Climate Security Mechanism
Bridging Climate Action, Peace and Security
Climate Security Mechanism
Bridging Climate Action, Peace and Security

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Climate, Peace and Security

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was founded on the recognition that peace and freedom from want are deeply interconnected, forming the foundation of its mandate. Operating in nearly all protracted crisis and conflict-affected settings, FAO brings a unique comparative advantage through its deep technical expertise in agrifood systems and its extensive field presence. With 70–80 per cent of people in protracted crises dependent on climate-sensitive agrifood systems for their livelihoods, FAO’s interventions are critical to preventing the collapse of livelihoods, mitigating food insecurity, and addressing conflict drivers. FAO’s programming is tailored to tackle key risks to peace, including competition over natural resources, weak land tenure systems, and climate-induced displacement. By supporting conflict-sensitive climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and durable agrifood solutions for displaced populations, FAO contributes to addressing the root causes and consequences of both conflict and climate shocks, thereby advancing sustainable peace and food security.

Thematic focus areas

  • Resource scarcity and competition
  • Weak tenure rights, land governance
  • Climate-induced shocks and forced displacement
  • Livelihood collapse in conflict zones

Publications

News

Tools

DIEM – Data in Emergencies
  • DIEM Impact: In order to understand the impact of large-scale hazards – sudden-onset, slow-onset, natural and human-induced – DIEM-Impact conducts remote sensing, secondary data review, household surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and crowdsourcing surveys. The assessments provide a granular and rapid understanding of the impact on agriculture and agricultural livelihoods and provide an estimate of damage and losses to the agricultural sector.
  • DIEM-Monitoring: collects, analyses and disseminates data on shocks and livelihoods in countries prone to multiple shocks. DIEM-Monitoring aims to inform decision-making by providing regularly updated information on how different shocks are affecting the livelihoods and food security of agricultural populations. The monitoring system consists of primary data collected from households and key informants – including agricultural input vendors, food traders and agriculture extension officers – on a periodic basis (approximately every four months). Data are collected through computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI), and through face-to-face interviews in contexts that allow for field access.
Strata

Geospatial insights for climate security

Developed in partnership between UNEP and FAO: A web-based geospatial data platform that identifies and tracks where environmental, climate, and security stresses converge with socio-economic vulnerabilities and instability. Strata’s hotspot maps, easy-to-read area statistics and reports provide important insights for analysis and assessments, planning, prioritisation and monitoring for climate action, natural resource management, conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

Audience: Practitioners, analysts, and policymakers who are seeking to assess and monitor where climate and environmental risks are converging with other vulnerability factors at different geographical scales to inform assessments, design and prioritise responses, and monitor impact.

Videos

FAO Innovative Approach to Resolve Land and Water Conflict in Yemen - Subtitles in English

Yemen faces the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. The country has become increasingly unstable since the conflict escalated dramatically in mid-March 2015, severely disrupting the economy, including the agriculture sector. Water scarcity in Yemen remains one of the main challenges in the agriculture sector. The unavailability of water for agricultural practices is the most limiting factor for food security. In light of these alarming situation, FAO is empowering 38 Water User Associations (WUAs) to promote better water management and reduce local conflicts over water resources.