A Fragile Balance: Climate Change, Non-State Armed Groups, and Security in Lake Chad  

Date and time: Monday 5th of October 09-12:30 (start with breakfast)

Purpose: Share insights on the topic from research and from the field, and discuss how missions and climate, peace and security fieldwork can adapt. 

Format: Invite only. The event will consist of a panel of experts, followed by a workshop session or a discussion in smaller groups depending on the final list of participants. A report will gather the main outcomes to be shared publicly. 

Background:
Non-state armed groups, including insurgents, violent extremist organizations, rebel groups, militias, self-defence groups and criminal networks, vary widely in their aims, structures and relationships with civilians. In areas where state authority is weak or contested, they control territory and resources, collect taxes, resolve disputes, and provide security and basic services. Their relevance to climate, peace and security therefore extends beyond violence to how they shape access to land, water, livelihoods and coping mechanisms/adaptation.

The relationship between climate change and armed groups is indirect and context-specific. These dynamics are visible in the Lake Chad region, where communities across Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria depend heavily on farming, fishing and pastoralism while facing conflict, displacement, environmental degradation and increasingly variable weather. 

Drawing lessons from the Lake Chad region and other contexts, this session will bring together experts, researchers, policymakers and practitioners to explore the interlinkages between non-state armed groups and climate-related peace and security risks. It aims to identify recommendations for donors, policymakers and practitioners on advancing climate, peace and security interventions, including adaptation, natural resource management and resilience-building, while strengthening locally legitimate institutions and community resilience in areas influenced or controlled by non-state armed groups.