The Sahel has been identified as one of the regions where climate change is most likely to undermine security and trigger violent conflict. This is a function of the region’s history of recent political instability and its vulnerability to climate change, itself a result of poverty, low levels of development and climate-dependent livelihoods, such as rainfed agriculture and livestock herding. This factsheet outlines the key climate security risks facing the region, scope for institutional response – with a focus on UN and African Union (AU) peace operations, and priority entry points for action.