Environmental Peacebuilding in Central Asia: Shared Challenges and Solutions (chapter in (Towards Sustainable Future of Central Asia: Analysis of Climate, Resources and Human Security")
Publisher: Advances in Global Change Research
Author(s): Stefanie Wesch, Kathleen Hermans, Anna Sperber, Larissa Kogutenko, and Jürgen Scheffran
Date: 2026
Topics: Climate Change, Conflict Causes
Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
As challenges with respect to climate change are worsening, with adverse impacts on natural resources such as arable land and water, the role of climate mitigation and adaptation measures is increasingly garnering scholars’ attention. Framed as a shared challenge, the public discourse around climate change can be seen as an entry point for dialogue and trust-building. This chapter examines the potential of environmental peacebuilding as a framework for addressing climate-induced tensions in Central Asia. We draw on practice examples from across the region and examine how education, climate adaptation strategies, transboundary water governance and cooperative environmental initiatives contribute to trust-building, conflict prevention and conflict transformation. While these efforts illustrate the potential for environmental cooperation to serve as an entry point for cooperation, their effectiveness is often constrained by lack of trust, political will, geopolitical tensions, governance asymmetries, and institutional weaknesses. The authors highlight a need for systematic assessments of interventions as well as the role of civil society in the context of constrained operational space. This chapter argues that interdisciplinary research, enhanced regional cooperation, and policy frameworks that integrate climate adaptation with conflict prevention will be paramount with regards to ensuring resilience and sustainable peace in Central Asia.