FORUM DE DEFENSE ET DE STRATEGIE
Conflict Sensitivity: A Key Approach for Climate Adaptation
By Amanda Makosso, RAS, NSA
March 17th 2025
Summary
This policy report highlights the importance of conflict sensitivity in France-Canada climate adaptation initiatives, particularly in fragile contexts. These initiatives should not only respond to climate challenges, but also foster social cohesion and community resilience. This analysis synthesizes perspectives gathered from interviews with experts in the field. These experts emphasize both the importance of empowering local players and the challenges of implementing a conflict-sensitive approach. Thus, this analysis supports the idea that French and Canadian climate adaptation initiatives in fragile contexts should include gender analysis and social inclusion (GESI), prioritize local leadership and participatory methods, to develop effective and sustainable adaptation measures.
Here are the key recommendations of this analysis:
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It is essential that climate change adaptation interventions do not aggravate existing social tensions. A thorough contextual analysis and a “Do No Harm” approach must be put in place to avoid exacerbating conflicts. In particular, projects must be designed to be sensitive to local dynamics, including gender and social inclusion analyses (GESI), and participatory methods to ensure that marginalized voices are taken into account.
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Involving local communities right from the project design phases would ensure that solutions are adapted and truly relevant to local contexts.
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Local capacity-building and conflict sensitivity training could ensure the sustainability of adaptation projects. Local teams, as well as French and Canadian partners, need to be trained to better understand conflict-sensitive approaches and develop adapted solutions.
Finally, to ensure the effectiveness of climate adaptation interventions in fragile contexts, it is recommended to organize an annual consultation between Canadian and French institutions, as well as local ministries and actors. This participatory process is particularly relevant in these contexts, as it would not only help coordinate efforts between local, national and international players, but also ensure that interventions take into account local realities and dynamics. This ongoing dialogue would also promote the inclusion of local communities in decision-making, thereby strengthening collective resilience to the impacts of climate change in fragile contexts.
This policy report, published by the Network for Strategic Analysis (RAS-NSA), is part of the Personnalités d'Avenir France Canada program on defense issues, 2024 edition, organized by the FDS and the France-Canada Association, with the support of the Department of National Defence of Canada’s Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS) program and the DGRIS (Directorate General for International Relations and Strategy, French Ministry of the Armed Forces).