Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding Perspective in Combating Climate Change
- Conflictus
- Dec 23, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Sep 5
Climate change is one of the most widespread global threats to peace and security in the 21st century. Although it is often discussed in the context of emergency action in communities affected by climate change-induced migration, it is more than just an environmental issue. Climate change has the potential to create deep and complex impacts with social and economic dimensions. These impacts go beyond environmental challenges and have the potential to lead to conflicts within society. In situations that may develop in connection with climate change (especially where the fair use of basic resources such as water and food is at stake), if the necessary measures are not taken and the process is not well managed, it is likely to interact with other political, social and economic processes that can transform existing tensions into violence or break fragile peace processes.
Therefore, the steps to combat climate change should not only focus on environmental strategies but also incorporate approaches that take potential conflict risks into account. Unfortunately, planning to address such a situation rarely draws upon peacebuilding and conflict prevention efforts. However, to understand the societal risks that may arise in this process and take related precautions, a climate change action plan aligned with these tools becomes essential. In this context, it is crucial for key actors, such as civil society organizations, local governments, and the private sector, to work collaboratively.
In this article, we discuss why institutions and organizations working on climate change need a conflict resolution and peacebuilding perspective. We also aim to provide concrete suggestions on the mistakes to be avoided and the steps to be taken in this direction.
WHAT NOT TO DO? Mistakes that Increase the Risks of Conflict
Often we focus on what we need to do to solve problems. But sometimes finding the right path starts with avoiding the wrong steps. It would be useful for institutions and organizations such as non-governmental organizations, local governments, and the private sector that want to develop ways of responding to complex and profoundly impactful processes such as climate change to ask the following question before setting out: What should not we do? In other words, which steps will lead us away from solutions, open the door to conflicts and perhaps revive latent conflicts?
In projects addressing climate change, certain steps should be avoided to prevent increasing the risk of conflict. These include:
• failing to recognize actual needs,
• avoiding collaboration,
• excluding all relevant stakeholders from the process,
• ignoring local and cultural sensitivities, and
• lacking perspectives grounded in principles such as conflict sensitivity and "do no harm."
While all these elements are individually significant, this article focuses on three aspects we consider more critical: accurately identifying needs and priorities, involving the local community in the process, and establishing collaboration among stakeholders.
Misidentifying needs and priorities can seriously compromise the success of climate change projects. As climate change is a large and complex problem, such projects need to take into account not only environmental aspects, but also the needs of individuals and communities directly affected by these changes. If needs and priorities are not properly identified, projects can be misdirected and have negative consequences instead of the expected positive impacts. For example, if the needs of communities in a region for agricultural activities, which are their main source of livelihood, are ignored, the solutions to be implemented may further undermine the economic sustainability of that community. This not only exacerbates economic hardship, but can also lead to inequalities, further weakening the economic sustainability of local communities.
Excluding local communities from the process is another important element that cannot be ignored in projects to combat climate change. Climate change is a problem with local and global consequences that can affect everyone, not just institutions or managers. Moreover, when these communities are not included in the process, there is a risk that their needs and expectations are not properly understood. This is a major obstacle to finding a lasting and effective solution.
Failing to emphasize collaboration among stakeholders can compromise the sustainability of climate change projects. Solving a multifaceted and global problem such as climate change is not something that only one group of actors can achieve alone. Without effective cooperation and coordination between various stakeholders - local governments, civil society organizations, the private sector and other segments of society - it can lead to a missing link and not fully addressing the root of the problem. This may not only reduce the impact of the steps to be taken or projects to be carried out, but also increase the potential for conflict within society.
