Climate change is increasingly intertwining with security risks across Africa, and the African Development Bank (AfDB) is stepping up investments to address the growing threat, officials said during a COP30 side event in Belém, Brazil.
Nine of the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change are in Africa, and the continent also accounts for the majority of countries experiencing armed conflicts and institutional fragility. These overlapping crises underscore the urgency of coordinated action, organizers said.
On 14 November 2025, the United Nations Office to the African Union, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, and the African Union Commission convened a roundtable under the theme “Adapting for Stability – Scaling Partnerships for Peace and Climate Resilience in Africa.” The event brought together international organizations, development finance institutions, civil society, and other actors to explore ways of strengthening resilience against climate-related security risks.
Dr. Al Hamndou Dorsouma, AfDB Manager for Climate Change and Green Growth, highlighted the human cost of climate-related crises. “In 2024 alone, climate disasters caused 9.8 million new internal displacements in Africa,” he said. He cited irregular rainfall, water scarcity, and altered migration patterns as drivers of conflict between pastoral and agricultural communities across Ethiopia, Darfur, Kenya, Nigeria, and the Sahel.
“There can be no implementation of climate projects without peace; we cannot fight climate change without peace,” said Nazanine Moshiri, Senior Advisor at the Berghof Foundation.
To address the climate-peace-security nexus, AfDB has integrated fragility considerations into its operations through the Strategy for Addressing Fragility and Building Resilience, the Transition Support Facility, and the Climate Change and Green Growth Strategic Framework for 2030. The Bank also launched the Climate Action Window in 2023, committing $450 million to support climate adaptation and mitigation projects in fragile and vulnerable countries. In its first year, the initiative supported 59 projects worth $386 million.
“Investing in climate adaptation is not only a humanitarian imperative but an economically rational solution,” Dorsouma said, noting that every dollar spent on adaptation can yield returns of two to ten dollars.
Civil society representatives also stressed the importance of including communities in policy-making. Charles Mwangi of the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance said, “Local actors must be part of defining national, continental, and global policies to prevent climate-induced conflicts and injustices.”
As Africa confronts the twin challenges of climate change and insecurity, AfDB officials emphasized that sustained collaboration across governments, development partners, and local communities will be key to building a more resilient and peaceful continent.
