Conflict and Governance
Climate change—whether through rapid-onset events like floods and storms, or through more slowly moving processes, such as droughts, sea level rise, and temperature change—can contribute to the fragility of areas experiencing or vulnerable to armed conflict and violence. By recognizing the links between climate change and existing social, economic, and political fragilities, USAID programming can help build resilience and decrease vulnerability. Transformative shifts in governance systems to enhance climate resilience can address these dual stressors. USAID's Climate Strategy explains how the Agency utilizes principles of environmental peacebuilding to advance equitable resource sharing and management that both mitigate conflict and increase climate resilience. Similarly, the USAID Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization can leverage tools like its Violence and Conflict Analysis to ensure conflict-sensitive climate programs.
