When clean energy brings peace and security

The impacts of climate change are being felt most acutely in places already grappling with conflict and instability. When climate shocks lead to challenges like water scarcity, disrupted livelihoods or damaged infrastructure, they deepen existing inequalities, strain relationships between communities, and weaken trust in institutions, creating conditions that can fuel disputes and tensions. 

It’s estimated that 50 percent of the global population facing extreme poverty lives in countries with limited capacity to withstand or adapt to climate change. In these contexts, the challenge is not only to respond to crises as they unfold, but also to strengthen the systems that help people adapt, recover and rebuild. Many of them without access to energy.  

Today, 685 million people live without electricity, the majority of them in regions already vulnerable to conflict. Over 2 billion don’t have clean cooking fuels, relying on polluting alternatives that affect health, livelihoods and resilience.  

In regions where climate impacts and insecurity intersect, clean energy empowers communities to recover and restore stability despite the threats posed by climate change.

Powering essential services when systems collapse

In conflict-affected and climate-vulnerable settings, the breakdown of basic services is often one of the earliest and most destabilizing impacts of crisis. Hospitals without electricity cannot store vaccines or run life-saving equipment. Schools close early or stop functioning altogether.  

Clean energy offers a way to restore these services quickly and reliably. 

In Afghanistan’s remote provinces, solar-powered health centres and schools have become anchors of stability in areas where access to the grid is limited and disruptions are frequent. With support from KfW Development Bank, solar photovoltaic systems have been installed across remote and fragile locations in 19 provinces, ensuring reliable power supply, especially to hospitals and schools. 

Local jobs have also been created through the installation and maintenance of solar systems. Together, these initiatives have directly benefited over 900,000 people, reinforcing service delivery, strengthening resilience and supporting communities as they rebuild in the face of ongoing challenges.

Easing pressure on scarce resources

As climate impacts intensify, competition over natural resources becomes a growing source of tension. Access to water, in particular, is closely tied to both livelihoods and stability. In Sudan, rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and prolonged dry spells have intensified competition over water and land, especially in areas where local communities host displaced populations. 

Clean energy is helping ease this pressure. In partnership with Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), solar-powered water systems and irrigation solutions are being installed, ensuring reliable water for households and farmers. These reduce dependence on generators powered by fossil fuels, which are costly, polluting and prone to supply disruptions. 

When both host communities and displaced families can access water and sustain basic economic activity, everyday tensions are reduced and coexistence becomes more viable. 

Expanding livelihoods and women’s agency 

Clean energy also opens pathways to income and skills, particularly in settings where economic opportunities are limited. In Yemen, years of protracted conflict combined with climate stress have eroded livelihoods and have limited access to affordable energy, particularly for women. Clean energy initiatives focusing on skill development are shifting that balance. 

Supported by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief), women-led solar enterprises are creating livelihoods while expanding access to clean, affordable energy at the household level. Solar lanterns and clean cooking solutions reduce energy costs, improve indoor air quality and make homes safer after dark. Reliable power also means that markets can remain open during the night, improving livelihoods.  

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