Master’s Thesis on the EU’s Climate Action in the Sahel

04. November 2026

Leonie Oechtering examines the main drivers behind the EU’s climate action in the Sahel, and how climate, development, migration and security concerns are balanced in this process. Her Master’s thesis at the Future Lab Social Metabolism and Impacts was supervised by Prof. Dr Kira Kosnick from the European University Viadrina and Dr Julia M. Blocher from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). The Master’s thesis is available on the PIK’s website.

The analysis shows that climate change is a primarily subordinate or secondary concern in the EU’s approach to the Sahel. Climate change is frequently framed as a ‘threat multiplier’ that amplifies existing security and migration pressures, thereby promoting broader security, migration management and border control policies for the region. At the same time, the research revealed a fragmented EU presence and shifting priorities that are repeatedly driven by internal political trends and interests rather than the needs and priorities of the people in the Sahel. This fragmented presence is accompanied by a notable gap between the EU’s climate-related discourse and the implementation of concrete climate action on the ground. This suggests a potential “lack of translation” from climate action in language and discourse into tangible measures.

Overall, the thesis argues that the EU’s climate engagement is characterised by securitisation dynamics that limit the recognition of the causal complexity of climate change, the inclusion of local perspectives, and the implementation of appropriate climate protection measures.

The full thesis is available as a PDF on the website of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), here.