Issue #176 – Oct 6, 2020

Announcements

Slate of Candidates for the EnPAx Board of Directors Now Available

October 6, 2020 | Environmental Peacebuilding Association

The Environmental Peacebuilding Association (EnPAx) has announced the candidates running for open seats on its Board of Directors.

Call for Pitches to Forthcoming New Security Beat Series: COVID-19 and Environmental Peacebuilding

October 6, 2020 | Environmental Peacebuilding Association and Wilson Center’s Environmental Change & Security Program

The Environmental Peacebuilding Association (EnPAx) is collaborating with the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change & Security Program (ECSP) to produce a New Security Beat blog series on the implications of COVID-19 for the field…

Stay Informed on the Road to Geneva: New R2G Mailing List

September 21, 2020 | Environmental Peacebuilding Association

EnPAx has established a Road to Geneva Google Group.

Events

For more upcoming events on environmental peacebuilding, please visit our online calendar of events.

EcoPeace Middle East Annual Environmental Peacebuilding Conference (A Road to Geneva Event)

November 30, 2020 - 2020-12-02 EcoPeace Middle East, Environmental Peacebuilding Association Education Interest Group and Young Professionals Interest Group
hybrid

The EcoPeace Annual Conference has taken place every year for close to 20 years.

Environmental Peacebuilding at Geneva Peace Week 2020 (A Road to Geneva Event)

November 6, 2020 Geneva Peacebuilding Platform
online

Geneva Peace Week 2020 is a leading annual forum in the international peacebuilding calendar.

Environmental Defenders and Rights in Colombia (A Road to Geneva Event, Colombia Arc)

October 29, 2020 Environmental Peacebuilding Association, Duke University Center for International and Global Studies, Global Green Growth Institute, and Environmental Law Institute
online

This event was held in Spanish and English with simultaneous interpretation in both languages. Recordings of the event can be accessed via the following links:

English recording: https://youtu. be/MEoVg8JzPSgSpanish recording: https://youtu.

Environmental Peacebuilding in the Middle East-Session #2

October 22, 2020 Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC), Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University and the ESF Office of International Education
online

Dialogue Session #2, small-group follow-up to the "Environmental Peacebuilding in the Middle East" introductory event on Tues. , October 20.

Library

In the last two weeks, 34 new publications were added to our online library of materials on environmental peacebuilding. Here is a sampling of the new additions:

From Bullets to Boreholes: A Disaggregated Analysis of Domestic Water Cooperation in Drought-Prone Regions

January 1, 2020 | Stefan Döring
Global Environmental Change

Does water shortage incentivize cooperation? Case studies suggests that water scarcity can rarely, if at all, explain violence, instead such shortages rather facilitate cooperative actions around water.

Power Asymmetries in Social Networks of Ecosystem Services Governance

January 1, 2020 | Améline Vallet, Bruno Locatelli, Cécil Barnaud, David Makowski, Yésica Quispe Conde, and Harold Levrel
Environmental Science & Policy

Power asymmetries affect the governance of natural resources but are rarely considered explicitly in ecosystem services research, which often overlooks the diversity of actors and their interactions.

Revisiting the Host-Refugee Environmental Conflict Debate: Perspectives from Ghana’s Refugee Camps

January 1, 2020 | Samuel K.M. Agblorti and Miriam Grant
Canadian Journal of African Studies

In the debate over refugee–host community environmental conflicts, refugees are often blamed, premised on the notion that refugees add substantially to anthropogenic activities as a result of both their demographic and socio-economic status.

Three Decades of Research on Climate Change and Peace: A Bibliometrics Analysis

January 1, 2020 | Ayyoob Sharifi, Dahlia Simangan, and Shinji Kaneko
Sustainability Science

Over the past 3 decades, a vast body of research has been published on the interactions between climate change and events that undermine negative peace.

Different Resources, Different Conflicts? The Subnational Political Economy of Armed Conflict and Crime in Colombia

January 1, 2020 | Juan Prieto, Angelika Rettberg, Ralf Leiteritz, and Carlo Nasi
Ediciones Uniandes

This book explores some of the risks associated with sustainable peace in Colombia.

