The project “Climate Change and Security in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus” aims to enhance understanding and awareness of climate change as a security challenge and the consequent need for regional and transboundary co-operation in adaptation; and to enhance national and local stakeholders’ capacity to anticipate, prevent and mitigate effectively and in a timely manner potential security risks resulting from climate change. These objectives are to be achieved through participatory assessments of security impacts of climate change for each region; production and dissemination of information on security impacts of climate change and required adaptation measures; and development of a pilot climate change adaptation strategy for a tranboundary river basin (Dniester River Basin). The project is led by the OSCE and implemented jointly by the OSCE, UN Environment, UNECE, UNDP and REC within the framework of the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative.
Background
Once only considered as an “environmental issue,” climate change is increasingly being included as an inherent element of national and international security agendas. It is seen as a “threat multiplier,” exacerbating existing threats to security and increasing environmental stress, adding to pressures that can push the responsive capacities of governments to their limits.
Climate change can impact security in a number of ways. Increasing competition over access to natural resources can lead to violent conflict if no effective dispute resolution mechanisms are in place. Increasing frequency of climate-induced extreme weather events and disasters can aggravate political instability and put livelihoods at risk, which in turn can push people to migrate on a large scale or to turn to illegal sources of income. Disruption of food production and increasing food prices can lead to social instability, violent protests and civil unrest. Reduced efficiency of energy production caused by higher temperatures and lower precipitation, as well as threats to energy production and transmission infrastructure from extreme weather events, put supply chains and energy security at risk. Increasing demand for water and an unreliable supply increase pressure on existing water governance arrangements and can complicate political relations, in particular at transboundary basins already affected by tensions.
Four main activities are implemented to achieve the following results:
Participatory assessments and information sharing
Participatory assessments of security impacts of climate change are designed and produced for each region;
Information on security impacts of climate change and required adaptation measures are produced and disseminated in each region.
Pilot adaptation strategy and training
The Dniester basin-wide/transboundary climate change adaptation strategy is developed and endorsed by relevant authorities together with an implementation plan;
Key stakeholders in the regions are trained on security impacts of climate change as well as on conflict prevention measures related to climate change adaptation.
Partnerships
Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative logo.
For more information on the activities and projects implemented under the umbrella of the Environment and Security Initiative, please visit: www.envsec.org.
The ENVSEC Partners are implementing the activities of the Climate Change and Security action as a consortium, under the overall guidance and co-ordination of the OSCE and in consultation with the EU and its Delegations. In the framework of this action, ENVSEC partners are co-operating and providing expertise both individually and collectively during the different phases of the project.
The Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) is a partnership of five international organizations – the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Regional Environment Centre for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and UN Environment – with specialized, but complementary mandates and expertise, that provides an integrated response to environment and security challenges. The mission of ENVSEC is to contribute to the reduction of environment and security risks through strengthened cooperation among and within countries in four regions: Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Southern Caucasus, and South-Eastern Europe.
