Climate Programming in Fragile, Conflict-Affected Settings

This page brings together a wide range of guidance materials, tools, reports, and case studies designed to support practitioners, policymakers, and researchers working on climate adaptation and programming in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAS). The aim is to help users navigate the growing body of evidence and practice on how to integrate climate, peace, and security considerations into humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding work. Resources are organized into five sections — Frameworks and Principles, Conducting Assessments, Programming, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, and Datasets — each addressing a different stage or aspect of climate action in contexts of fragility.

Each resource is labeled to indicate relevant sectors, themes, formats, and languages to facilitate quick navigation.

SECTORS: Humanitarian | Peace | Development | Climate

LANGUAGE: English | Spanish | Portuguese | French

This list of resources is also available in English as a PDF for distribution. You can access this resource HERE.

Use the buttons below to navigate through the various resources for supporting climate action in FCAS:

Climate Programming in Fragile, Conflict-Affected Settings

Frameworks and Principles

Conducting Assessments

Programming

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

Datasets

Frameworks and Principles

This section presents key conceptual and strategic resources that define how climate adaptation, peacebuilding, and humanitarian action intersect in fragile and conflict-affected settings. These frameworks and briefs outline overarching principles for integrating climate, peace, and security (CPS) considerations across sectors and provide entry points for collaboration between humanitarian, development, and environmental actors. They include foundational analyses on mainstreaming CPS approaches, mobilizing climate finance in FCAS, and linking climate resilience with conflict sensitivity.

Mainstreaming a climate, peace and security approach: Challenges and entry points for humanitarian action: Challenges raised by the humanitarian community on integrating CPS into programming, as well as recommendations to address them.

Sector: Humanitarian
Resource Type: Brief
Language: English

Mercy Corps ‘Bridging the Fragility Gap: Climate Action in FCAS’: This paper addresses two key challenges: how to increase climate adaptation investments in FCAS and how to spend that funding on interventions that work.

Sector: Humanitarian | Peace | Development | Climate/Environment
Thematic: Adaptation/Resilience | Finance
Resource Type: Report
Language: English

VIDEO “Adapting to Climate Change in Fragile & Conflict Settings” (World Bank panel): Raises awareness of the need to accelerate climate action and finance in contexts affected by fragility, conflict and violence (FCV), highlighting a diverse range of World Bank, government and humanitarian activities. The event showcases experiences from activities in Chad, Mozambique and Yemen that can be replicated and scaled up to promote resilience to compounding shocks and stresses.

Sector: Humanitarian | Peace | Development | Climate/Environment
Thematic: Adaptation/Resilience | Finance
Resource Type: Multi-media
Language: English

Humanitarian action on climate and conflict: narratives, challenges and opportunities: This report looks at how humanitarian actors are setting out their roles, examining their emerging approaches to addressing and reducing needs triggered by climate hazards in fragile and conflict-affected settings, and linking with the work of other actors. It identifies consistent themes, emerging tensions and implications on how to optimise the contribution of humanitarian actors to the whole-of-system efforts needed to build climate resilience.

Sector: Humanitarian | Peace | Climate/Environment
Thematic: Adaptation/Resilience | Risk
Resource Type: Report
Language: English

Conducting Assessments

Understanding the specific risks and dynamics that shape fragility, conflict, and climate vulnerability is essential for effective programming. The resources in this section provide analytical and methodological tools to assess climate–security risks, conflict dynamics, and their impacts on livelihoods, mobility, and resource access. They offer structured approaches to inform evidence-based strategies and targeted interventions in complex settings.

UN Climate Security Mechanism (CSM) – Toolbox & Conceptual Approach: seeks to contribute to a common understanding in the UN system of the complex interlinkages between climate change, peace and security. The conceptual approach complements and connects existing analytical frameworks employed by development, humanitarian and peace and security actors to help analysts better understand how climate change impacts peace and security in the broader context of their work.

Weathering Risk – Climate Security Risk Assessment Methodology: Integrates quantitative and qualitative methods to 1) identify and understand current and future climate-related security risks, 2) Assess and understand current and future dimensions of resilience against climate-related security risks, and 3) Identify possible entry points and response measures.

IOM Standardized Guidance on Conflict Analysis: This guidance document aims to assist field practitioners in designing and developing conflict analyses (focus on FCAS) that reflect their particular context and purpose and align with international standards.

Sector: Humanitarian
Thematic: Mobility
Resource Type: Guide/Toolbox
Language: English | Portuguese | French

Programming

This section compiles practical guidance for designing and implementing climate-resilient and conflict-sensitive programmes. It includes toolkits and guidance notes that support practitioners in integrating environmental responsibility, anticipatory action, and resilience building across humanitarian and development operations. Covering a wide range of sectors — from WASH and health to livelihoods and disaster risk reduction — these resources emphasize adaptive, locally informed, and peace-responsive approaches to reduce risks and strengthen community resilience in FCAS.