Satellite Imagery in Conflict-Affected Areas: How Technology Can Support WFP Emergency Response

January 1, 2020 | Laure Boudinand and Amadou Ibrahim
World Food Programme

The past decade has witnessed a boom in the availability of satellite data whether from established space agencies or from the private sector.

Water Security: A Litmus Test for International Law

January 1, 2020 | Bjørn‐Oliver Magsig
Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law

While water security is now being discussed at the highest political level, the debate on how the concept should actually be implemented to improve the management of our transboundary freshwater resources is still…

Water Law and Governance in Post‐Conflict Settings

January 1, 2020 | Carl Bruch, Erika Weinthal, and Jessica Troell
Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law

In the aftermath of conflict, managing water is critical, as access to water and sanitation is necessary for meeting basic human needs, restoring livelihoods, ensuring food security, rebuilding the economy and promoting reconciliation.

Eyes in the Sky (Chapter in "Talking Tactics: Environmental Protection and Armed Conflicts")

January 1, 2020 | Eoghan Darbyshire
environmental SCIENTIST

Regions of active conflict are typically data poor, access for environmental measurements is limited and many contemporary conflicts show no sign of conclusion.

Closing the Environmental Monitoring Gap in Conflicts (Chapter in "Talking Tactics: Environmental Protection and Armed Conflicts")

January 1, 2020 | Doug Weir
environmental SCIENTIST

Armed conflicts can create acute environmental risks and lead to degradation that impacts ecosystems, human health and livelihoods.

Environmental Considerations in Peace Operations (Chapter in "Talking Tactics: Environmental Protection and Armed Conflicts")

January 1, 2020 | Annica Waleij
environmental SCIENTIST

Peace operations, which include peace support, peace enforcement, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, are some of the tools the international community can use to help conflict-ridden nations towards peace.

Applying WASH Systems Approaches in Fragile Contexts

January 1, 2020 | Will Tillett, Joanna Trevor, Juliane Schillinger, and David DeArmey
Agenda for Change

This discussion paper considers how WASH systems concepts and approaches can be applicable to fragile contexts, and what adaptations may be needed to make such approaches relevant and viable.

Disasters, Gender, Peace and Conflict [Video]

January 1, 2020 | Tobias Ide, Marisa Ensor, Susanne Kozak, Virginie Le Masson, and Isaac Ombara
Environmental Peacebuilding Association and University of Melbourne

The number and intensity of disasters is increasing worldwide, while levels of armed conflict and gendered violence remain high.

Jobs

Please visit our jobs page to view these positions and other job opportunities.

Sudan: Peacebuilding and Natural Resources Expert

October 3, 2020 | UNDP

The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Policy Expert, Environmental Strategy and Action Plan

October 3, 2020 | Stockholm Environment Institute

SEI is an independent, international research institute founded in 1989.

South Sudan: Water and Sanitation Technician

October 3, 2020 | United Nations

The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.

Kenya: Scoping Study on Climate Security in the Horn of Africa

September 24, 2020 | UN Environment Programme

The United Nations Environment Programme is responsible for coordinating the UN's environmental activities and assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices.

International News

In the last two weeks, 12 international news items on environmental peacebuilding were posted on our website. The following is a sampling:

COVID-19 Pandemic Compounding Grave Security, Development Challenges in Central Africa, Special Representative Tells Security Council, Pointing to 22,000 Confirmed Cases

June 12, 2020 | UN Security Council

Persistent terrorist attacks, maritime insecurity and rising political tension are just some of the backdrops against which countries of Central Africa are now battling the COVID-19 pandemic, the senior United Nations official in…

Conflict Minerals: Perth Mint to Review Audit Processes after Conflict Gold Reports

June 12, 2020 | Hamish Hastie, Sydney Morning Herald

The Perth Mint will review its audit process after allegations emerged it had purchased hundreds of millions of dollars worth of 'conflict gold' earlier this week.

Syria: Conflict over Syria’s Wheat Crops

June 12, 2020 | Ibrahim Hamidi, Asharq Al-Awsat

Ravaged by nine years of war, Syria’s wheat production has been nearly halved.

