Climate Change and Violent Extremism in Northeastern Kenya: Towards an Integrated Response

This report analyses the relationship between climate change and violent extremism (VE) in Garissa and Wajir counties in northeastern Kenya. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork—including 16 focus group discussions, 18 key informant interviews, and stakeholder workshops—the study identifies 11 pathways through which climate change may influence vulnerabilities to VE. These pathways cluster around four interrelated dynamics: the destruction of livelihoods, increased migration and shifts in pastoral mobility, the erosion of social structures, and the exacerbation of governance challenges. The findings suggest that climate change operates as a threat multiplier, intensifying economic insecurity, social fragmentation, and perceptions of marginalisation while simultaneously undermining communities’ capacity to adapt to environmental stress. The report argues that addressing these intertwined risks requires more integrated policy responses that bridge climate adaptation, peacebuilding, and preventing/countering violent extremism (P/CVE) efforts at both national and county levels.