Crisis Group Launches Initiative on Climate Change and Deadly Conflict

The International Crisis Group is delighted to announce the launch of a new initiative to better understand the impact of climate change on deadly conflict, in great part thanks to a generous new gift by Kerry Propper. Having already grown from visionary seed funding by the Global Challenges Foundation, this initiative will build on Crisis Group’s core strengths – rigorous field research, sharp policy analysis and access to policymakers – to raise the profile of climate security in critical policy discussions in Africa, particularly in the Horn, and we will continue to expand its scope.

Mr. Propper, who joined Crisis Group’s Board of Trustees in February 2021, is a dedicated activist and philanthropist and has been a member of Crisis Group’s Advisory Council for over a decade. His support for our conflict prevention mandate will feed the growing demand for pragmatic recommendations and high-level advocacy on how to proactively manage conflict risks exacerbated by climate change.

“The goal of my philanthropic endeavours is to help prevent mass atrocities, and I am confident my gift will help put Crisis Group at the cutting-edge of mitigating deadly conflicts caused by climate change on the African continent”, said Kerry Proper, founder and chairman of Chardan, an independent global investment bank, and founder and managing partner of ATW Partners, a private equity fund based in New York. "These risks threaten hundreds of millions of people, and thus need to be addressed in real time with actionable policy suggestions for stakeholders”.

The growing threat to peace and security that current trends present to Africa – where millions already experience record heat waves, extreme precipitation and rising sea levels – requires urgent and robust action. This new funding will advance Crisis Group’s ongoing analysis of climate-related security challenges there with first-of-their-kind visualisation tools and innovative climate science. Our advocates will bring these new insights to the attention of key African governments and major stakeholders. Over time, Crisis Group aims to expand the geographical scope of this initiative to other regions, including Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

“We are immensely grateful for Kerry’s generosity that has made this initiative possible, and his commitment to values at the heart of Crisis Group”, said Interim President Richard Atwood. “We look forward to deepening our analysis and elevating outreach at this crucial time for action on climate security”.

A library of our work on climate and deadly conflict can be accessed here.