Climate, peace and security: what we need to know

Climate change affects us all, no matter where we live, but it is particularly devastating for fragile countries and communities facing conflict or humanitarian crises. Today, of the 15 countries most vulnerable to climate change, 13 are struggling with violent conflicts.

While climate change does not directly ignite conflict, it acts as a threat multiplier, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and tensions. It intensifies competition for dwindling natural resources, drives up food prices and heightens geopolitical instability. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that the impact of climate change will worsen and become a more significant driver of conflict in the years to come.

This snapshot reveals the devastating consequences of conflict and climate-induced disasters on millions of people living around the world. It looks at what’s happening on the ground in some of the most affected countries.

Learn more about climate change, its causes and effects and its impacts on human security.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan, grappling with decades of conflict and underdevelopment, remains one of the world's most impoverished and insecure nations. The escalating effects of climate change, manifesting in intensified droughts and flash floods, are deepening the country's humanitarian crisis, leading to increased displacement, hunger and poverty.

In 2022, Afghanistan endured its most severe drought in three decades, and 2023 marked the third consecutive year of drought conditions. This environmental catastrophe has left six million Afghans teetering on the brink of famine.

Desertification is worsening the situation, ravaging more than 75 per cent of land in the northern, western and southern regions. This has reduced vegetation cover, accelerated land degradation and severely impacted farming.

Today, the consequences are increasingly dire, with nearly 30 million Afghans – over two thirds of the population – in desperate need of humanitarian assistance to survive.

Read more about climate change and desertification.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), conflict and the climate crisis are locked in a devastating cycle, each aggravating the other. Escalating violence and increasingly severe floods have triggered record levels of displacement. The country is now home to the largest number of internally displaced people in Africa, with a staggering 6.4 million people having fled or lost their homes. Floods and storms between 2008 and 2023 drove nearly nearly 2 million displacements.

Displacement leaves people even more vulnerable to the ravages of climate change. They struggle in precarious living situations with limited resources and infrastructure to cope with extreme weather events.

In the DRC, an abundance of natural resources has fuelled armed conflict. Unsustainable mining, logging and poaching practices both perpetuate the violence and devastate the environment. This process accelerates climate change and destroys ecosystems essential for food production and economic growth.

Haiti

With a history of catastrophic disasters and deep poverty, Haiti is one of the most vulnerable nations in Latin America and the Caribbean when it comes to climate change.

Rising temperatures and prolonged droughts have severely impacted food access for 4.9 million Haitians, nearly half the country's population. In June 2023, floods and landslides afffected nearly 40,000 families, displacing at least 13,400 people. The increasing frequency of floods has led to a surge in deaths, widespread destruction, displacement and outbreaks of waterborne diseases.

Sea-level rise further compounds Haiti's vulnerability, as coastal erosion and flooding endanger the lives and livelihoods of countless people residing along the coast, particularly in the densely populated capital, Port-au-Prince. The city’s precarious situation is aggravated by poorly constructed housing on floodplains and inadequate waste management, factors that heighten the risks of disease outbreaks.

Read more about the impact of climate change on people’s health.

Iraq

Among the Arab States, Iraq is one of the most vulnerable to climate change, and is already grappling with devastating consequences. Rising temperatures, dwindling rainfall and surging dust storms are wreaking havoc on land and water resources.

The impact on children is particularly dire, with UNICEF reporting that nearly three out of five lack access to clean water. Less than half of schools have basic drinking water, jeopardizing children's health, nutrition and cognitive development.

Desertification has ravaged approximately 40 per cent of Iraq's land. The Government estimates that an additional 250 million square metres of arable land will be lost to degradation each year.

Drought has left an estimated 7 million Iraqis vulnerable to displacement and food insecurity, with approximately 1.2 million people lacking enough to eat. In December 2022, nearly 70,000 people fled their homes and farms due to drought in central and southern Iraq.

Climate-induced stressors have heightened threats from resource competition, intercommunal tensions and violent conflict, casting a dark shadow over the country's future.

Learn more about climate change and water scarcity.

South Sudan

Devastating cycles of floods and droughts in South Sudan are destroying agriculture and deepening food insecurity, impacting approximately 1 million people annually, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Above-average rainfall has engorged rivers and tributaries, submerging vast stretches of land as well as homes, farms and schools.

With 95 per cent of South Sudan's population dependent on climate-sensitive livelihoods like farming and agriculture, the impacts of floods and droughts are profound. In recent years, the severe disruption of agricultural activities has left over 8 million people food insecure and displaced nearly 2 million.

South Sudan also grapples with extreme heat. In 2023, a prolonged heatwave, with temperatures soaring to a scorching 45°C (113°F), forced schools to close for two weeks. The multifaceted climate crisis plunging this relatively new nation into a state of humanitarian emergency highlights the urgent need for climate adaptation and resilience.

Learn more about climate change and extreme heat.

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In 2018, the United Nations established the Climate Security Mechanism. Led by the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Department of Peacekeeping Operations as well as the United Nations Environment Programme and United Nations Development Programme, the initiative is designed to address links between climate, peace and security in responses to crises around the world.

The mechanism supports United Nations field missions, country teams and regional organizations to analyze climate-related security risks and design integrated, timely responses. Learn more about its work.