The connection between climate change and global security has gained significant attention in recent years. As the climate crisis accelerates, its impacts exacerbate existing social, economic, and environmental challenges, contributing to insecurity at both local and international levels.
Climate change threatens food, water, and energy supplies, intensifies competition over natural resources, and causes widespread displacement and migration due to climate-related disasters. These factors are directly linked to growing instability across the globe.
Despite recognising the link between climate change and security, integrated approaches that address the specific risks at this intersection remain limited. Conflict-affected regions are particularly vulnerable, as instability hinders climate change adaptation and peacebuilding efforts. This leaves vulnerable communities more exposed to crises, poverty, and insecurity.
The Nigerian Context: Climate Change and Insecurity
In Nigeria, environmental changes have aggravated existing inequalities, particularly in the context of economic disparity. Frequent flooding has devastated farmland and livelihoods, exacerbating food insecurity, which has already been declared a national emergency. This environmental damage has disproportionately affected children and youth, many of whom face severe hunger and malnutrition while unemployment remains at an alarming 42.5% among young people. The lack of economic opportunities, compounded by climate impacts, has led many to seek employment abroad.
These socioeconomic disparities feed into wider human security concerns. For instance, in Nigeria’s northeast, insurgent groups like Boko Haram exploit poverty and lack of livelihoods to recruit fighters. In regions impacted by flooding, weakened infrastructure and displacement have further eroded security, allowing militant groups such as the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) to target vulnerable communities.
In the Middle Belt, environmental changes have worsened conflicts between pastoralists and farmers, driven by migration southward in search of land and resources. The destruction of fertile land due to floods has intensified these clashes, displacing families and destabilizing communities.
Flooding and Displacement: Impact on Children and Families
Flooding has also worsened conditions for Nigeria’s internally displaced persons (IDPs), with 3.6 million people affected by conflict or violence. Over 60% of the 1.9 million displaced individuals in the northeast are children. The 2022 floods alone displaced more than 800,000 children, leading to overcrowded camps, worsened living conditions, and reduced access to essential services like healthcare and education., who knows Numbers cannot even quantify the people 2024 flooding has displaced already.
Infrastructure damage caused by the floods has forced the closure of IDP camps and schools, leaving many children without shelter or the ability to continue their education. In Borno, for example, more than six camps housing 16,000 IDPs were destroyed by flooding, forcing families to seek emergency accommodation. This loss of stability leaves children at greater risk of malnutrition, disease, and protection concerns, such as gender-based violence.
The long-term impact of displacement on children and youth is severe, as IDPs often remain in camps for extended periods, limiting their freedom of movement and access to education, healthcare, and employment. This cycle of disenfranchisement threatens to perpetuate poverty and insecurity for future generations.
Global Security Impacts of Climate Change
Worldwide, climate change is increasingly recognized as a “threat multiplier,” intensifying resource scarcity and worsening political, social, and economic instability. Countries already facing conflict, such as Yemen, Mali, and Somalia, are among the most vulnerable to climate impacts, further compounding their challenges.
To break it down, here are five key ways climate change impacts human security globally:
- Intensified Competition for Resources
As droughts and floods become more frequent, competition over land and water resources increases. In regions like the Sahel and central Mali, this has led to tensions between farming and herding communities, further destabilizing already fragile areas. What if this is one of the causes of the farmers-herders clash in Benue, Kogi and some other parts of Nigeria too? - Disruption to Food Production
Climate disasters such as floods and droughts have damaged farmland and coastal fisheries, pushing millions into hunger and driving food prices higher. In regions like the Horn of Africa, locust swarms fueled by rising temperatures have devastated crops, while rising sea levels in the Pacific Islands threatened fisheries and food supplies. - Increased Displacement
Extreme weather events, such as flooding and droughts, are displacing more than 20 million people each year. As climate change worsens, millions more are expected to be forced from their homes, exacerbating the challenges faced by developing countries already dealing with conflict and poverty. - Rising Poverty and Inequality
Climate change disproportionately affects the poorest and most vulnerable populations. In countries heavily reliant on agriculture, environmental disasters can push millions further into poverty, deepening existing inequalities and straining fragile economies. - Security Risks for Women and Girls
Women and girls are disproportionately affected by climate-related crises, facing higher risks of violence and exploitation in displaced settings. In regions like Yemen and Somalia, where water scarcity and conflict intersect, women often bear the burden of securing resources, putting them at risk of gender-based violence and hindering their access to education and employment.
The Path Forward: Addressing Youth Priorities
In Nigeria and beyond, the growing impacts of climate change on young people and displaced communities demand urgent attention. Comprehensive strategies that prioritize the rights of children and youth, including their freedom of movement, are essential to ensuring equitable access to services and opportunities.
Youth advocacy plays a critical role in shaping policies that address climate change, economic inequality, and the marginalization of vulnerable populations. By fully implementing policies like Nigeria’s revised National Youth Policy, governments can begin to address the interlinked challenges of climate change and security, while amplifying the voices of young people and protecting their futures.
Preventive Measures And Solutions
As the global climate crisis accelerates, its impacts are becoming increasingly linked to security threats, from resource conflicts to forced displacement. While the challenges are immense, some concrete preventive measures and solutions can help mitigate the risks posed by climate change to global and national security.
- Strengthening Climate Adaptation and Resilience
One of the most effective ways to address the security impacts of climate change is to build climate resilience in vulnerable communities. Adaptation strategies should be tailored to local contexts, focusing on improving infrastructure, sustainable agriculture, and resource management. Some key adaptation measures include:
Investing in climate-resilient infrastructure: Governments can build or upgrade infrastructure such as flood defenses, water storage systems, and climate-proofed transportation networks to withstand extreme weather events like floods, droughts, and storms. This reduces the risk of displacement and minimizes damage to livelihoods.
