Issue #18 – Sep 16, 2014

New Library Resources

In the last two weeks, 28 new publications were added to our online library of materials on environmental peacebuilding. Here is a sampling of the new additions:

Water Pressures in Central Asia

January 1, 2014
International Crisis Group

Water has long been a major cause of conflict in Central Asia.

Drillers in the Mist: How Secret Payments and a Climate of Violence Helped UK Firm Open African National Park to Oil

January 1, 2014
Global Witness

A British oil company and its contractors have made illicit payments, appear to have paid off armed rebels, and benefited from fear and violence fostered by government security forces in eastern Congo, as…

South Sudan: Why Peace Remains Elusive

January 1, 2014 | Baffour Ankomah
New African

From the outside, the conflict in South Sudan appears very much a local issue but the fighting itself has petered out into a kind of war of attrition, affecting three of the country’s…

From Conflict to Coping: Evidence from Southern Ethiopia on the Contributions of Peacebuilding to Drought Resilience Among Pastoralist Groups

January 1, 2014 | Jon Jurtz and Greg Scarborough
Mercy Corps

The idea of promoting resilience has gained increased attention in the wake of recent drought in the Horn Africa – the worst in 60 years.

Land Disputes and Settlement Mechanisms in Nepal's Terai

January 1, 2014 | Danielle Stein and Bert Suykens
The Asia Foundation, the Justice and Security Research Programme

Land has long been among the most politically contentious issues in Nepal.

Climate Wars - Years of Living Dangerously [Video]

January 1, 2014 | Showtime
Showtime - Years of Living Dangerously

The Pentagon has called climate change a “threat multiplier,” a “stressor” that can take a volatile political situation and push it over the edge.

Conservation's Blind Spot: The Case for Conflict Transformation in Wildlife Conservation

January 1, 2014 | Francine Madden and Brian McQuinn
Biological Conservation

Unaddressed or poorly addressed conflicts present increasingly difficult obstacles to effective conservation and management of many wildlife species around the world.

Green Planet Blues: Critical Perspectives on Global Environmental Politics

January 1, 2014 | Ken Conca and Geoffrey D. Dabelko (eds.)
Westview Press

This anthology examines paradigms of sustainability, environmental security, and ecological justice and how they illustrate the many ways environmental problems and their solutions are framed in contemporary international debates about climate, water, forests, toxics,…

International News

In the last two weeks, 81 international news items on environmental peacebuilding were posted on our website. Following is a sampling:

Myanmar: Sagaing Court Imprisons 18 Farmers for Actions in Land Dispute

July 17, 2014 | Zarni Mann, The Irrawaddy

MANDALAY — A Sagaing Division court sentenced 18 farmers to prison terms varying from three months to three years on Thursday on charges of trespassing and causing damage, after the farmers had plowed…

South Sudan: Sudan: Abyei Community Accuses Sudan of Deadly Attack

July 17, 2014 | AllAfrica

Juba — Officials and community leaders from the contested oil-producing region of Abyei have accused the Sudanese government of carrying out a raid on Thursday in which a number of people were killed.

Timor-Leste: Timor Leste Considers Onshore Oil Block Auction at the End of 2014

July 16, 2014 | Macauhub

Timor Leste (East Timor) is considering launching its first auction of onshore oil blocks at the end of this year, the Oil & Gas Journal reported.

Myanmar: As Japan’s Aid Money Pours In – Community Groups Raise Concerns

July 15, 2014 | John Arterbury, Karen News

When three villagers from rural Myanmar visited Tokyo earlier this month they came equipped with an unusual itinerary.

Iraq: Kurds May Have Oil To Export, But Buyers Are Harder To Find

July 15, 2014 | Jackie Northman, NPR

Kurdish security forces, the peshmerga, have , in northern Iraq. The fields have the potential to put billions of dollars into the coffers of the Kurdish regional government.

Liberia: Sineoans Issue 10-Day Ultimatum

July 14, 2014 | E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor, AllAfrica

Citizens of Sinoe County, through their superintendent, have issued a ten-day ultimatum to the management of SGS to give permit to the Atlantic Resource Company for operations or they would march to the…

South Sudan: Famine Looms In South Sudan

July 13, 2014 | AFK Insider

At night, the glow from the lights of the oil installations in Paloich cuts through many miles of undeveloped South Sudanese countryside.

Myanmar: Achieving Burma’s Energy Goal Will Be ‘Very Tough’: Report

July 11, 2014 | The Irrawady

Burma faces a “very tough task” to achieve the Ministry of Electric Power’s ambition to develop a modern national energy infrastructure in the next 15 years, an industry report said.

Myanmar: Myanmar Gems Emporium Takes Record 3 Billion Dollars

July 8, 2014 | DPA

Income reached 3.

Syria: 'Water War' Threatens Syria Lifeline

July 7, 2014 | Aljazeera

When severe water cuts began to hit Aleppo province in early May, residents started referring to a "water war" being waged at the expense of civilians.

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 Jensen Andersen, Jonny Beirne, Joel Young, and Julie Melrose
Coordinated by Patrick Woolsey
Design by Graham Campbell
Managed and edited by Carl Bruch and David Jensen