Integrated assessment of climate-related security risks for peace and security in Blue Nile, Sudan, and their gender dimensions

United Nations 1 year ago

The Blue Nile State in Sudan is grappling with a severe and escalating crisis, marked by an intensifying conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023. This conflict has displaced 8.7 million people, including 4.6 million children by December 2024, with 336,710 seeking refuge in Blue Nile State. This situation has exacerbated existing intercommunal tensions and complicated the management of natural resources, which are already under strain from climate change impacts. The report recommends six strategic actions to tackle the immediate and long-term challenges in Blue Nile State: Contribute to stabilization and build foundations for longer-term peacebuilding: This involves facilitating community-based peace dialogues, supporting local peace committees, and ensuring climate-sensitive humanitarian efforts to address the dynamic conflict. Promote Climate-Smart Livelihoods: Focus on sustainable, community-driven, and scientifically informed livelihood initiatives, specifically targeting women, IDPs, and other marginalized groups. Strengthen Community-Based Conservation: Support the protection, conservation, and restoration of natural ecosystems through inclusive, community-led efforts that respect local and indigenous knowledge. Establish Inclusive Governance for Natural Resources: Create governance structures that integrate the voices and leadership of all community members, especially those typically excluded, to ensure equitable resource management and conflict prevention. Enhance Protections Against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV): Implement comprehensive measures to address SGBV within resource-dependent roles, improving legal awareness, safety infrastructure, and effective response systems. Foster Transboundary Environmental Cooperation: Promote collaboration with neighboring countries on the sustainable management of shared ecosystems, which is crucial for regional peace and environmental stability. These recommendations aim to establish a robust framework that not only navigates the current crisis but also paves the way for sustainable peace and development, aligning local efforts with broader regional and international goals for resilience and conflict resolution.
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layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 7 hours ago

Sustainable construction is moving from flagship green construction projects to the systems that determine real building lifecycle performance. Forecasts that the next clean-power auction could reduce wholesale electricity costs by £11bn by 2050 strengthen the business case for net zero carbon buildings, heat pumps, electric plant and low carbon building operations. Ofgem’s action to deter speculative battery-grid applications is equally material: decarbonising the built environment depends on disciplined grid connections as much as sustainable building design.

The sector’s focus is shifting towards whole life carbon, embodied carbon and whole life carbon assessment rather than narrow design intent.

Pumps, controls and digital building management systems are becoming central to energy-efficient buildings, life cycle cost reduction and net zero whole life carbon outcomes. This is where sustainable design must become measurable performance, supported by lifecycle assessment, life cycle thinking in construction and reliable operational data.

Climate adaptation is now a core issue for environmental sustainability in construction. Kew and the Royal Parks are revising planting and watering strategies as hotter, drier summers reshape London’s public realm. Developers, designers and local authorities will need green infrastructure, sustainable urban development and eco-design for buildings that keep places shaded, resilient and maintainable under climate stress. Resilience can no longer sit outside whole life carbon assessment or be treated as a landscape afterthought.

Post-Grenfell reform reinforces that sustainability in construction cannot be reduced to carbon metrics alone. The golden thread of building information, product accountability and competent delivery is essential to retrofit, reuse and circular economy principles. Unsafe longevity is not sustainable architecture; it increases the environmental impact of construction by locking in future remediation, waste and risk.

The next phase of sustainable building practices will be judged by proof of performance: embodied carbon in materials, carbon footprint of construction, resource efficiency in construction, sustainable material specification and credible environmental product declarations (EPDs). Low embodied carbon materials, circular economy in construction, end-of-life reuse in construction and circular construction strategies will matter more than aesthetic claims. Awards for civic and environmental ambition remain influential, but the market is moving towards verifiable low carbon design, breeam, breeam v7 and construction outcomes that stand up across the full building lifecycle.

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