active · Health
CGIAR Initiative: Fragility, Conflict, Migration
<p class="ql-align-justify">Hunger and severe malnutrition are surging in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCASs), which often struggle to sustain resilient food, land, and water systems (FLWSs). For the 1.5 billion people living in FCASs (1), livelihood challenges and rising food, fertilizer, and input prices (2) are compounded by climate change, unsustainable resource consumption, poor governance, and weak social cohesion (3,4,5). Conflict and forced migration often result from, and further escalate, these challenges. Economic disruptions, such as those caused by COVID-19 and the Ukraine-Russia War, are sparking the risk of food and nutrition crises and poverty and conflict traps. Nearly 670 million people are projected to face hunger in 2030 — 8 % of the world population, and the same as in 2015 when the 2030 Agenda and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were launched (6). </p><p class="ql-align-justify">By mid-2021, 84 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide; 80% of them experience acute food insecurity and high levels of malnutrition (7,8). Migration is an important development tool; it can support livelihoods, build resilience, and protect against fragility and conflict — particularly for youth (9,10). However, migration can strain FLWSs and create challenges for those left behind — especially women facing increased work burdens alongside insufficient decision-making authority and limited access to key assets and services (11,12). Currently, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) host 83% of the world’s refugees (9). Host communities struggle to provide livelihood opportunities for all; new arrivals often strain local infrastructure and services, put pressure on natural resources and the environment, and increase competition for jobs.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">By 2021, most food crises were due to conflict and insecurity (5). On average, 30% of the population in countries facing protracted crises lives in extreme poverty (<$1.90/day), compared to ~6% in LMICs overall (13). Climate change and social inequalities exacerbate conflict. Climate change is rapidly intensifying, increasing pressure on livelihoods and ecosystems (14). In 2020, about 25% of internally displaced people were displaced by conflict and violence, and the remainder by disasters, mostly weather-related (15). Social inequalities further increase risks of hunger and reduce access to benefits from FLWSs, while serving as structural constraints to stability and peace (16,17, 18). Women are disproportionately negatively affected by shocks and crises and have less access to channels of power and influence that could help them benefit from programming addressing these issues. Failure to address interactions between climate stress and human-made crises will escalate both problems. </p><p class="ql-align-justify">Governments and development organizations demand evidence to address these complex global crises. Poor governance and weak access to basic services, common features of FCASs, severely limit policy effectiveness and require novel solutions. The recent “Global Food Crisis Report 2022” highlighted the need to fill data gaps so that research and evidence guide proposed policy solutions <em>as well as </em>contextually appropriate implementation (5). And the Committee on World Food Security High Level Panel of Experts has called for a globally coordinated response to both address the humanitarian crisis and build more resilient FLWSs (19).</p><p class="ql-align-justify">A systems approach in partnership with those working in FCASs — incorporating women’s and youth’s voices — is needed to devise practical solutions that promote gender equity and social inclusion (GESI). CGIAR is uniquely positioned to generate evidence to support more effective and transformative policies and programming to enhance FLWS resilience in FCASs facing migration-related challenges, and to promote social equity, conflict mitigation, and peacebuilding (20).</p><p><br></p>
Overview
About this project
<p class="ql-align-justify">Hunger and severe malnutrition are surging in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCASs), which often struggle to sustain resilient food, land, and water systems (FLWSs). For the 1.5 billion people living in FCASs (1), livelihood challenges and rising food, fertilizer, and input prices (2) are compounded by climate change, unsustainable resource consumption, poor governance, and weak social cohesion (3,4,5). Conflict and forced migration often result from, and further escalate, these challenges. Economic disruptions, such as those caused by COVID-19 and the Ukraine-Russia War, are sparking the risk of food and nutrition crises and poverty and conflict traps. Nearly 670 million people are projected to face hunger in 2030 — 8 % of the world population, and the same as in 2015 when the 2030 Agenda and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were launched (6). </p><p class="ql-align-justify">By mid-2021, 84 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide; 80% of them experience acute food insecurity and high levels of malnutrition (7,8). Migration is an important development tool; it can support livelihoods, build resilience, and protect against fragility and conflict — particularly for youth (9,10). However, migration can strain FLWSs and create challenges for those left behind — especially women facing increased work burdens alongside insufficient decision-making authority and limited access to key assets and services (11,12). Currently, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) host 83% of the world’s refugees (9). Host communities struggle to provide livelihood opportunities for all; new arrivals often strain local infrastructure and services, put pressure on natural resources and the environment, and increase competition for jobs.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">By 2021, most food crises were due to conflict and insecurity (5). On average, 30% of the population in countries facing protracted crises lives in extreme poverty (<$1.90/day), compared to ~6% in LMICs overall (13). Climate change and social inequalities exacerbate conflict. Climate change is rapidly intensifying, increasing pressure on livelihoods and ecosystems (14). In 2020, about 25% of internally displaced people were displaced by conflict and violence, and the remainder by disasters, mostly weather-related (15). Social inequalities further increase risks of hunger and reduce access to benefits from FLWSs, while serving as structural constraints to stability and peace (16,17, 18). Women are disproportionately negatively affected by shocks and crises and have less access to channels of power and influence that could help them benefit from programming addressing these issues. Failure to address interactions between climate stress and human-made crises will escalate both problems. </p><p class="ql-align-justify">Governments and development organizations demand evidence to address these complex global crises. Poor governance and weak access to basic services, common features of FCASs, severely limit policy effectiveness and require novel solutions. The recent “Global Food Crisis Report 2022” highlighted the need to fill data gaps so that research and evidence guide proposed policy solutions <em>as well as </em>contextually appropriate implementation (5). And the Committee on World Food Security High Level Panel of Experts has called for a globally coordinated response to both address the humanitarian crisis and build more resilient FLWSs (19).</p><p class="ql-align-justify">A systems approach in partnership with those working in FCASs — incorporating women’s and youth’s voices — is needed to devise practical solutions that promote gender equity and social inclusion (GESI). CGIAR is uniquely positioned to generate evidence to support more effective and transformative policies and programming to enhance FLWS resilience in FCASs facing migration-related challenges, and to promote social equity, conflict mitigation, and peacebuilding (20).</p><p><br></p>
Progress
0%- Plan
- Implementation
- Outcomes
Alignment