Land for Peace: Opportunities for the Peace Forest Initiative

Land and forest degradation in conflict areas is an emerging concern for the global community. Globally, around 1.8 billion people – over 20 per cent of the world’s population – live in fragile, conflict-affected countries. The long-term negative effects of conflict on communities undermine their resilience to climate-related disasters, such as extreme heat, droughts, and floods. At the same time, prolonged conflict is a significant root cause of degradation of natural resources and the ecosystem services they provide. 

These worrying trends have made land and forest degradation in conflict areas an emerging concern for the global community. The growing attention to the interlinkages between climate change, conflict prevention and sustaining peace among researchers and in policy circles, including in the UN Security Council, has contributed to this. But while land and ecosystem restoration have been recognised as key to addressing the climate crisis, less attention has been paid to their promising — yet untapped — potential contribution to international peace and cooperation.

To fill this gap, adelphi research has been contracted by the UNCCD's Global Mechanism to produce a report aimed at making the political case for land and ecosystem restoration as a powerful route towards international peace and security. The report is set within the context of the Peace Forest Initiative (PFI), a UN Convention to Combat Desertification initiative launched in 2019 to promote peace through transboundary cooperation on sustainable land management in fragile, conflict-affected and post-conflict regions.

Drawing on the extensive literature on the linkages between land and conflict, and complementing this with first-hand evidence and experience from different regions and contexts worldwide, the report provides an overview of the nexus between land, peace and security, and highlights ways in which nature conservation and ecosystem restoration actions can deliver peace and security co-benefits. In particular, the report focuses on transboundary and regional dimensions to illustrate how land and ecosystem restoration can help bridge divides not only between groups and communities within state boundaries but also beyond, thereby contributing to international peace and stability. 

Specifically, the report aims to address the following questions: 

• What are the linkages between land degradation, and conflict and insecurity that matter most between countries and societies in transboundary geographies? 

• What are key enablers for land restoration and forest conservation initiatives to help promote cooperation across borders and have peace-positive outcomes, especially in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS)?  

• What is the current financing picture for cross-border land and ecosystem restoration initiatives, and what are the significant gaps with respect to enhancing peace and security priorities? 

• What are the critical next steps to further promote the land-peace-security nexus agenda and place it centre stage in the global security arena?

While global in scope, the report zoomed in on PFI’s priority regions to identify challenges and opportunities for land/ecosystem-based approaches to promote peace and security there. The analysis adopted an intersectional approach – sensitive to gender, age, socioeconomic status and other key factors – to ensure that the differential risks and resilience-building opportunities faced by different members of society were considered.

The research process was backed up and strengthened by the creation of a “community of experts”, consisting of relevant stakeholders with experience in the topics of the report, including from UN entities and INGOs. These were consulted and involved in the research activities through research interviews, as well as two online webinars and an in-person workshop (organised and facilitated by adelphi research), which allowed them to share their expertise, as well as validate the results of the study. 

The report was launched at the 16th Conference of the Party of the UNCCD that took place on 4th December 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in an event organised by adelphi research in partnership with the UNCCD and the UN Department for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. Its results were further communicated during other relevant events, such as the Berlin Climate and Security Conference 2024 and Munich Security Conference 2025.