Guidelines for Conflict-Sensitive Adaptation to Climate Change: offers guidance for climate change adaptation programming in FCAS contexts. It consists of a guide on conflict-sensitive adaptation as well as three analytical chapters which describe the analytical, conceptual and empirical basis. The report offers a stocktaking of conflict sensitivity and adaptation in theory and practice. It helps identifying key design elements of a guide on conflict-sensitive adaptation through a review of existing guides on conflict sensitivity in general and how adaptation to climate change is or can be reflected by these approaches.

Sector: Humanitarian | Peace | Development | Climate/Environment
Thematic: Adaptation/Resilience
Resource Type: Guide/Toolbox
Language: English

IASC Guidance on Environmental Responsibility in Humanitarian Operations: The guidance places specific emphasis on senior management and its vital role in an organization’s environmental responsibility. It provides an overview of different measures to mainstream environmental considerations across all levels and functions of the organization. In addition, it includes practical information and resources for project planners looking to maximize the environmental sustainability of humanitarian programmes and projects.

Sector: Humanitarian
Thematic: Adaptation/Resilience | Risk
Resource Type: Guide/Toolbox
Language: English

OECD Resilience Systems Analysis (RSA) – Guidance & Facilitation Guide: A step by step approach to resilience systems analysis, a tool that helps field practitioners to:

prepare for, and facilitate, a successful multi-stakeholder resilience analysis workshop
design a roadmap to boost the resilience of communities and societies
integrate the results of the analysis into their development and humanitarian programming

Sector: Humanitarian | Development
Thematic: Adaptation/Resilience
Resource Type: Guide/Toolbox
Language: English

IFRC Guide to Climate-Smart Programmes and Humanitarian Operations: This guide supports National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the IFRC in making their programmes and operations climate-smart, based on three steps: 1) assessments; 2) screening of activities; and 3) climate-smart planning.

Sector: Humanitarian
Thematic: Adaptation/Resilience
Resource Type: Guide/Toolbox
Language: English | Spanish | French

UNICEF Guidance Note: Climate-Resilient WASH: This Note provides UNICEF WASH staff with entry points and guidance for the design and implementation of programmes that are grounded in a comprehensive understanding of climate risks, and that set clear climate-based rationales as a central element. This guidance is intended to be used for UNICEF programming in all contexts, including protracted conflicts, fragile or humanitarian settings, as well as development contexts.

Sector: Humanitarian | Development
Thematic: Risk | WASH
Resource Type: Guide/Toolbox
Language: English | French

Toolkit for Anticipatory Action in Fragile, Conflict- and Violence Affected Settings (FCV): Building on emerging lessons, best practices, and an understanding of persistent challenges and knowledge gaps, this toolkit brings together hands-on resources to support practitioners in implementing AA in FCV contexts, including locations with significant displacement. It complements existing guidance on anticipatory action and disaster risk reduction in FCV settings by working together with populations affected by the intersection of conflict, displacement, and climate.

Navigating Fragility, Conflict & Violence to Strengthen Community Resilience (DRR Practitioner Handbook): practical guidance on how to navigate situations affected by FCV to strengthen community resilience, and how to adjust our programming to ensure effective, inclusive and conflict-sensitive DRR. It outlines important considerations in FCV settings, consolidates existing tools and resources, and presents case studies of existing DRR, drawing from the experiences of the components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (the Movement) and beyond. Includes 12 country case-studies. VIDEO: Watch here the Handbook launch event.

Sector: Humanitarian | Development
Thematic: Adaptation/Resilience | DRR
Resource Type: Guide/Toolbox
Language: English

Addressing Climate-Fragility Risks (Guidance Note + Toolbox): Seeks to inform the development and implementation of strategies, policies, or projects that seek to build resilience by linking climate change adaptation, peacebuilding, and sustainable livelihoods. It recommends a two-step approach to build resilience to climate-fragility risks, and includes several guiding questions and an M&E check-list.

CGIAR Guidance Note for Peace-Informed Programming at the GCF: how to integrate peace responsiveness into climate adaptation efforts and climate-resilient livelihoods projects in FCAS.

Sector: Humanitarian | Climate/Environment
Thematic: Adaptation/Resilience | Finance | Livelihood
Resource Type: Guide/Toolbox
Language: English

WHO: Measuring the Climate Resilience of Health Systems: this document outlines a framework and method for measuring climate resilient health systems, discussing the linkages among upstream determinants of health, health system capacity and adaptation, and health outcomes in a changing climate.