Sustainable agriculture and water management: Promoting climate-smart agricultural practices, such as drought-resistant crops, precision irrigation, and soil conservation techniques, can help ensure food security while reducing water use and environmental degradation. In regions where water scarcity is a critical issue, such as the Sahel, improved water management, such as rainwater harvesting and efficient irrigation systems, can prevent conflicts over scarce resources.
Diversifying livelihoods: Encouraging economic diversification in communities reliant on agriculture or other climate-sensitive industries can help reduce vulnerability. Training and supporting alternative livelihoods such as eco-tourism, renewable energy, or digital economies can offer new income sources and reduce dependence on fragile natural resources.
- Integrating Climate and Security into National Policies
Many countries have yet to fully integrate climate and security considerations into their national policies. Governments need to take a holistic approach that combines environmental and security strategies:
Mainstreaming climate risks into security planning: National security strategies must include climate change as a key factor in defense planning, particularly in countries with fragile political environments. Climate risks should be incorporated into conflict prevention, disaster preparedness, and emergency response strategies.
Strengthening regional cooperation: Many climate-related issues, such as water management and migration, cross national borders. Countries must enhance regional cooperation to manage shared resources, resolve transboundary conflicts, and address migration challenges. For instance, in Africa, strengthening frameworks like the African Union’s Climate Change Strategy or promoting the Great Green Wall Initiative can provide a united front against shared climate risks.
Early warning systems and disaster preparedness: Governments can invest in early warning systems to predict and respond to extreme weather events, such as droughts, floods, or heatwaves. These systems should provide timely and accurate information to communities, allowing them to take preventive measures and reduce the need for emergency relief.
- Building Peace and Stability in Conflict Zones
In conflict-affected regions, climate change often worsens existing tensions. To prevent this, peacebuilding efforts need to incorporate climate resilience:
Peacebuilding through natural resource management : In areas where resource competition contributes to conflict, managing shared natural resources can become a platform for peacebuilding. For example, community-led projects that promote joint water management, reforestation, or sustainable farming can help build trust between conflicting groups, as seen in countries like Mali and Kenya.
Environmental peacebuilding: International organizations, local governments, and NGOs can support projects that combine peacebuilding with environmental restoration. Programs that promote the restoration of degraded lands or shared management of natural resources can contribute to conflict resolution while addressing environmental challenges.
- Addressing the Root Causes of Displacement
Climate-induced displacement is one of the most visible impacts of the climate crisis. Preventing displacement, or managing it more effectively, is crucial to addressing the security risks linked to migration:
Improving urban planning for displaced populations: In countries like Nigeria, where internal displacement is widespread due to conflict and environmental degradation, it’s essential to create more resilient urban and rural infrastructure. This includes building housing for displaced people in safe areas, providing access to services like healthcare, and integrating displaced populations into local economies.
Facilitating voluntary, safe migration: In regions where climate change is making land uninhabitable (e.g., low-lying coastal areas), migration may become inevitable. Governments and international organizations must create policies that allow for voluntary, safe, and legal migration. By doing so, they can prevent unmanaged displacement, which often leads to further insecurity and conflict.
Resettlement and relocation: For communities living in high-risk areas (such as floodplains or regions prone to desertification), planned resettlement can be an option. Governments must ensure that relocation is voluntary and carried out with the consent of affected populations, with the necessary support to rebuild livelihoods and access essential services in the new location.
- Empowering Vulnerable Groups, Especially Women and Youth
Climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, especially women, children, and youth. Empowering these groups to participate in climate adaptation and peacebuilding efforts is essential:
Youth engagement in climate action: Youth activists are already playing a crucial role in raising awareness about climate change and advocating for stronger policies. Governments and NGOs should invest in youth education and leadership programs focused on climate change and security, equipping young people with the skills to drive local climate adaptation projects.
Gender-sensitive approaches: Women often bear the brunt of climate impacts, particularly in rural communities where they are responsible for securing food and water. Empowering women through education, leadership training, and access to resources will not only strengthen their ability to cope with climate change but also contribute to overall community resilience. Programs should also aim to protect women from the increased risks of violence and exploitation in displaced and conflict-prone settings.
- Scaling Up International Climate Finance
Developing nations are often the most affected by climate change while having the fewest resources to address its impacts. International climate finance is critical to supporting vulnerable countries in building resilience:
Doubling down on climate finance commitments: Wealthier nations must meet their commitments under agreements like the Paris Agreement to provide financial assistance to vulnerable countries. This funding is essential for supporting climate adaptation projects, disaster preparedness, and efforts to improve food and water security in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa.
Investing in renewable energy: Scaling up investments in renewable energy not only reduces carbon emissions but also creates jobs and strengthens energy security. For instance, expanding solar energy projects across Nigeria and other African nations can reduce reliance on fossil fuels while providing affordable energy to underserved communities.
- Promoting Climate Justice
A comprehensive response to climate-induced security risks must also focus on equity and justice:
Climate justice for frontline communities: Communities on the frontlines of climate change—those that contribute the least to global emissions yet suffer the most—must have a say in climate policy and decision-making. International institutions and governments should create platforms for these communities to participate in global climate negotiations and ensure that their rights and needs are prioritized.
Climate change poses an undeniable threat to global security, but with a multifaceted approach that integrates resilience-building, peacebuilding, and international cooperation, we can mitigate many of its worst effects. By investing in climate adaptation, improving infrastructure, and empowering vulnerable populations, we can not only prevent future conflicts but also build a more sustainable and secure world.
To safeguard the future, we must prioritize climate change as both an environmental and security issue, taking proactive steps to address its root causes and impacts. This requires bold action at local, national, and international levels, with the understanding that climate security is key to global peace and stability.