SO WHAT TO DO? Strategies for Conflict Resolution
So let's not do these “what not to do” mentioned above :) and everything will be solved. If only it were that simple…
It is actually not difficult. We just want to touch on some of the basics and describe the essential steps that need to be taken in these processes. These steps can be developed according to regional needs and are here only as frameworks. In this context, identifying and analyzing climate-based risks and equipping communities with conflict resolution and dialogue development skills to support awareness and advocacy are important steps:
1) Identification and Analysis of Climate-Related Risks:
In our previous article, we emphasized the importance of conflict analysis processes in addressing conflicts. To anticipate societal vulnerabilities likely to arise from the climate crisis, such as injustices related to access to essential resources, it is crucial to define and analyze these issues in detail. This analysis should not only address technical issues related to environmental and climate expertise but also consider the needs of different societal groups, existing data, vulnerabilities of these groups, and challenges in accessing basic necessities. It should be a collaborative process undertaken by both climate experts and conflict resolution specialists.
To this end, it is important to identify the key stakeholders who need to be involved in the process, understand the relationships between them, and conduct an analysis aimed at identifying the root causes of existing or potential problems. This approach serves as a method that municipalities and relevant institutions can use to shape their climate strategies. It is also a valuable tool for the private sector and non-governmental organizations working in the field of climate crisis mitigation.
In fact, the more these stakeholders collaborate during the analysis phase, the better the intersections of this process within the cycles of social, economic, and natural resources can be understood, leading to a more inclusive plan. It should not be forgotten that cooperation among these actors is not only a technical necessity but also a critical element for preventing conflicts and increasing societal acceptance of projects.
2) Conflict Resolution and Dialogue Development Trainings
In efforts to struggle climate change, it is essential to provide training to both decision-makers (individuals and institutions) and community groups to raise awareness about why addressing climate-related crises is important. These trainings can focus on various aspects of fighting the climate crisis, such as thematic topics or advocacy and local dialogue development.
For instance, we mentioned earlier the importance of different stakeholders working together. Supporting these stakeholders with conflict resolution skills can make both the planning and implementation processes smoother by helping them address problems and make decisions more effectively. Strengthening their ability to identify, analyze, and resolve potential conflicts within their own institutions or among the groups they serve also helps localize the process.
Another example involves equipping the groups being served with these skills. In climate work, especially in African and Asian countries, trainings designed from a conflict resolution perspective have been used to increase resilience and dialogue among communities. Although these efforts often categorize people into groups based on needs—such as traders, entrepreneurs, or farmers—the layered and interconnected nature of the climate crisis means that dialogue between these groups is essential. This necessity highlights the importance of such trainings. Additionally, the conflict resolution approach helps groups first recognize their own needs and then determine the steps they need to take to address them.
The content and target groups of these training and dialogue development efforts should be decided after a careful analysis by experts in this field. This way, it becomes easier to create content tailored to the specific needs of the groups involved, making it more likely to achieve the desired outcomes through training.
Conclusion
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, climate change is a multidimensional problem that affects every aspect of our lives, not only environmentally but also socially and economically, and if no measures are taken, its effects will increase in the coming period. In order to address this problem effectively, making plans by taking into account the conflict potentials it will create at the social level not only increases the success of the efforts made, but also paves the way for sustainable and just solutions. As we discuss in this paper, avoiding missteps in these efforts is as important as developing the right strategies.
Not identifying needs correctly, not involving local communities and not ensuring cooperation between stakeholders are the biggest mistakes to avoid in this process. In order to avoid such mistakes and to produce lasting solutions, concrete steps that support each other, such as the identification and analysis of climate-based risks and conflict resolution and dialogue development trainings, stand out as tools that strengthen the building blocks of the process. In this context, the COP28 Declaration on Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace addresses how best to integrate conflict-sensitive approaches throughout the project cycle, highlighting the human development needs driven by climate change and the necessity of our approach to environmental peacebuilding.
Consequently, an understanding of conflict resolution and peacebuilding is not only a method of problem solving, but also a key to building a sustainable and peaceful future in the fight against climate change.
Thank you for reading our post! At Conflictus, we eagerly await your feedback and insights.
Dilara Gök & Tunç Karaçay
Conflictus Conflict Resolution Training and Consultancy
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