Issue #108 – Feb 27, 2018

Announcements

Meet the Faculty for the MOOC on Environmental Security and Sustaining Peace!

February 22, 2018

The MOOC on Environmental Security and Sustaining Peace starts on March 1st! We are excited to introduce the faculty who will deliver lectures for this course.

Events

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

Climate Change and Conflict: New Research for Defense, Diplomacy, and Development

March 7, 2018 Wilson Center
Washington, DC

“The long-term trends toward a warming climate, more air pollution, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity are likely to fuel economic and social discontent – and possibly upheaval – through 2018,” the U.

Fragility Forum 2018: Managing Risks for Peace and Stability

March 5, 2018 - 2018-03-07 World Bank
Washington, DC

The 2018 Fragility Forum will bring together policy makers and practitioners from humanitarian, development, peace and security communities to share practical solutions and explore innovative ways to improve development approaches to foster peace…

Library

In the last two weeks, 20 new publications were added to our online library of materials on environmental peacebuilding. Here is a sampling of the new additions:

Impacts on the Urban Environment: Land Cover Change Trajectories and Landscape Fragmentation in Post-War Western Area, Sierra Leone

January 1, 2018 | Solomon Peter Gbanie, Amy L. Griffin, and Alec Thornton
Remote Sensing

An influential underlying driver of human-induced landscape change is civil war and other forms of conflict that cause human displacement.

Armed Conflict and Development in South Sudan Threatens Some of Africa’s Longest and Largest Ungulate Migrations

January 1, 2018 | Malik D. Morjan, Nathaniel D. Rayl, Paul W. Elkan, James C. Deutsch, M. Blake Henke, and Todd K. Fuller
Biodiversity and Conservation

Many terrestrial mammalian migrations are disappearing before they are documented.

Conflict Minerals and Supply Chain Due Diligence: An Exploratory Study of Multi-Tier Supply Chains

January 1, 2018 | Martin C. Schleper and Constantin Blome
Journal of Business Ethics

As recently stakeholders complain about the use of conflict minerals in consumer products that are often invisible to them in final products, firms across industries implement conflict mineral management practices.

Theorizing Business and Local Peacebuilding through the “Footprints of Peace” Coffee Project in Rural Colombia

January 1, 2018 | Jason Miklian and Juan Pablo Medina Bickel
Business & Society

Despite emerging study of business initiatives that attempt to support local peace and development, we still have significant knowledge gaps on their effectiveness and efficiency.

Impact of Military Activities on Bird Species Considered to Benefit from Disturbances: An Example from an Active Military Training Area in Latvia

January 1, 2018 | Ainars Aunins and Andris Avotins
Ornis Fennica

We surveyed the military training area Adazi to evaluate the effects of disturbance caused by military activities on the abundance of protected bird species considered to benefit from disturbances at the site (SCBD).

The Curse of the One-Size-Fits-All Fix: Re-Evaluating What We Know about Extractives and Economic Development

January 1, 2017 | Glada Lahn and Paul Stevens
World Institute for Development Economics Research and United Nations University

In the context of falls in extractive commodities prices since 2011, this paper examines the history of thinking about the interplay between extractives and economic development.

Yemen between the Impact of the Climate Change and the Ongoing Saudi-Yemen War: A Real Tragedy

January 1, 2017 | Hadil Mohamed, Moose Elayah, and Lau Schuplen
Center for Governance and Peace-building-Yemen and Centre for International Development Issues Nijmegen

Climate change is one of the global inevitable challenges that face societies in our time.

Environmental Protection and Transitions from Conflict to Peace

January 1, 2017 | Carsten Stahn, Jens Iverson, and Jennifer S. Easterday
Oxford University Press

For many years, the Jus Post Bellum Project has updated and further enlightened practitioners and researchers on theoretical framework and practical consequences of jus post bellum and its link to sustainable peace.

‘Nature Knows No Boundaries’: The Role of Nature Conservation in Peacebuilding

January 1, 2017 | Alexandre Roulin, Mansour Abu Rashid, Baruch Spiegel, Motti Charter, Amélie N. Dreiss, and Yossi Leshem
Trends in Ecology & Evolution

Humanity is facing a biodiversity crisis. To solve environmental problems, we bring people from Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority to the same table.

Water as a Basic Human Right within the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

January 1, 2017 | Erika Weinthal
American Diplomacy

In the Middle East, water often crosses political borders; because water is a shared resource, its effective management demands cooperation among different users. In the absence of cooperation, conflict is likely.

Jobs

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

DRC: Ecotourism Development and Bonobo Conservation Expert

February 27, 2018 | World Wide Fund For Nature

WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of our planet's natural environment, and build a future in which people live in harmony with nature.

Global Surge - Food Security and Livelihoods

February 27, 2018 | British Red Cross

The British Red Cross helps people in the UK and around the world to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies, disasters and conflicts.

Yemen: Senior Environmental Health Manager

February 27, 2018 | International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives.

Senior/Principal Consultant - Fragile & Conflict Affected States

February 27, 2018 | Itad

Itad is a leading consultancy providing technical expertise to international development programmes, projects and institutions.

Mali: Natural Resource Management and Peacebuilding Research Consultant

February 26, 2018 | International Alert

International Alert's work is designed to positively impact the quality of life of the people it works with.

Sudan: Environmental Streaming Consultant

February 19, 2018 | UN Environment

The United Nations Environment is the United Nations systems designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level.

