New approaches to environmental security
adelphi global and WWF Germany invite security and foreign policy professionals to an immersive tabletop scenario game set in the Colombian Amazon but designed to reveal global patterns. Participants will confront real-world challenges such as illegal mining, resource trafficking, and threatened livelihoods, and make critical decisions under pressure.
The exercise demonstrates how often-overlooked environmental factors are silent but powerful drivers of conflict, instability, and transnational crime. Drawing on evidence from the region and based on long experience from conservation action in fragile contexts across the world, the session highlights the relevance of these risks for national and international security, urging participants to rethink traditional approaches and integrate environmental considerations into their strategic outlook. Guiding questions include:
- How do sustainable livelihoods matter for social cohesion?
- How do resource crimes sustain conflict economies?
- What vulnerabilities do they create for state and regional security?
- How can international actors disrupt these networks and mitigate risks?
The session concludes with a debrief and actionable recommendations for policy and practice across geographies.
