Climate Change, Peace and Security: Understanding Climate-Related Security Risks Through an Integrated Lens

May 26, 2026 | One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership
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A new free online course designed to strengthen understanding of the links between climate change, peacebuilding, and security is now available for learners worldwide through UN CC. 

The self-paced programme, titled Climate Change, Peace and Security: Understanding Climate-Related Security Risks Through an Integrated Lens, provides participants with practical tools to analyze climate-related security risks and design integrated policy and programming responses.Developed with support from the Climate Security Mechanism, the course explores how climate change is increasingly shaping conflict dynamics, displacement, resource competition, and social vulnerability across different regions of the world.It is available in both English and French and can be completed online at the learner’s own pace.The programme is particularly relevant at a time when climate-related crises are intensifying globally. Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, flooding, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events are increasingly affecting livelihoods, governance systems, and social stability, especially in fragile and conflict-affected settings.According to the course overview, climate change is now widely recognized as one of the major risks to peace and security in the 21st century. In many vulnerable regions, environmental pressures intersect with political instability, poverty, inequality, and social tensions, creating complex challenges that require integrated and inclusive responses.The online training aims to help policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and development professionals better understand these interconnections while strengthening their ability to design climate-sensitive and conflict-aware interventions.The course includes three self-standing modules:
  • Module 1: Climate Change, Peace and Security
    Introduces the relationship between climate risks, social vulnerability, conflict dynamics, and peacebuilding approaches.
  • Module 2: Conducting Integrated Analysis
    Provides practical guidance on analyzing climate-related security risks using conflict-sensitive, gender-responsive, and socially inclusive frameworks.
  • Module 3: Designing Integrated Approaches for Programming and Planning
    Focuses on developing policies, strategies, and programmes that integrate climate action, peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and gender equality objectives.
Participants who complete all quizzes with a minimum passing score of 70 percent become eligible for an official United Nations digital certificate. While the course itself is free, the optional digital certificate is available upon payment of a USD 20 fee.The programme also awards digital badges for each completed module, allowing learners to demonstrate specific competencies gained throughout the training.The course was developed through collaboration between several major international organizations, including United Nations Environment Programme, UN Women, the Climate Security Mechanism, and other global partners working on climate resilience, peacebuilding, and sustainable development.A major focus of the training is the recognition that climate-related insecurity does not affect all communities equally. The course incorporates gender and social inclusion perspectives to examine how women, marginalized groups, displaced populations, and vulnerable communities experience climate risks differently.Participants will gain tools to:
  • Identify climate-related security risks
  • Conduct integrated climate and conflict analysis
  • Apply gender-sensitive and socially inclusive approaches
  • Design climate adaptation and peacebuilding interventions
  • Strengthen policy and programme planning in fragile contexts
The training is designed for a broad audience, including:
  • Policymakers and government officials
  • Peacebuilding practitioners
  • Climate adaptation specialists
  • Development professionals
  • Researchers and academics
  • Gender and inclusion advisors
  • Humanitarian and civil society actors
Because the course is fully online and self-paced, it offers flexible access for learners from different countries and professional backgrounds. This makes it particularly useful for professionals and students in low- and middle-income countries who may have limited access to specialized climate security training programmes.Exclusive Insights for Learners and ProfessionalsFor individuals considering enrollment, this course reflects a growing shift in global development and security policy toward integrated climate-security approaches. Climate change is no longer treated solely as an environmental issue but increasingly as a governance, development, humanitarian, and peacebuilding challenge.Key insights include:
  • Climate security expertise is becoming highly valuable globally: International organizations, NGOs, governments, and research institutions are increasingly seeking professionals who understand the intersection of climate change, conflict prevention, and resilience-building.
  • The course supports interdisciplinary learning: Participants from public policy, international development, environmental  science, public health, peace studies, humanitarian response, and governance backgrounds can all benefit from the programme.
  • Gender-responsive approaches are central to modern climate policy: The course’s emphasis on social inclusion aligns with growing global priorities around equitable climate adaptation and locally led resilience.
  • The certification can strengthen professional profiles: While the digital certificate is optional, UN-affiliated learning credentials can add value for individuals pursuing careers in development, climate policy, peacebuilding, or international cooperation.
  • Practical policy relevance is a major strength: Rather than focusing only on theory, the programme introduces analytical and planning tools that can be applied in real-world programming and policy contexts.
  • The course aligns with emerging donor priorities: Many international funding agencies are increasingly investing in climate resilience, conflict prevention, and integrated development programming, making these skills increasingly relevant for grant-funded work.
Interested learners can explore the course and registration details through UN CC:Learn Official Platform.