Climate-Fragility Risk Brief: North Africa and Sahel

Africa in general, and the Sahel in particular, is often identified as the region where climate change is most likely to undermine security and trigger violent conflict. This is a function of the region’s history of violent conflict and its perceived vulnerability to climate change. This paper endeavours to provide a concise overview of peer-reviewed literature on the links between climate change and conflict in the Sahel, Sahara and North Africa. 

The risk brief provides a balanced presentation of the current state of knowledge and thus contributes to the ongoing debate on climate and security. The author, Oli Brown, analyses the most important climate fragility risks in the region, including resource conflicts, climate-induced migration, conflicts over water distribution, and terrorist groups. For a quick overview of North Africa and Sahel's climate-fragility risks, take a look at the two-pager factsheet (the risk brief is also available in French).

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Risk brief: English | Française

Factsheet: English

Summary of the regional high-level dialogue: English | Français

The Sahel Factsheet

...outlines the key climate security risks facing the region, scope for institutional response with a focus on UN and AU peace operations, and priority entry points for action.

Cover Factsheet Sahel

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To contact the author, please email: secretariat@climate-security-expert-network.org.

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