New avenues for peace and climate resilience in the Sahel?

Read the event report – English

Read the event report – French

• Date: 28 November 2023 (CET 09h30 – 18h00)
• Martin’s Brussels EU, 80 Boulevard Charlemagne Bruxelles
• Hybrid
• If you would like to register your interest for this event, please contact Amy Dallas: Amy.Dallas@eip.org 

The European Institute of Peace, TrustWorks Global and ECDPM are co-organising an event dedicated to new avenues for mediation and climate resilience in the Sahel in a context of deepening conflict, political instability and changing governance dynamics. The event will share practices and learning from environmental peacemaking and peace-positive natural resource governance in the Liptako Gourma region, and reflect on how policymakers can rethink regional and  international cooperation to better meet current challenges.

The first session, ‘Responding to climate risks in the Sahel in times of governance crisis: a challenge for international cooperation’ (10h30 – 12h00) is organised in the framework of the CASCADES project. It will foster a reflection on the interconnections between governance and action in the areas of climate adaptation and natural resources management in the context of Sahelian countries. The discussion will draw lessons from recent political developments (most notably military takeovers and a rejection of ‘traditional’ partners amongst populations) which impose changes in the objectives and modalities of cooperation. We will discuss what a more pragmatic and partnerial approach can look like, including a focus on the role of international partners in supporting locally-led, resilient development processes. 

Speakers: Boubacar Ba (Centre d’Analyse sur la Gouvernance et la Sécurité au Sahel), Alexis Nagalo (CERDE), Fabien Tondel (ECDPM), Ruediger Wehr (GIZ), Leopold Ghins (OECD), Sari Kouvo (EEAS).

Moderated by Maëlle Salzinger (ECDPM). 

More broadly, the event (full programme linked at the top of the webpage) will address three main questions: 

• How do climate change and environmental degradation affect political stability in the Sahel? 

• How can peace processes and governance at local, national and regional levels understand and integrate climate and natural resource concerns?

• What should the international community do to support more effective peace making in the Sahel in this time of political upheaval?

The event will be held in French, with translation to English available. 

For more information or to register: 

Amy Dallas: Amy.Dallas@eip.org ; Fabien Tondel ft@ecdpm.org ; Maëlle Salzinger msa@ecdpm.org