Project Update
OSCE highlights climate-related security risks in mountain regions at Global Meeting in Andorra
- Issued on:
- Issued by:
- Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities
The OSCE brought renewed attention to the linkages between climate change, human mobility, and security in mountain regions during the 7th Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership, held from 26 to 28 March in Andorra.
As part of its engagement, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) convened a dedicated side event titled “Building Resilience at Altitude: Climate Change and Security in Mountain Regions”, in partnership with the Special Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on the Mountain Agenda.
Opening the event, Bakyt Dzhusupov, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, underscored the strategic importance of mountain regions. He highlighted that mountains, often described as the world’s “water towers,” are increasingly becoming hotspots where climate impacts – such as glacial melt – intersect with land degradation, displacement, and disaster risks, amplifying instability both locally and downstream.
Ambassador Dinara Kemelova, Special Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, reinforced the urgency of supporting mountain communities, emphasizing the need to better channel financial resources toward climate resilience and sustainable development.
The panel brought together government representatives and international experts to examine how climate pressures in fragile mountain ecosystems are reshaping mobility patterns and security dynamics. Discussions focused on practical approaches to strengthening resilience, from governance and adaptation strategies to cross-border co-operation. Speakers included Pradyumna J. B. Rana, Climate Change Adaptation and Governance Analyst at ICIMOD; Julia Auer, Policy Advisor in the Division for Climate and Security, Environment and Water Diplomacy at the German Federal Foreign Office; and Nicholas Bishop, Head of Climate Resilience and Security at the IOM. Closing remarks were provided by Noëlia Souque, Ambassador for Cross-border Cooperation of the Principality of Andorra.
With more than 20 OSCE participating States and several Partners for Co-operation represented in the Mountain Partnership, the OSCE’s engagement at the Global Meeting highlighted the growing relevance of mountain regions in the broader security agenda.
The discussion contributed to the broader UN-led initiative, "Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions (2023–2027)", and will also feed into ongoing OSCE efforts to address climate-related security risks through regional co-operation, including the implementation of the “Regional co-operation strategy on climate change and security in Central Asia’s high mountain areas” (2024).
This event was supported through the OSCE extrabudgetary project “Strengthening Responses to Security Risks from Climate Change in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia”, which is implemented in partnership with adelphi and funded by Andorra, Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.