14oct2013workshopreport-f605a237872cd55e.pdf

This report documents a three-day workshop held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 14 to 16 October 2013, focused on developing conflict-sensitivity guidelines for climate change adaptation (CCA) policy in Africa. The event, convened by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), the Wilson Center, IRG/Engility, and ICF International, aimed to build a community of practice at the nexus of climate change, conflict, and development. The workshop explored the application of 'Do No Harm' (DNH) principles and USAID's Climate Change and Conflict Annex to ensure that adaptation efforts do not inadvertently exacerbate social tensions but instead serve as platforms for peacebuilding.

• Climate change is identified as a significant threat to Africa's economic development and stability, with the potential to trigger new conflicts or worsen existing ones by damaging food and water security and increasing forced migration. Africa's vulnerability is specifically linked to its low adaptive capacity and the weakness of its adaptive mechanisms due to its developmental status.
• The 'Do No Harm' (DNH) framework is proposed as a tool to mitigate unintended negative outcomes of development interventions in conflict settings. It emphasizes identifying 'dividers' and 'connectors' within a context to ensure that an intervention does not fuel conflict and that multiple alternative options are developed to minimize harm.
• USAID's Climate Change and Conflict Annex provides guidelines for integrating climate factors into conflict assessments. The framework suggests that climate adaptation can act as a 'multiplier' that either exacerbates conflict or serves as a leverage point for peacebuilding, provided that projects are conflict-sensitive, inclusive of both top-down and bottom-up elements, and flexible.
• Population dynamics, particularly in urban settings, significantly compound climate and conflict risks. High fertility and a 'youth bulge' (where a large percentage of the population is under age 30) are linked to increased pressure on fragile societies and a higher likelihood of civil conflict, especially when coupled with high unemployment and low education.
• Field observations in the Sululta community of rural Ethiopia illustrate that deforestation and the removal of natural resources have led to unpredictable rainfall and increased competition over scarce water resources, resulting in low-level conflicts. While traditional conflict resolution via elders and social courts is used, there is a critical need for technical and financial assistance to access groundwater and implement sustainable reforestation.
• National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) often lack conflict-sensitivity and fail to integrate local or indigenous knowledge. The workshop recommends that NAPs be transformed into holistic, cross-sectoral processes that include full conflict assessments, active community participation, and the harmonisation of objectives across different national policies through a conflict-sensitive lens.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). 14oct2013workshopreport-f605a237872cd55e.pdf. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/14Oct2013WorkshopReport.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. 14oct2013workshopreport-f605a237872cd55e.pdf. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/14Oct2013WorkshopReport.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=14oct2013workshopreport-f605a237872cd55e.pdf |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/14Oct2013WorkshopReport.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesnd14oct2013workshopreportf605a237872cd55epdf, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{14oct2013workshopreport-f605a237872cd55e.pdf}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/14Oct2013WorkshopReport.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }