Climate Change Is Driving People into Armed Groups: Five Takeaways

The Managing Exits from Armed Conflict project (MEAC) shares crucial findings on the links between climate change and conflict. Evidence from the Lake Chad Basin region and Colombia highlights that climate change is having palpable effects on agricultural livelihoods, and that these challenges are driving people into armed groups.

Uniquely, MEAC has first-hand reporting from ex-combatants themselves, many of whom say that climate-related difficulties played a role in their recruitment.

As climatic impacts differ across – and often even within – regions, the individual stories of association can vary significantly. Crafting tailored responses is key to address the linkages between climate and conflict, both with a view to preventing recruitment into armed groups and supporting the reintegration of those coming out of them.

Citation: United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, "Climate Change is Driving People into Armed Groups: Five Takeaways", UNIDIR, Geneva, 2024.