that can lead to conflicts are documented in the literature. While these three findings suggest clear links between conflict and climate, we find that (iv) current peace indices do not include climate and food systems indicators and therefore provide an uncomplete picture, and (v) food systems programming for climate adaptation has so far not explicitly considered peace and security outcomes. Furthermore, we propose that food systems programming that truly tackles the climate crisis should take more explicit account of peace and security outcomes in conflict-affected areas.

Decision makers in developing countries need evidence of the impacts climate change is having and will continue to have on agriculture and food systems as well as knowledge on how to design better policies to deal with such impacts. Research for development scientists are generating this evidence but it might not always be what decision makers want or need. We present here a synthesis that is an attempt to learn lessons from projects conducted by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). These projects engaged with policy makers and other stakeholders by providing climate science and spaces for dialogue between researchers and decision makers for the purpose of improving climate change and agricultural policies. This study draws conclusions from across projects in five regions and confirms the presence of similar enablers to policy engagement and constraints to the use of scientific findings by policy makers in each region. The paper is guided by the following research questions: (a) What are the most effective means of science-policy engagement in the areas of climate change, food security, and agriculture?; (b) What are the enabling factors for research uptake in decision making?; and (c) What are the main constraints to policy engagement, and how can they be overcome? The Kaleidoscope Model for agricultural and food security policy change is used throughout the paper to help organize results and conceptualize the process of policy change. The CCAFS projects included in this study relied on sustained engagement between researchers and decision makers through a variety of means. Respondents from all regions indicated the importance of involving decision makers with the research process from the very beginning so that knowledge can be co-created and will meet the needs of the decision makers. The learning alliances and science-policy dialogue forums created through CCAFS projects proved successful in bringing together actors from multiple stakeholders and sectors. One of the key lessons from the CCAFS projects was that, rather than starting from scratch or trying to force review or revision of a policy that was not on anyone's agenda, it was better to start by getting involved in a process that was already underway and look at how CCAFS could provide support and evidence. Major constraints faced by projects were the availability of decision makers to attend meetings and participate in project activities, staff turnover 4 within government ministries and departments, lack of time to engage, and the mismatch of political processes with research timelines.