The Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) Programme, in partnership with the Walker Institute at the University of Reading, is proud to release its comprehensive Climate and Vulnerability Analysis full report and accompanying Policy Brief.
These documents move beyond simple assumptions, providing the critical, evidence-based data required to understand how climate change is truly influencing conflict dynamics in Northern Nigeria.
It is a widely held belief that climate change, specifically the increasing scarcity of productive land and water are the direct causes of conflicts, such particularly those between farmers and herders. But is this relationship as straightforward as it seems?
This analysis cuts through the speculation, assessing current scientific and ethnographic data to provide analytical clarity. The report’s core finding is clear: The relationship between climate change and conflict is far more complex than a simple cause-and-effect narrative suggests, and much stronger data is needed to design effective, targeted peace interventions.
The detailed report outlines four key, actionable recommendations that will shape the future of peacebuilding, development, and climate action in the region.
For Policy Makers, Development Partners, and Researchers:
- Integrate Climate Risk: Climate analysis must be a crosscutting, foundational element of all conflict and peacebuilding strategies.
- Ensure Grounded Interventions: Solutions must be informed by both rigorous climate science and deep engagement with local community realities and resource competition dynamics.
- Prioritize Cooperation: Focus research and programs on documenting and scaling successful examples of cohesion and peaceful resource-sharing between groups.
- Implement Conflict-Sensitive Action: All climate policies must be designed to be conflict-sensitive, and all peacebuilding efforts must incorporate climate adaptation strategies.
Read the Climate and Vulnerability Analysis Policy Brief
Read the Climate and Vulnerability Analysis Full Report
