Connecting Disasters and Climate Change to the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus

Abstract

As climate change increasingly affects the world, much is said about the rising amounts of aid required to support emergency response, long-term development to adapt, and peacebuilding to ensure that conflict does not undermine these efforts. Bringing these ideas together, some advocate for the addition of a separate climate change stream into the humanitarian, development, and peace/peacebuilding nexus (or triple nexus). Based on a critical literature review and synthesis, this article articulates and conceptualizes how climate change perspectives and actions should be integrated into the existing streams of the humanitarian, development, and peace/peacebuilding nexus, rather than being added as a separate stream. The analysis shows the risks of adding climate change as a stand-alone stream and advocates for developing long-term strategies that integrate climate change actions into humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts to better serve all three.

Advancing “no natural disasters” with care: risks and strategies to address disasters as political phenomena in conflict zones

“…Restrictions on the movement of humanitarian personnel, the politicisation of aid and the diversion of resources for military purposes hinder the timely and efficient provision of relief assistance (Desportes, 2019;Hilhorst et al, 2019). These challenges underscore the complex relationship between conflict and disasters, emphasising the need for coordinated and integrated approaches that address immediate humanitarian needs and the underlying causes of conflict and vulnerability (Mena et al, 2022;Mena and Hilhorst, 2022a).…”

“…, 2019). These challenges underscore the complex relationship between conflict and disasters, emphasising the need for coordinated and integrated approaches that address immediate humanitarian needs and the underlying causes of conflict and vulnerability (Mena et al. , 2022; Mena and Hilhorst, 2022a).…”

Rethinking the humanitarian response to the Darien Gap crisis within the SDGs framework

“…Este ha generado un considerable volumen de literatura tanto en el ámbito académico como en términos de aplicaciones prácticas (Rey, 2020). Este enfoque (VARD) no tuvo el impulso ni los incentivos necesarios para lograr un cambio sistemático a largo plazo (Thomas y Voice, 2019, citados en Mena et al, 2022). Uno de sus principales puntos débiles era que enmarcaba la ayuda y la recuperación como un continuo: que se puede pasar de la crisis humanitaria/la ayuda de emergencia al desarrollo (Harmer y Macrae, 2004; Mena y Hilhorst, 2021, citados en Mena et al, 2022).…”

Unveiling the climate–conflict nexus: Examining the influence of weather extremes on conflict emergence in the Philippine Bangsamoro

“…In the Philippines, a country highly susceptible to climate-related risks, the escalating climate change crisis raises the likelihood of the resurgence of prior humanitarian challenges, which could reignite the drivers of conflict (Abrahams, 2020; Koubi, 2019; Mena et al, 2022; Scheffran et al, 2012). The potential for conflict is particularly pronounced in the Bangsamoro region of Mindanao, the second-largest island of the Philippines, marked by decades-long political struggles and violent conflicts.…”

“…Climate events can contribute to the emergence and re-emergence of conflicts, as they can trigger displacement, loss of lives and property and the breakdown of social cohesion and trust (Abrahams, 2020; Djoudi et al, 2013; Mena et al, 2022). For example, the prolonged drought following an El Nino phenomenon in south-central Mindanao in 2016 displaced many individuals, resulted in damages amounting to US$ 250,000 (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2017), and triggered violent conflicts (Delina & Cagoco-Guiam, 2018).…”