Advancing climate resilience and peace: CSSTxLS workshop

The integration of peacebuilding into resilience strategies is increasingly important for communities reliant on livestock, as climate change intensifies resource scarcity. On October 29, 2024, a diverse group of experts and practitioners gathered at the ILRI campus in Nairobi to address this critical issue. The event, organized by CGIAR FOCUS Climate Security in partnership with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, centered on adapting the Climate Security Sensitivity Tool (CSST) specifically for livestock systems. This effort culminated in the creation of the CSSTxLS. Against a backdrop of growing climate-related conflict risks, the event highlighted the need for a climate-security-peace framework to build resilience within livestock-dependent communities.

“We’re here to tailor a tool that not only builds climate resilience but directly addresses the drivers of conflict in livestock communities,” said Carolina Sarzana, emphasizing how climate adaptation can become a pathway to peace.

Advancing climate resilience and peace key insights from the CSSTxLS workshop - Image 1 — *“Our goal is to foster resilience in a way that also promotes peace, ensuring that climate adaptation doesn’t inadvertently fuel local tensions but instead becomes a platform for cooperation.”* Carolina Sarzana

This workshop marked a significant milestone in the development of the Climate Security Sensitivity Tool (CSST) tailored specifically for livestock systems, resulting in the creation of the CSSTxLS. With climate change posing increasing challenges to livestock-dependent communities, this workshop highlighted the urgent need for a climate-security-peace framework to address both environmental and socio-political risks. The goal was clear: to design a tool that builds resilience while mitigating the underlying drivers of conflict that threaten these communities’ livelihoods.

Bridging climate adaptation with peacebuilding

In today’s rapidly changing climate, competition over essential resources such as water and grazing land is intensifying.

Livestock-dependent communities face growing vulnerabilities such as shrinking access to water and grazing lands, heightened competition over scarce resources and the increasing prevalence of climate-sensitive livestock diseases. These challenges are compounded by weak institutional support, limited access to markets and socio-political inequalities, which leave these communities ill-equipped to manage disputes or adapt effectively. This makes it crucial to adapt in ways that are not only climate-sensitive but also conflict-aware. As Hassan Ismail - one of the participants from Interpeace - explained, “climate change directly impacts these communities by causing water scarcity, pasture shortages, and outbreaks of climate-sensitive diseases. These are core issues that can trigger conflict.”

The workshop was an opportunity to explore how adaptation strategies must go beyond mitigating climate risks to address the deeper socio-political dynamics that can shape resilience.

One of the key outcomes of the meeting was the recognition that addressing climate-induced stressors alone is insufficient; it is equally essential to account for the underlying social and political factors that shape how communities adapt.

A key theme emerging from the discussions was the importance of strengthening local governance. Weak institutions - particularly in areas already vulnerable to climate impacts - can intensify the challenges that communities face. By reinforcing local governance structures, communities are better equipped to manage resources sustainably and reduce climate-related tensions. This is especially important in regions where fragile infrastructure and limited economic opportunities further compound the risks posed by climate change.

Through the CSSTxLS initiative, the workshop participants explored how to build resilience by considering the socio-economic factors at play. This approach reframes climate adaptation as a pathway to cooperation, aiming to foster peace and collaboration within and between communities, rather than exacerbating divisions.

Workshop highlights

The workshop was designed to foster collaborative data-driven discussions that would lead to practical solutions. Several key activities helped participants explore the challenges of integrating climate adaptation and peacebuilding:

Conflict driver assessment: Using INFORM risk indicators, participants assessed risk factors for crises in different regions, focusing on local contexts. Such risk factors are adopted as conflict drivers in the CSST. One participant emphasized: “We must focus on the true climate drivers of conflict, not external political factors such as trade.” This sentiment shaped the workshop’s focus on climate-linked stressors and their role in exacerbating conflict. Another participant noted: “The exercise allowed us to validate the tool’s risk scores by adding local context to global data.”

Climate-Peace mechanism development: Through group activities, participants worked together to link climate-peace mechanisms such as resource-sharing frameworks and livelihood diversification strategies with the different drivers of conflict assessed in the previous exercise. Examples included promoting sustainable grazing practices and improving water access, both of which mitigate climate impacts and help foster cooperation among pastoral communities. This dynamic exchange helped refine the CSSTxLS, ensuring it addressed the root causes of insecurity while promoting adaptation strategies tailored to reduce climate-related risks.

These discussions shaped recommendations for embedding the CSSTxLS into adaptation projects. The tool is now set to be an invaluable resource for practitioners looking to integrate conflict-sensitive and peace-responsive approaches into their program designs.

As the CSSTxLS tool moves forward, it will offer guidance on:

Building economic development of livestock-based livelihoods at local and communal levels,
Strengthening local institutional capacity for climate adaptation,
Building trust and cooperation through inclusive, community-driven decision-making processes,
Enhancing resource sustainability through partnerships between communities and local governments,
Enhancing knowledge and awareness on climate security and adaptation amongst pastoralists through participatory approaches, and
Building resilience by increasing pastoralists’ climate coping, adaptation and transformative capacities.

The workshop's collaboration laid a foundation for the future, with participants united in their belief that the tool holds significant potential to advance resilient, peaceful, and sustainable livelihoods for livestock-dependent communities.

By mainstreaming climate adaptation strategies with peacebuilding, the CSSTxLS emerges as a powerful tool capable of transforming the complex challenges of climate change into opportunities for stability and cooperation. This tool is not just a framework for managing risk; it is a catalyst for change, paving the way for more sustainable, conflict-sensitive approaches to adaptation that will shape a more peaceful and resilient future for communities at the frontlines of climate impact.