Strengthening resilience and security

The impacts of climate change on the environment and ecosystems have a considerable effect on the security and resilience of people and societies in a number of regions around the globe. Climate change increases security risks by destroying habitats and causing natural resources to become scarcer. Where rising sea levels, extreme weather events or increasing temperatures come up against such factors as weak governmental institutions, inadequate social safety nets or insufficient financial resources, it can become a threat to livelihoods and local or regional security.

In the third prioritised field of action of the adaptation funding area, the International Climate Initiative (IKI) therefore focusses on the interaction of the climate with resilience and security. Adaptation measures that are effective and efficient nowadays risk losing their effectiveness in certain regions in parallel with the progression of climate change. Consequentially, this can mean reaching the limits of adaptation and an escalating incidence of losses and damage. 

The IKI can generate added value here in comparison with the conventional instruments of development cooperation, humanitarian assistance and stabilisation by developing appropriate strategies for dealing with issues relating to security policy and international law that are frequently not dealt with in the usual climate forums.

Support for damage and losses and in emergency situations induced by climate change

One priority of IKI-funding in the field of resilience and security is to support those Pacific island states most severely affected by the impacts of climate change. These states are supported, for instance, in the systematic recording and potential response strategies to climate-induced damage and losses as well as in the development of action policy options for the protection of their statehood and cultural heritage. The IKI also contributes to the financing of projects to tackle climate-induced emergencies. 

Strengthening multilateral cooperation in the field of climate and security

By funding the Climate Security Mechanism (CSM), the IKI also supports multilateral cooperation on climate and security. The CSM fortifies the United Nations' capability to systematically analyse and tackle the correlations between climate change, peace and security. The CSM cooperates with partners to push forward with peace-supporting climate measures and foster climate-informed approaches for peace and security. Amongst other things, it sends climate and security advisers on UN missions, for example to Somalia and the Horn of Africa.

Promoting peace and security through adaptation

Furthermore, the IKI Thematic Call 2024 will focus for the first time on the interactions of climate change with peace and security. Primarily in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, climate-induced impacts such as extreme heat, drought and flooding represent an additional threat to peace and security. Here, it is envisaged that projects with peace-supporting adaptation measures will strengthen the resilience of local communities to climate impacts. They are also intended to help reduce sources of conflict.

Funding area "Adaptation"

The IKI wants to maximise its impact on climate action and biodiversity conservation. To this end, it concentrates its funding activities on prioritised fields of action within the four funding areas. Another key element is the close cooperation with selected partner countries, especially with the IKI’s priority countries.

Click here for the IKI Strategy