Myanmar: Fisheries Sector Calls for Government Rescue amid COVID-19 Fallout

June 12, 2020 | Kyaw Lin Htoon, Frontier

Myanmar had its sights set on a record-breaking year for fishery exports until the coronavirus pandemic swept away orders, closed factories and jeopardised millions of jobs.

Israel/Palestine: West Bank's Ancient Terraces Threatened by Settlers' Plan to Build Business Park on Unesco Site

June 11, 2020 | James Rothwell, Telegraph

A Unesco World Heritage site in the West Bank that dates back to the rule of King Herod could soon be “destroyed” by ultra-orthodox Jewish settlers who want to bulldoze parts of the…

Women Integral to Battling Coronavirus and Pushing for Lasting Peace and Security

June 11, 2020 | UN Women

The coronavirus pandemic has brought into sharp focus the differentiated impacts that COVID-19 is having on women, including new obstacles to their meaningful participation in peace processes.

UN Urges Need for Gender Lens to Address Climate Change and other Security Crises in the Time of This Pandemic

June 10, 2020 | Kathmandu Post

Gender inequality is not only shaping the experience of the crisis, but also prospects for resilience and recovery of countries around the world, as they continue to reel under the devastating social and…

Afghanistan: 20 Workers Dead in Afghanistan Mine Collapse

June 10, 2020 | Shadi Khan Saif, Anadolu Agency

All 20 miners trapped in a coal mine that collapsed in Afghanistan’s northern Samangan province a day earlier have died, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Blogs & Opinion

In the last two weeks, 4 blogs & opinion pieces on environmental peacebuilding were posted on our website.

The Importance of Land Rights to Rohingya Repatriation

October 2, 2020 | Farhaan Uddin Ahmed

Given widespread confiscation of Rohingya land, it is essential that Myanmar instate changes in property rights to encourage the voluntary return of its displaced Rohingya Muslim community.

Many Companies Struggle to Comply with Conflict Mineral Reporting Rules

September 25, 2020 | Cindy Zhou

Over the past decades, conflict minerals have become lucrative sources of funding for armed groups, fueling some of the deadliest global conflicts since World War II.

COVID-19 Wipes Out East Timor's Dreams of Oil and Gas Riches

September 25, 2020 | Ian Lloyd Neubauer

COVID-19 and the global collapse in oil and gas prices appear to have put the final nail into the coffin of East Timor's long-held dream to create a domestic petroleum industry that would…

The Space Force's Relevance to the Green Agenda

September 19, 2020 | Peter Garretson

When most Americans think about Space Force, they probably imagine epic space battles or sprawling science fiction sagas.

Join the Association

The Environmental Peacebuilding Association® (EnPAx®) is the leading global network that brings together practitioners, researchers, and decision makers working on environment, conflict, and peace. EnPAx includes both individual and institutional members. If you have any questions regarding membership, please contact us at membership@environmentalpeacebuilding.org.

Sharing and Posting Materials

The strength of the knowledge platform depends on submissions and suggestions on contents from users. To share publications and information on events, job opportunities, and other announcements, please contact share@environmentalpeacebuilding.org. Please also feel free to share ideas on how the platform can be further improved to meet your needs.

About Our Community of Practice

Environmental Peacebuilding is a knowledge platform and global community of practice on natural resources, conflict, and peace, hosted by the Environmental Peacebuilding Association. The platform unites a global network of researchers, practitioners, and decision makers in sharing experiences and lessons from managing natural resources in fragile states and conflict-affected settings. The platform also helps people to access new publications on the topic, conduct new research, and participate in events to support the growth of the field. As part of our Community of Practice, we bring you biweekly updates on recent developments, including news about our program as well as links to new publications, upcoming conferences and events, and job openings.

Please visit us at www.environmentalpeacebuilding.org for more information.

Compiled by Amber Bosse, Elen Bueno, Alex Caplan, Miriam Dangasuk, Jordan Dieni, Claire Doyle, Matthew Gallagher, Giovanni Galli, Bay Hanson, Desirée De Haven, Liz Hessami, Ellen Johnson, Christopher Marchesano, Marie Mavrikios, Anna Rossi, and Rachel Stern
Edited by Joel Young
Coordinated by Shehla Chowdhury and Rachel Stromsta
Design by Graham Campbell
Managed and edited by Carl Bruch and David Jensen