Sector: Humanitarian | Development | Climate/Environment
Thematic: Adaptation/Resilience | Health
Resource Type: Guide/Toolbox
Language: English

Conflict-sensitive Climate Action: Addressing the root drivers conflict and fragility: Policy brief on the role of financial flows and political incentives that fuel organized violence and how to address this while enhancing conflict-sensitive climate strategies.

Sector: Humanitarian | Development | Climate/Environment
Thematic: Risk | Finance
Resource Type: Brief
Language: English

Task Team on Disaster Risk Reduction in Humanitarian and Fragile Contexts: The creation of the Task Team sought to establish a multi-partner group which would focus solely on the topic of DRR integration in humanitarian and fragile contexts, and, more broadly, of risk-informing the triple nexus – as no other mechanism with similar focus existed to date. The Task Team is informal and technical in nature, working in support of other formal mechanisms and groups such as those associated with the United Nations DRR Focal Points Group and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC). The Task Team is open to any entity working on DRR in humanitarian and fragile contexts.

Sector: Humanitarian | Peace | Development | Climate/Environment
Thematic: DRR
Resource Type: Actor
Language: English

Building Forward Better: a pathway to climate-resilient development in fragile and conflict-affected situations: This Framing Note argues for a new way of thinking, delivering and financing humanitarian, development, peacebuilding, disaster risk management and climate adaptation action in fragile and conflict-affected situations: one in which programmes and investments by all actors are linked, layered and sequenced in such a way that they mutually reinforce and support each other, and are informed by a clear understanding of the drivers of conflict and climate risks.

A framework for promoting FCV-Sensitive Climate Action: This Framework exists to help technical and non-technical teams in development organizations embed FCV-sensitivity into the design and prioritization of climate-related programming. It primarily targets analytics and diagnostics that support country and regional programming as well as Advisory Services and Analytics (ASAs) such as Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDRs) and Risk and Resilience Assessments (RRAs), alongside country engagement products.

Sector: Humanitarian | Peace | Development | Climate/Environment
Thematic: Adaptation/Resilience
Resource Type: Report
Language: English

Early Warning Systems in Fragility, Conflict, and Violence-affected Settings: Shielding Communities from Natural Hazards Amid Compounded Crises: This study aims to contribute to help low- and middle income countries understand and reduce their vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change. More specifically, the purpose of this report is to provide valuable insights into the nuances of early warning systems (EWS) implementation within fragile, conflict, and violence (FCV)-affected contexts against growing natural hazards, offering practical recommendations and identifying entry points for enhancing stakeholder coordination, optimizing resource allocation, and fostering community resilience.

Anticipatory Action (AA) in Complex Settings – WAHAFA Guidelines on Navigating AA, Conflict and Displacement: designed to try and support WAHAFA partners applying for Build projects in navigating some of the complexities around Anticipatory Action (AA) for displacement and/or conflict.

Sector: Humanitarian | Peace | Development
Thematic: Risk | Mobility
Resource Type: Case-study
Language: English

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

To ensure that interventions in FCA contexts are effective and adaptive, monitoring and learning are critical. Resources featured here highlight innovative approaches and field experiences in measuring climate resilience, capturing lessons from ongoing practice, and evaluating how adaptation and peacebuilding efforts intersect. They provide examples from diverse contexts and outline methods to document what works, what doesn’t, and why, helping practitioners refine future interventions.

ODI + ICRC ‘Strengthening resilience and climate adaptation in conflict and fragile settings: towards effective action’: This brief aims to show that tailored interventions are feasible even in constrained environments. It outlines some of the characteristics that critically influence the response in different situations of fragility and conflict, highlights constraints to this response, and provides examples of success from Burundi, Ethiopia, Niger, Somalia, Yemen and elsewhere.

Sector: Humanitarian | Peace | Development | Climate/Environment
Thematic: Adaptation/Resilience
Resource Type: Brief | Case-study
Language: English

Survey of Practice on Climate, Peace and Security: This report summarises lessons learned, and knowledge gained from a small but growing cadre of field-based Climate, Peace and Security Advisors located within UN field missions or seconded to regional organizations under the auspices of the Climate Security Mechanism at the UN.

Nature in Action for Peace: Challenges and Opportunities to Address Environmental Dimensions of Conflict through Nature-based Solutions: Next to listing existing guidance notes on NbS in conflict contexts, this paper outlines key lessons to successfully implement NbS in conflict-affected areas towards co-benefits for nature and peace. Each key lesson is grounded within a peacebuilding project that PAX was/is involved in and describes additional good practices

Toolkit on Monitoring and Evaluation of Environmental Peacebuilding: This toolkit was adapted into multiple versions to facilitate use by practitioners with varying needs and backgrounds. It provides an overview of the importance of ME&L, challenges, a practical conceptualization of M&E, good practices, context-based guidance, and external learning resources.

eEarth – Early Action & Risk Tracking Hub: Early warning system from the International Crisis Group that combines advanced data monitoring with deep field expertise to anticipate and prevent resource-related conflict. Developed through extensive work on climate security risks in the Horn of Africa, it is designed to detect signs of instability, whether from scarcity or abundance, before they escalate.

