Identifying Peace Pathways: How Can Forest Conservation Contribute to Environmental Peacebuilding?
Publisher: Climate and Development
Author(s): Rowan Alumasa Alusiola, Rebecca Froese, Janpeter Schilling, and Paul Klär
Date: 2025
Topics: Conflict Prevention, Cooperation, Renewable Resources
A growing body of literature is analyzing the conflict implications of forest conservation measures, yet, aside from individual case studies, the potential of these programs to foster cooperation and peace remains underexplored. This review addresses this gap by analysing how forest conservation measures can contribute to environmental peacebuilding. Specifically, the authors aim to identify so-called “peace pathways” from different case studies in the existing literature. Drawing on Dresse et al.’s (2019) framework, these peace pathways consist of (1) initial conditions, (2) peace mechanisms and, (3) outcomes. The paper is based on a structured and comprehensive review of the scientific literature on cooperation and peacebuilding related to forest conservation. Based on this review, the authors select seven case studies that allow us to trace the pathways that connect forest conservation to cooperative outcomes and peacebuilding. The authors identify eight key peacebuilding approaches: (1) creating spaces for dialogue between community members and external actors; (2) strengthening the social capital of communities; (3) adopting traditional customs and norms; (4) promoting adaptive learning and deliberation; (5) involving communities in participatory action research; (6) initiating a collective choice arrangement system, (7) tackling uncertainty through knowledge sharing, and (8) including a neutral convenor to initiate dialogue processes.