Introduction

Climate change is becoming an increasingly important consideration in peacebuilding in terms of how it may affect the distribution and availability of natural resources and thereby affect livelihoods. In “Peacebuilding and Adaptation to Climate Change,” Richard Matthew and Anne Hammill examine the various pillars of peacebuilding activities and discuss how the pillars depend on natural resources and ecosystems and how they might be affected by climate change. Drawing on examples from Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, they illustrate how failure to introduce climate change adaptation into peacebuilding activities can leave countries ill equipped to manage climate risk. On the other hand, as Matthew and Hammill discuss, there are ways in which adaptation to climate change can be a positive influence on peacebuilding.