Environment-Fragility-Peace Nexus

The confluence of climate exposure, fragility, and potentially violent conflict demands a rethinking of humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding practice (triple-nexus) in the 21st century. While the exact causal relationships among climate, fragility, and conflict are inherently complex and sometimes contradictory, there is no doubt that climate change is having extreme effects on ecologies, livelihoods, resource use, economies, and health. Climate change could push an additional 132 million people into poverty by 2030, and could result in the displacement of 143 million by 2050 with detrimental effects for global peace and development.

Climate change is therefore seen as a “threat-multiplier” in violent conflict, exacerbating existing conflict drivers by putting pressures on livelihoods and economies, amplifying resource competition, spurring migration, and contributing to habitat loss.

How does climate change affect the SDGs?

Environmental Peacebuilding at CDA

The environment-fragility-peace nexus presents a radically new operational environment for humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding interventions. It poses a new set of complex challenges in which social, political, economic, and environmental problems must be addressed systemically and simultaneously across various scales, incorporating local, national, regional, and global programs.

In contributing to the growing knowledge base on the environment, fragility, and peace nexus, CDA is developing practitioner-centered, evidence-based tools and assessment frameworks through a rigorous and long-tested collaborative learning approach that has been adapted to purpose.