9 June 2026
The effects of climate change are far reaching, affecting the security, stability, and livelihoods of millions. Some regions are even more vulnerable, with these effects overlapping with fragility, conflict, and violent extremism conducive to terrorism. Pressures such as resource competition, displacement, and weaker governance resulting from climate change effects are prone to exploitation by violent extremist terrorist groups.
To further the understanding of the relationship between climate change, peace, and security, the Initiative on Addressing the Nexus Between Climate Change and Violent Extremism Conducive to Terrorism convened a side event on the margins of the 26th Coordinating Committee Meeting. Led by Germany and Kenya, with the support of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund as implementing partner, the meeting brought together key experts and stakeholders to witness the launch of the Nairobi Toolkit on Addressing the Nexus Between Climate Change and Violent Extremism Conducive to Terrorism.*
The result of a two-year consultative process involving actors across the spectrum of security and environmental protection, the toolkit aims to strengthen understanding of how climate risks, climate action, and violent extremism conducive to terrorism interact. It sets out practical recommendations which prioritize whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches to preventing and countering violent extremism conducive to terrorism within a climate context.
Participants discussed the toolkit’s main findings and identified ways to link it to national and multilateral frameworks while enhancing operational approaches that support communities facing the overlapping pressures of climate change and violent extremism conducive to terrorism. Through improved understanding of the nexus, the toolkit and related efforts can support more evidence-based, conflict-sensitive action in fragile and terrorism-affected contexts.
*GCTF Recommendations, Memoranda, Good Practices and other guiding documents are non-binding, and their implementation should always respect national sovereignty and consider countries' varied histories, cultures, legal systems, and norms.