Operationalizing Conflict-Sensitive Natural Resource Management in Fragile Landscapes: Lessons from World Bank Pilots in the Sahel and a New Practitioner Toolkit

Date & Time
Jun 17, 2026 | 13.30 - 15.00

Location
CRX 230

Participants
Chair: Tracy Hart, World Bank (United States)
Phoebe Spencer, World Bank (United States)
Elise Doumergue, World Bank (France)
Discussant: Frederic Deycard, The Carter Center (United States)

Projects supporting natural resource management (NRM) are never purely technical: in fragile and conflict-affected settings, they actively reshape access to resources, social dynamics, and local governance. This panel draws on World Bank efforts to show how conflict sensitivity can be embedded in the design and implementation of environmental projects targeting landscape restoration, rural livelihood support, and climate adaptation outcomes. The first presentation introduces Defueling Conflict: Notes from the Field, a new how-to toolkit for practitioners working with NRM in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. The second presentation looks at lessons from three conflict sensitivity interventions in Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mali, supporting landscape restoration and livelihood resilience. Speakers will highlight project design choices, adaptive management practices, and capacity-building approaches aimed at delivering lasting results where they matter most. Together, the presentations offer a bridge between operational frameworks and the realities of managing natural resources in fragile contexts, with takeaways applicable across many contexts where environmental interventions critically shape risks and opportunities.

Defueling Conflict: Notes from the Field — A How-to Toolkit for Practitioners

Phoebe Spencer, World Bank (United States)

Lessons from Three Conflict Sensitivity Pilots with Landscape Restoration Initiatives in the Sahel

Elise Doumergue, The World Bank Group (France)

Discussant

Frederic Deycard, The Carter Center (United States)