Regional Policies and Initiatives on Climate Change and Disaster Risks: How Can Peacebuilding Assistance and Climate Change Adaptation Be Integrated?

Abstract

Climate-fragility risks are regarded as “threat multipliers” that undermine the security of humans and the state. This chapter considers various development assistance approaches in managing climate-fragility risks. While development assistance agencies are supporting developing countries to strengthen efforts in climate change adaptation and peacebuilding, existing approaches in these two areas are not connected enough. The chapter examines gaps in the assistance approaches of managing climate-fragility risks: risk assessment, program time scale, and integration of approaches. Climate risk information is currently not used for peacebuilding programs, while risk assessment with respect to water availability and disasters under a changing climate would be useful in preparing projects under unstable regional situations. Peacebuilding programs focus on immediate needs such as rehabilitating the infrastructure destroyed, improving the livelihoods of local communities, and creating government capacities. Climate change adaptation programs aim at resolving issues from a long-term perspective, such as flood risk management and capacity building. Incorporating a long-term perspective into peacebuilding programs is a challenge. The chapter proposes practical approaches to fill these gaps in order to merge assistance approaches of peacebuilding with climate change adaptation.