Attachments
Dr Kyungmee Kim, Nadine Andersen, Katongo Seyuba, Kheira Tarif, Dr Thor Olav Iversen and Ingvild Brodtkorb
Myanmar is home to one of the highest concentrations of people vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with 40 per cent of the population residing in low-lying and coastal regions. Following a military takeover in 2021, the establishment of the State Administration Council (SAC) was met with broad popular resistance, retriggering confrontations with ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and local antijunta militias. Conflict has exacerbated the country’s vulnerability to climate change and environmental degradation.
• Since the 2021 military takeover, escalating violence and climaterelated disasters have undermined Myanmar’s crucial agricultural sector, impacting food security and livelihoods in conflict-affected communities.
•Internally displaced persons (IDPs) and urban migrants residing in informal settlements, including protest-engaged youth, are particularly vulnerable to climate hazards. This affects the flow of remittances to rural communities, which serve as a buffer during poor harvests.
• Myanmar’s military and EAOs have used humanitarian aid and disaster response to bolster their legitimacy and gain the support of civilian populations, leading to unequal climate resilience and disaster recovery in areas affected by climate-related disasters.
• The military takeover accelerated extractive activities conducted by the military and private enterprises, leading to environmental degradation. The intersecting crises of conflict and climate change have created opportunities for elites to exploit vulnerable populations, the landless, ethnic minorities and women.
The United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have engaged in conflict mitigation in Myanmar since the military takeover, with limited success. The UN has emphasized that the military takeover triggered a humanitarian crisis, undermined human rights and heightened vulnerability to climate change. The UN and ASEAN leaders have highlighted the importance of peacebuilding initiatives and enhanced community resilience to climate change. Addressing the intersection of climate change, peace and security in Myanmar, without legitimizing the SAC, is critical for strengthening community resilience to climate change, preventing resource conflict and improving the cooperative management of shared resources across communities and other identity groups.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
▶ The United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should support regional and local mechanisms for monitoring and responding to the effects of climate change, including by investing in Myanmar’s meteorological monitoring capabilities through the UN’s ‘Early Warnings for All’ initiative. Monitoring systems can support locally led disaster preparedness and riskreduction efforts, improved climate adaptation strategies and climate-resilient agricultural practices.
▶ The new UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar should support advancing a climate-sensitive analysis of conflict dynamics, including the impacts of climate change on displacement and migration and the different vulnerabilities of displaced people, ethnic minorities, and men, women and children. Within the UN, stronger reporting on climate-related security risks can improve responses to immediate humanitarian needs, as well as inform programming to reduce climate vulnerabilities and build peace in the longer term.
▶ The UN, ASEAN and governments involved in conflict mitigation should coordinate efforts to ease restrictions on access and remove bureaucratic impediments to the safe passage of humanitarian assistance after climate-related disasters. Engaging with local governance and grassroots networks can support conflict-sensitive recovery and build climate resilience, while reducing the risk that aid efforts are instrumentalized.
▶ UN General Assembly Resolution 76/180 highlights the disproportionate effect of conflict and human rights abuses on minority groups in Myanmar. Organizations working at the intersection of climate, peace and security should look for opportunities to advance minority rights through meaningful participation in, for example, environmental governance, sustainable livelihoods and ecosystem restoration programmes. Environmental conservation, equitable resource management and climate change adaptation can serve as entry points for strengthening resilience and livelihood security.