Attachments
Carolina Sarzana, Yacouba Ouedraogo, Theresa Renkamp, Federico Doehnert, Amadou Cisse, Ollo Sib, Benson Kenduiywo, Victor Korir, and Peter Läderach
Abstract/Description
The Liptako Gourma region, encompassing Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, faces a crisis where climate change, conflict, and food insecurity intersect. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and prolonged droughts are disrupting agriculture and intensifying resource competition, fueling local conflicts. In these transboundary provinces, non-state armed groups exploit resource-related grievances to expand their influence, worsening food insecurity, especially in agricultural and livestock-dependent communities.
The climate security hotspot analysis in the Liptako-Gourma region from 2019 to 2023, combined with yearly food insecurity rates data from the Cadre Harmonisé reveals a strong link between conflict, climate stress, and food insecurity. Conflict and drought in one year typically lead to worsening food insecurity the next. While the overall number of climate security hotspots has decreased, those that remain become more severe and concentrated, particularly in the bordering regions of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. In some areas, such as northern Burkina Faso, up to 83% of the population faces food insecurity, driven by a combination of conflict and severe drought.
Looking ahead, the situation remains dire. While some regions have seen modest improvements, the severity of climate stress and conflict in key hotspots suggests that food insecurity will continue to rise in the most climate security hotspots areas. Addressing these intertwined crises requires integrated interventions that tackle both immediate humanitarian needs and the deeper drivers of conflict and climate change.