Climate action as peace enabler: lessons from the Sahel on delivering peace and social dividends in fragile settings

This case study examines the Justice and Stability in the Sahel (JASS) programme in Mali and Niger to explore whether climate action in the Sahel can generate broader peace and social benefits alongside enhanced resilience. Running from 2021 to 2026, the JASS programme was an initiative aimed at improving security and stability amid the complex and interlinked climate and conflict challenges facing the two countries. The study examines how this integrated approach — combining climate resilience, trust-building, and local governance — operated in practice, and whether it contributed to more peaceful and socially resilient outcomes.

The case study contributes to the World Bank report Peace and Social Dividends of Climate Action, which examines how climate interventions in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAS) can generate broader peace and social benefits alongside enhanced resilience. Drawing on ODI Global's 'Building Forward Better' analytical framework, developed in 2023 to provide principles and good practices for programming in FCAS, the study should be particularly relevant for policymakers and practitioners seeking evidence on whether integrated climate–conflict programming can deliver meaningful "peace and social dividends" in highly fragile environments — and what conditions are required for success.