Peacekeeping and Climate Change

A particularly exciting paper has appeared as a result of a conference held in Bangladesh early this year (2016).  Debate on the impact of climate change among agricultural communities has been widespread.  It is also widely accepted that one consequence is going to be wholesale migration of communities, with limited regard for political boundaries, in the search of better ground for their crops and livestock.  Some of us have been woken to the sound of gunfire as armies either side of the Himalayas 'test' their weapons and, in so doing, remind their counterparts of their presence.  We are also generally aware that development aid is better spent through the female members of communities than via the men.  However, this is the first time that I have seen these threads pulled together and extended to the issue of peacekeeping in these regions and among these communities.  I suspect that it will be a territory to be covered far more extensively in the near future.

Graham Wilson

Scott, SV & Akber Khan, S (2016)

Chapter 12: Conceptualizing Genderization of Peacekeeping for a New Paradigm in the Climate Change Adaptation Regime

in Kabir, SMZ and Hasan, MZ (eds) The Proceedings of the 1st Australian Institute for Sustainable Development (AISD) Internationational Multidisciplinary Conference.  ISBN: 978-0-9945261-2-0

ABSTRACT

From its humble beginning after the Second World War, the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations today are equipped to face greater complex social, political, economic and ecological transformations. With the mandate of UN Security Council (SC) over the last few decades peacekeeping operations have evolved considerably and have emerged as a highly receptive complex institution. The evolving nature of peacekeeping has been appended by emerging concepts like responsibility to protect, human rights, protection of civilians and gender. In recent years climate change has emerged as an intricate factor behind the occurrence and reoccurrence of global conflict. Regardless of the exposure of climate change’s role in recent security discourse especially in the post conflict environment, the UN in general and peacekeeping in particular have been relatively passive in identifying climate change in its mandates, hence, most of the SC Resolutions targeting restoration of peace, democracy and good governance are not adequately addressing climate change. One of the core reasons could be the absence of a theoretical framework that could integrate climate change to peacekeeping. In this paper, SC Resolution 1325 of UN’s Women Peace and Security (WPS) agenda is examined as a case study to investigate how a comparative policy narrative could be developed to explain the potential role of peacekeeping to address climate change adaptation (CCA) through introducing a new thematic resolution.

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Established in 2010, GCAP (http://climateadaptation.cc) ranks among the top 10 leading climate think tanks globally, providing knowledge services related to national adaptation investment and finance, climate economics, climate adaptation strategy and planning and climate risk screening.  A world class organisation, we support managers holding over $1 billion in funds.  Our flagship, Oxford Adaptation Academy (http://www.climateadaptation.cc/our-work/adaptation-academy), is a unique incubator for leadership and innovation within the field of climate adaptation.

Dr Graham Wilson leads the personal development and leadership strand of the Adaptation Academy.  With a background in ethology and behavioural science, he is an Executive, Leadership and Political Confidant, Tutor in Psychology and Counselling with the University of Oxford, and Co-Director of the Oxford Adaptation Academy.  His research interests include coaching and visual anthropology.  [LinkedIn = http://tinyurl.com/drgwli]

Migration Image Attribution: © IOM/Brendan Bannon 2011