In the tri-border area where Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger meet, temperatures are rising at 1.5 times the global average. Recurrent droughts devastate crops. Erratic rainfall patterns undermine pastoral systems. Land degradation advances relentlessly. For communities already navigating violent conflict and fragility, these climate pressures are not abstract future threats, but daily realities that destabilize livelihoods, displace families, and create opportunities for exploitation by armed groups.
Yet this same region, the Liptako-Gourma, is now pioneering something unprecedented: the world's first National Strategic and Action Plans on Climate, Peace and Security (CPS). On 14 November 2025, the 爆料网 Community of Practice on Climate, Peace and Security facilitated by the Climate Security Mechanism (CSM) convened to examine how these three Sahelian nations are moving beyond rhetoric to concrete action, offering lessons that resonate far beyond the region. The panel brought together a diverse group of high-level speakers. Her Excellency Catherine Inglehearn, the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to Niger, opened the discussion by setting the scene for the region and highlighting the growing global momentum around climate, peace and security. Pascal Yaka, Climate, Peace and Security Advisor to the Liptako-Gourma Authority, then provided an analytical overview of the evolving challenges in the region. Adding national expertise, Ylassa Djenda, representing the Permanent Secretariat of the National Council for Sustainable Development at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Sanitation of Burkina Faso, shared country-specific experiences and priorities. Finally, Kadiatou Sy Diallo, representing the Liptako-Gourma Authority, offered a regional institutional perspective, highlighting ongoing initiatives and the importance of cross-border cooperation.
The timing is significant. While recent climate COPs highlighted persisting climate finance gaps, the Sahel demonstrates what becomes possible when political will meets inclusive planning. Fifteen of the twenty countries most vulnerable to climate change are also affected by fragility or conflict. . The Liptako-Gourma initiative shows a possible way to break this pattern.
Building from the Ground Up
The journey began in November 2023 with the , which culminated in the foundational . But what followed was anything but top-down. Between September 2023 and November 2025, political and technical consultations reached across all three countries, engaging more than 60 entities in strategy formulation and over 100 people in roadmap development.
The participatory approach was deliberate. Civil society organizations sat alongside government institutions. Youth representatives joined religious leaders. Women's groups contributed equally to technical committees. National frameworks bringing together experts and groups from across different fields were created and then replicated in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, ensuring consistency while respecting distinct national contexts.
Crucially, the process did not stop at consultation. Capacity building formed a cornerstone of the initiative. Training programs reached over 50 youth, women, and members of vulnerable groups on climate, peace and security issues. Youth were trained not as passive beneficiaries but as active agents of peace and social cohesion. Religious leaders, women, and youth representatives received training on natural resource management, recognizing that expertise must be built where it will be used.
The transboundary approach was equally intentional. Climate and conflict dynamics don't respect borders. Neither do pastoral routes or watershed systems. The process emphasized regional coordination from the outset, with the Liptako-Gourma Authority playing a central role in amplifying national efforts through coordination with Member States, local authorities, and international partners.
From Policy to Implementation: the Burkina Faso Example
Strategy documents often gather dust on shelves. Burkina Faso's experience shows how to prevent this. Strong political commitment manifested through a joint ministerial agreement between the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Environment, signaling whole-of-government engagement rather than siloed climate or security responses.
The numbers tell the story. A budget of 500 billion CFA francs (approximately USD 820 million) has been estimated as necessary for implementation during 2026-2030. The government has committed to dedicating part of its national budget while mobilizing additional resources from partners and climate finance mechanisms.
But more revealing than the overall figure are the specific projects identified. They include land restoration and ecosystem preservation initiatives that target border zones with Mali and Niger, recognizing that environmental rehabilitation is peace and security infrastructure. Other projects to strengthen social cohesion and climate resilience will focus on communities displaced by conflict, acknowledging that durable solutions require addressing both peace and climate dimensions simultaneously.
