On 8 May, SIPRI expert Katongo Seyuba presented a new report at an event co-organized by the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) and the Swedish Embassy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Focusing on the eastern DRC, this event aimed to deepen understanding of the interlinkages between climate change, conflict and gender. Bringing together policymakers, diplomats, researchers and civil society actors, it fostered discussions on the practical implications of these challenges, drawing on experiences and community-level responses from the region. It also explored ways for research findings to inform peacebuilding practice and for local engagement to contribute to research and policy discussions.
Discussions drew on the SIPRI Insights Paper ‘Climate, Peace and Security in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo’ published in March. This paper explores how climate change intersects with existing vulnerabilities in North Kivu and South Kivu, exacerbating insecurity and conflict, and highlights the need to integrate climate and environmental considerations into peacebuilding and stabilization efforts. The session also drew on the findings of fieldwork by FBA and its forthcoming report exploring gender dimensions of climate insecurity in eastern DRC, as well as the perspectives of two Congolese representatives with environmental and peacebuilding expertise.
Opening and closing remarks were delivered by Joakim Vaverka, Ambassador of Sweden to the DRC and former Deputy Director of SIPRI.