Climate, Peace and Security Assessment: Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is at a pivotal moment, facing the converging threats of climate change, environmental degradation and persistent insecurity. These intersecting challenges demand urgent and coordinated action by all relevant stakeholders. This assessment aims to provide up-to-date evidence to support policy planning and programming in PNG’s various regions and offers recommendations to strengthen the country’s resilience and enhance its capacity to cope, withstand and respond to concurrent shocks.

As one of the world’s most ecologically and culturally diverse nations, home to over 800 languages and remarkable traditions that have evolved alongside abundant natural resources for millennia, PNG’s communities are deeply connected to their natural environments including forests, land and sea. This interdependence makes them particularly vulnerable to climate- and environment-related shocks such as sea-level rise, precipitation unpredictability and land degradation.

The Climate, Peace and Security Assessment, led by adelphi in partnership with ADB and UNDP, reveals that climate change is not simply an environmental challenge, but a force that is reshaping the landscape of conflict, vulnerability and development across the country. The assessment identifies six interconnected pathways through which climate and environmental changes amplify security risks in PNG. The assessment also spotlights three case studies where regional dynamics and lessons are drawn. Then, the assessment offers eight priority recommendation areas for integrated solutions. 

Recommendations

Breaking the Cycle: Integrated Solutions

• Integrate peacebuilding, climate adaptation and development
• Enhance youth engagement and alternative livelihoods
• Address sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV)
• Strengthen disaster risk management and displacement response
• Improve sustainable natural resource management
• Improve governance, law enforcement and data systems
• Enhance data collection and analysis for evidence-based interventions