Integration with existing frameworks ensures these are not isolated initiatives. The climate, peace and security strategy is being woven into the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) currently under development, linked to the civil protection strategy, and aligned with gender and social cohesion priorities. This coherence across government action transforms climate, peace and security from an add-on to a core organizing principle.
Regional Coordination in Practice
The Liptako-Gourma Authority's role extends beyond coordinating meetings. A series of training activities has strengthened capacities of government experts, community leaders, and civil society actors, including representatives of agricultural, livestock, and fishing organizations in the tri-border area.
One gathering stands out: a meeting of traditional, customary, and religious leaders of the Liptako-Gourma region held from 21-23 October 2025. In contexts where formal state authority is weak or contested, these leaders often hold decisive influence over local governance, natural resource management and cross-border stabilization.
Local representatives have been integrated into planning processes with particular focus on natural resource management and pastoral development to reduce farmer-herder conflicts. These conflicts are increasingly driven by climate change-induced weather variability and resource scarcity. Addressing them requires understanding both environmental pressures and natural resource management systems.
All three national strategies have now been validated and consolidated to lead to the development of a regional framework. The regional climate, peace and security strategy will be built based on CPS national strategies and diverse policies while involving ministries, universities, private sector representatives, and technical and financial partners, creating a web of ownership that extends across sectors and borders.
International Recognition and Future Priorities
At COP29, the initiative gained visibility through high-level side events that showcased the interconnected climate challenges in Mali and Burkina Faso. Joint ministerial participation demonstrated continued political commitment, while international partners signaled growing interest in supporting implementation.
Looking ahead, priorities are clear. Continued support from 爆料网DP and the Climate Security Mechanism will focus on strategy implementation and financial mobilization, not just policy advice. Promoting and disseminating the CPS strategies aims to build broader awareness and political support. The development of a regional action plan will build on convergence of national strategies while maintaining flexibility in respecting national contexts and priorities.
Integration with the Liptako-Gourma stabilization, resilience and recovery strategy ensures that CPS approaches are woven into broader stabilization and development efforts rather than creating parallel tracks. Enhanced cross-border coordination will put the transboundary priorities identified during the planning process into practice.
Six Lessons for Climate, Peace and Security Integration
The Liptako-Gourma experience yields concrete lessons for climate, peace and security practitioners and policymakers worldwide:
Political leadership is indispensable. Strong government commitment through joint ministerial agreements and budget allocations is critical for moving from strategy to implementation.
Inclusive processes strengthen outcomes. Engaging diverse stakeholders—youth, women, civil society, religious leaders, and local authorities—enhances strategy relevance and ownership.
Integration with existing frameworks ensures coherence. Linking CPS strategies with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and other national development strategies and plans ensures sustainability.
Regional coordination amplifies impact. Cross-border collaboration addresses transboundary climate, peace and security challenges more effectively than isolated national efforts.
Capacity building is foundational. Training local actors, particularly youth and women, as peace vectors and resource managers builds long-term resilience.
Resource mobilization requires sustained advocacy. Continued engagement with technical and financial partners including global climate finance mechanisms is essential to secure adequate funding.
A Model for COP30 and Beyond
As the global community takes stock of COP30, the Sahel's pioneering experience offers more than inspiration, it provides a replicable model. The Liptako-Gourma region is demonstrating how national planning can embed climate, peace and security priorities into climate policy dialogues, regional cooperation frameworks, and sustainable development pathways.
The initiative shows how to transform climate, peace and security challenges into opportunities for resilience. It demonstrates that fostering social cohesion through integrated approaches is both possible and practical. It proves that building sustainable peace in climate-vulnerable and fragile and conflict-affected contexts requires addressing both dimensions simultaneously, not sequentially or separately.
Most importantly, it challenges the inequity of climate finance distribution. The world's most affected regions deserve resources commensurate with their vulnerability and potential. The Sahel is showing what can be achieved when political will, inclusive processes, and concrete action converge.
Even in the most challenging circumstances, visionary leadership and community engagement can chart paths toward more peaceful and sustainable futures. The question now is whether the international community will provide the support necessary to implement what has been so carefully planned. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are doing their part.