Myanmar: Disaster Risk Reduction Program Manager

February 19, 2018 | Action Contre la Faim

Action Against Hunger is a global humanitarian organization which originated in France and is committed to ending world hunger.

International News

In the last two weeks, 37 international news items on environmental peacebuilding were posted on our website. The following is a sampling:

Bahrain: The "Oil War" in the Persian Gulf

November 19, 2017 | Dr. Shaul Shay, Israel Defense

An explosion ripped through the oil pipeline near the village of Buri some 15 kilometers from the capital of Bahrain, Manama, on November 10, 2017.

Afghanistan: Ghani Pledges to Resolve Land-Grabbing Issue

November 18, 2017 | TOLOnews

Addressing the 4th Urban Conference in Kabul on Saturday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Afghanistan’s urban areas were facing numerous challenges but that these issues need to be resolved.

Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone’s Land Challenges to Be Addressed by Reforms

November 16, 2017 | UN Economic Commission for Africa

The problems surrounding access and ownership of land in Sierra Leone will be solved by the implementation of the National Land Policy, said country representatives at a session on the country’s emerging best…

Iraq/Kurdistan/Turkey: Iraq, Turkey Discuss Resuming Kirkuk Oil Exports

November 16, 2017 | Rudaw

Top Iraqi oil officials met with a Turkish energy delegation in Baghdad to discuss resuming Kirkuk's oil exports through the Turkish port of Ceyhan which were halted early in November.

Iraq: Climate Change and Water Woes Drove ISIS Recruiting in Iraq

November 14, 2017 | Peter Schwartzstein, National Geographic

Around Tikrit, Saddam Hussein’s northern Iraqi hometown, ISIS appears to have attracted much more support from water-deprived communities than from their better-resourced peers.

Afghanistan: 151 Water Reservoir Projects to Be Implemented

November 12, 2017 | Afghanistan Times

The ministry of rural rehabilitation and development on Sunday signed agreements for implementation of 151 water reservoir and water networks projects in different provinces.

Afghanistan: Ministry Shares List of over 1,000 Mining Contracts

November 10, 2017 | Mir Haidarshah Omid, TOLOnews

The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has shared a list of 1,050 contracts of small mining projects on its website, saying that it is the beginning of its efforts to bring reforms and…

Conflict Minerals: Study Reveals 'Massive Weaknesses' in Conflict Minerals Policies

November 9, 2017 | Tammy Lovell, Chemical Watch

Independent research has found that 95% of company conflict mineral policies are not aligned with the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains.

Veterans Find New Career in Farming

November 9, 2017 | Tim Hearden, Capital Press

After tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, thousands of American veterans have moved from the battlefield to the farm field with the help of organizations to enter careers in agriculture.

Liberia: Citizens Dialogue on Concession Agreement

November 8, 2017 | New Dawn

The National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections or NAYMOTE ends a day- long stakeholder’s dialogue with affected concession communities in Pleebo, Maryland County, southeast Liberia.

DRC: Paradise Papers Reveal Dubious Dealings Bleed Congo’s Mineral Wealth

November 8, 2017 | Mel Frykberg, African Independent

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) enormous mineral wealth is being exploited by greedy international companies and corrupt middlemen with close relations to President Joseph Kabila and other senior government officials, according to…

Myanmar: Big Dams Can Wait, Myanmar Overhauls Energy Strategy

November 7, 2017 | Simon Lewis and Shoon Naing, Reuters

Big hydropower dams are not a priority in Myanmar’s strategy to tackle chronic power shortages, the country’s new energy minister said in an interview that cast doubt over a controversial China-backed project in…

Blogs & Opinion

In the last two weeks, 15 blogs & opinion pieces on environmental peacebuilding were posted on our website. Here is a sampling.

Sustaining Peace in a Climate of Change

February 25, 2018 | Janani Vivekananda

The world is at its most volatile and dangerous since the Cold War.

Chronology of US Military Leadership on Climate Change and Security: 2017-2018

February 25, 2018 | Caitlin Werrell and Francesco Femia

Over the past twelve months, 12 senior officials at the US Defense Department (DoD) have raised concerns about, and recommended actions to address, the security implications of climate change, both due to its…

Before the Flood: Environment and Security in the Spotlight

February 21, 2018 | UN Environment

For the first time, the role of the environment in promoting security was addressed at one of the world’s most important international policy forums.

Could Tackling Climate Change Help Bring Peace to South Sudan?

February 21, 2018 | Adela Suliman

The world's youngest nation, South Sudan, has been embroiled in war and conflict for years.

This Website Can Tell You Who Owns Land in 60 Countries

February 20, 2018 | CRL

Helping cultures and nations communicate with one another has traditionally been the responsibility of diplomats, but the Land Portal Foundation takes the position that strengthening land ownership rights should be done by local…

The Dragon Bares Its Fangs

February 20, 2018 | Gil H. A. Santos

Reports last week of China’s latest move on the Philippine Rise (aka Benham Rise), which was officially recognized by the UN as part of our continental shelf in 2012, revealed Beijing’s true intentions–and…

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 Sonia Ahmad, Kelly Bridges, Trevor Dolan, Liz Foster, Nina Hamilton, Liz Hessami, Jiameizi Jia, Jessica Lis, Sarita Ruiz Morato, Íris Moriyama, and Erin Wenk
Edited by Joel Young
Coordinated by Luis Pérez Espinosa and Nora Moraga-Lewy
Design by Graham Campbell
Managed and edited by Carl Bruch and David Jensen