Datasets

This section brings together interactive platforms, datasets, and visualization tools that enable users to analyze and monitor climate, conflict, and vulnerability trends in near real time. These tools provide actionable data to support decision-making and adaptive management. They are particularly valuable for situational analysis, planning, and tracking progress in FCAS, where conditions can change rapidly.

Climate—Conflict—Vulnerability Index: The Climate—Conflict—Vulnerability Index (CCVI) maps current global risks by integrating climate and conflict hazards with local vulnerabilities. Data is organized hierarchically in three pillars: climate, conflict and vulnerability. These are further divided into dimensions and indicators.

Sector: Humanitarian | Peace | Development | Climate/Environment
Thematic: Risk
Resource Type: Interactive
Language: English

ND-GAIN Country Index + Urban Adaptation + Urban Climate Assessment: ND-GAIN works to enhance the world’s understanding of adaptation through knowledge, products and services that inform public and private actions, and investments in vulnerable communities. Long-run vulnerability/readiness series; helpful for context notes and portfolio steering.

ACLED Conflict Index+ Explorer: This is a assessment of how and where conflicts in every country and territory in the world vary according to four indicators — deadliness, danger to civilians, geographic diffusion, and the number of armed groups. The Explorer allows you to filter and summarize data via a form that produces data tables and charts. Use it to answer questions on event types, actors, locations, dating back to 2018.

INFORM Risk Index + Warning + Severity Index + Climate Change: INFORM is developing a suite of quantitative, analytical products to support decision-making on humanitarian crises and disasters. These help make decisions at different stages of the disaster management cycle, specifically climate adaptation and disaster prevention, preparedness and response. INFORM develops methodologies and tools for use at the global level and also supports their application at subnational level.

Sector: Humanitarian | Peace | Climate/Environment
Thematic: Risk | DRR | Resources
Resource Type: Multi-media
Language: English

Famine Early Warning Systems (FEWS) + Early Warning Explorer (EWX) + GeoTools + Water Point Viewer (Africa) + Irrigated areas Afghanistan: Tools for 1) continental-scale rainfall estimate, 2) time series of rainfall, NDVI, evapotranspiration, land surface temperature and snow water volume, 3) climatological data, 4) monitoring 234 water points from Mali to Somalia, and 5) identify the irrigated cropland across Afghanistan annually. VIDEOS: Playlist of ‘How To’ videos for using the databases.

GloFAS (Global Flood Awareness System): global hydrological forecasts, seasonal outlooks, and near-real-time flood monitoring to support anticipatory action.

Sector: Humanitarian | Climate/Environment
Thematic:Risk | DRR
Resource Type: Interactive
Language: English

Environment, Conflict and Cooperation (ECC) Factbook: Knowledge platform that provides an overview of environmental conflict and cooperation from around the world, offering a select number of case studies that reflect instances of conflict, resolution and peacebuilding processes that are related to environmental change.

Repository of climate-peace case studies: Country and regional case-studies from ECCP Community members.

Knowledge Hub for Locally Led Climate Action on Climate Peace and Security: A web-based geospatial data platform that identifies and tracks where environmental, climate, and security stresses converge with socio-economic vulnerabilities and instability.

The Planetary Security Initiative Overview of Climate Security Practices: Climate Security Practicesare tangible actions implemented by a (local or central) government, organisation, community, private actor or individual to help prevent, reduce, mitigate or adapt (to) security risks and threats related to impacts of climate change and related environmental degradation, as well as subsequent policies.

Featured stories of Hirshabelle’s Insider Peacebuilders Network: IPN as well as the Berghof Foundation monitor local actions of peace as they unfold. This not only closes a salient information gap but also allows for a more effective collaboration across regions and even countries. With this tool, the Berghof Foundation is providing 1) more context-sensitive, need-based support and 2) target-group oriented assistance.

Sector: Peace | Development | Climate/Environment
Thematic: Adaptation/Resilience
Resource Type: Case-study | Interactive
Language: English

Military Responses to Climate Hazards (MiRCH) Tracker: This project tracks the deployment of military and paramilitary personnel and equipment in response to natural hazards exacerbated by climate change, worldwide. Entries include direct deployment of military forces, the use of other armed paramilitaries, and the lending of military personnel or equipment to civil authorities

Sector: Peace | Climate/Environment
Thematic: Risk | DRR
Resource Type: Interactive
Language: English

Climate Charter