A window into what we are reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program

Deforestation Dynamics in Colombia: The Role of Armed Groups

A 29% drop in deforestation in Colombia in 2022 was labeled as a victory for President Gustavo Petro. Yet there is another reason behind the decrease. Armed groups, such as the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), have imposed logging bans in areas under their control, and levy fines amounting to 251 dollars per hectare.

Al Jazeera’s reporting notes that the EMC’s logging ban is a “political tool” intended to “strengthen their hand at the negotiating table,” at a moment when Petro’s government aims for “total peace” in Colombia.

Control over deforestation rates may help EMC influence government policies, as well as promulgate conservation. Yet tides could turn quickly in Colombia, and there is always a chance that the Amazon and its resources become a bargaining chip in the future.

READ | Answering the Amazon’s Call: Can the Private Sector Mobilize for its Protection?

Narratives of Loss and Compensation in Kenya’s Changing Climate

A new report by Climate Refugees, based on community interviews in Kenya, focuses on sharing unfiltered narratives that reveal specific losses and damages caused by climate change. This study also emphasizes human rights aspects of these issues, and proposes solutions for affected communities in that nation.

Climate-vulnerable communities in Kenya and elsewhere, particularly Indigenous populations,  bear the brunt of climate impacts. Urgent action, including support and innovation at various levels of society is necessary to address trends that create destruction and displacement.

The lack of adequate adaptation funding leads to reduced resilience in often overlooked communities, which both further marginalizes them and erodes human rights commitments. Despite climate-policy proposals that stressing community inclusion, practical engagement in policymaking has been lacking. It is a situation that makes the establishment of a UNFCCC Loss and Damage Fund at COP27 crucial.

READ | Climate Security in The Horn: Crafting a Broader Role for Non-State Actors in IGAD

Rain’s Wrath: Nepal’s Villages Prepare for a More Extreme Monsoon Season

Nepal’s monsoon season runs from June through September, and it has become an increasingly worrisome period there. A warming world only increases the output of rainfall during this period of the year, creating more frequent floods and landslides.

Monsoons so play an important role in the ecology, agriculture, and culture of Nepalese people. Yet, as they become more extreme, monsoons now are becoming a threat. Nepal’s steep terrain makes floods and landslides that occur more frequently and intensely particularly devastating.

An ecosystem-based adaptation project supported by UNEP provides a holistic approach to development intervention for this problem landscape. UNEP is transforming hillsides into terraces to slow water runoff during heavy rains, while also conserving forests, increasing farm productivity, and providing training for local communities to enhance resilience.

READ | From Communities to Landscapes: Multi-Scale Approaches to Climate Adaptation in Nepal