Abstract
North Africa faces severe climate-related challenges, including rising temperatures, desertification, intense water scarcity, and extreme weather events, such as the growing frequency of wildfires in Algeria. In 2021, the country experienced devastating wildfires that swept through the north and Kabylie region. While the wildfires inflicted tremendous human and material losses and ecological effects, their political and security repercussions have been even more dangerous. The present paper aims to explore the complex interplay between climate change and potential ethnic tension in Algeria, specifically when it is associated with state fragility. Drawing insight from the constructivist approach and environmental security literature, I argue that natural disasters in fragile states can reshape risk perceptions along ethnic lines and particularly demonstrate how the trauma effects of natural disasters can alter how individuals perceive each other and interpret danger based on identity factors.