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Peace Pillar: Strengthening Iraqi capacities to respond to climate risks and their impact on existing conflict dynamics

Iraq is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. For decades, the country has also experienced ongoing conflict including from the war and its legacy, ISIS, and internally disputed territories, among others. Against the backdrop of repeated cycles of intense violent conflict and insecurity, there is an acute risk that conflict dynamics will worsen as the impacts of climate change become more severe. Combined, these trends will continue to undermine the Iraqi population’s ability to build climate resilience.

Mosul, Iraq, rubble
© Levi Meir Clancy/Unsplash.com
Mosul, Iraq

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Working in nine districts across five governorates, this project ultimately aims to strengthen Iraqi capacities to respond to climate risks and their impact on conflict dynamics. Together with the local partner organisation Peace Paradigms Organisation (PPO), Berghof conducts extensive research to identify and analyse the impact of climate change on local conflict dynamics. This knowledge will be used as a starting point for climate-informed peace-building interventions, focusing on conflict-sensitive climate adaptation and climate-focused mediation.

This project is part of the Weathering Risk Peace Pillar, which translates climate-security foresight and analysis into peacebuilding action where it is needed most. Currently in its first phase, the Peace Pillar implements a number of pilot projects conducted by experienced peacebuilding organisations in regions severely affected by conflict and climate risks. Through and from implementation the Peace Pillar aims to share and elevate evidence-based recommendations in mainstreaming climate-security to support sustainable peace processes on the ground.

The Peace Pillar is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by adelphi in partnership with the Berghof Foundation, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) and the European Institute of Peace (EIP). The Peace Pillar works with evaluation experts, including Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) to assess the impact of the pilot projects.

 

Contact person and email:

Katarina Schulz: schulz@adelphi.de

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Supported by Germany

Type: Practice, Dialogue/advocacy, Process

Relevant action areas: 3. Climate security risk-informed resilience and adaptation; 4. Climate security risk-informed peace; 5. Knowledge and experience sharing

Location of project: Iraq

Duration: 2022-present

Partners: Berghof Foundation, Peace Paradigms Organisation (PPO), adelphi

Key activities: Capacity building, research and analysis, peace-building interventions, mediation