Climate Change, Inequality, and Conflict

Africa experiences some of the most severe climate impacts, the scale of which exacerbates Africa is experiencing some of the world's most severe climate impacts, with droughts, floods, heatwaves, and environmental degradation exacerbating existing social, economic, and spatial inequalities. These climate-related risks, in turn, exacerbate inequality, intensify competition over dwindling resources, trigger displacementand increasethe threat of conflict in many African countries. Yet climate change does not operate in isolation; its impacts are shaped by governance, historical marginalization, and unequal access to resources.

This edited volume examines the complex relationships between climate change, inequality, and conflict across diverse African contexts, while exploring their implications for environmental justice, resilience, and sustainable peace. Bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives and empirical case studies from across the continent, the contributors demonstrate how climate risks interact with social, political, and economic processes to produce varied outcomes. The volume argues that inclusive participation and resource allocation, community ownership, and appropriate gender-sensitive strategies are essential pathways towards environmental justice and sustainable peace. By moving beyond deterministic narratives, this book offers fresh insights for scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and students seeking to understand and address one of Africa's most pressing development challenges.