Issue #64 – Jun 21, 2016

Announcements

Call for Abstracts for 2017 Warfare, Environment, Social Inequality, and Peace Studies (WESIPS) Biennial Conference

June 14, 2016 | Center for Cross-Cultural Study

Over millennia, warfare, environmental degradation, and social inequality have brought much suffering to humankind.

Events

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

IUCN World Conservation Congress: Planet at the Crossroads

September 1, 2016 - 2016-09-10 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Hawai'i

Our planet is at a crossroads. The ecosystems that underpin our economies, well-being and survival are collapsing. Species are becoming extinct at unprecedented rates. Our climate is in crisis.

EU Conflict Minerals: A Complete Guide to the New Legislation

June 30, 2016 European Union
Webinar

On Wednesday, June 15th, The European Union (EU) agreed to outline a deal to facilitate a focus on transparency in the supply chain.

The 4th Annual Caux Dialogue on Land and Security

June 29, 2016 - 2016-07-03 Initiatives for Land, Lives, and Peace
Caux, Switzerland

Initiatives for Land, Lives, and Peace (ILLP) is delighted to inform you of the upcoming Caux Dialogue on Land and Security (CDLS 2016), due to take place between 29th June and 3rd July at Caux, Switzerland.…

7th Annual International Law and Transboundary Freshwater Training Workshop

June 27, 2016 - 2016-06-30 Dundee Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science (under the auspices of UNESCO)
Dundee, Scotland, UK

Through a series of lectures from experienced water law experts, case studies and group exercises the workshop provides participants with the opportunity to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of key legal rules…

4th Conflict Minerals Compliance and Supply Chain Transparency Conference

June 22, 2016 - 2016-06-23 Marcus Evans
Chicago, IL

Marcus Evans will host the 4th Conflict Minerals Compliance and Supply Chain Transparency Conference on June 22-23, 2016 in Chicago, IL.

Library

In the last two weeks, 46 new publications were added to our online library of materials on environmental peacebuilding. Here is a sampling of the new additions:

Merci Congo [Video]

January 1, 2016
Paul Freedman

The ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has been called the “Deadliest War Since World War Two”.

Water for Peace? Post-Conflict Water Resource Management in Kosovo

January 1, 2016 | Florian Krampe
Cooperation and Conflict

Water resource management (WRM) has increasingly come to be considered within the realm of peacebuilding.

Should the UN Security Council Take Up Climate Security Issues? Ken Conca on Institutional Change [Audio]

January 1, 2016 | Sean Peoples
New Security Beat

As the dust settles on the newly minted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris climate agreement, countries have begun tackling operational questions aimed at limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius and ensuring…

Floods and Armed Conflict

January 1, 2016 | Ramesh Ghimirea and Susana Ferreira
Environment and Development Economics

This paper estimates the impact of large, catastrophic floods on internal armed conflict using global data on large floods between 1985 and 2009.

Water — Scarcity, Excess and the Geopolitics of Allocation

January 1, 2016
Lauder Institute, University of Pennsylvania

Much of the world has taken water for granted over the years, but that situation is quickly changing.

Improving Hydropower Outcomes through System-Scale Planning: An Example from Myanmar

January 1, 2016
The Nature Conservancy, World Wide Fund For Nature, and University Of Manchester

Myanmar’s rivers provide a reliable source of water for navigation and irrigation, and support food production and livelihoods. In fact, Myanmar’s freshwater fisheries produce more than 1.

Business and Conflict in Fragile States: The Case for Pragmatic Solutions

January 1, 2016 | Brain Ganson and Achim Wennmann
International Institute for Strategic Studies

There are a number of contemporary international responses to business and conflict in fragile states.

Military and Civilian Information Sharing and Best Practices - Improving the Environmental and Social Performance of Military and Civilian Actors Operating in the Same Area

January 1, 2016 | Annica Waleij, Per Wikberg, Lukas Liljedahl, Zacharias Tjäder, Louise Simonsson, and Birgitta Liljedahl
FOI

Sweden, like many NATO partnership for peace (PfP) and NATO nations, is determined to more closely link foreign policies concerning development, security and defence.

Indigenous Women & the Women, Peace and Security Agenda

January 1, 2016
UN Women

Indigenous women have made remarkable contributions to women, peace and security agenda, and have pioneered innovative approaches to conflict prevention and justice.

Decision-Making and Joint Control Rights over Land in Rwanda

January 1, 2016 | Sarah Mwendwa Mechta, Ilaria Buscagli, Denis Bikesha, and Jesse Routte
International Alert

This report explores and analyses community perceptions of the obstacles facing women’s participation in decision-making about jointly held land.

“Coffee Has Given Us Voice”: Coffee Cooperatives and Women Empowerment in Rwanda’s Rural Areas

January 1, 2015 | Gisaro M. Ya-Bititi, Philippe Lebailly, and Déo Mbonyinkebe
University of Rwanda, University of Liege, and Independent University of Kigali

In many developing countries in general and particularly in Rwanda’s rural areas, women are the poorest and most vulnerable group.

Jobs

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

Myanmar: Junior Expert in Natural Resources Management

June 15, 2016 | Instituto Oikos

Istituto Oikos is a non-profit organisation that operates in Europe and developing countries to safeguard biodiversity.

Afghanistan: International Environmental Safeguards Specialist

June 13, 2016 | Adam Smith International

Adam Smith International is an award-winning international development consultancy that delivers projects supporting economic growth and government reform internationally.

Colombia: Chief of Party

June 10, 2016 | Chemonics

Chemonics seeks a chief of party for the anticipated Colombia Carbono Activity.

South Sudan: WASH and Nutrition Expert

June 1, 2016 | Pact

Reporting to the Chief of Party, the WASH and Nutrition Expert will be responsible for technical leadership of the water, sanitation and hygiene and nutrition aspects of the program, ensuring the implementation of…

Sierra Leone: Monitoring and Evaluation Expert

June 1, 2016 | UNDP

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) recently approved the Project Identification Form (PIF) that was presented by UNDP on behalf of the Environment Protection Agency on “adapting to climate change induced coastal risks in…

Somalia: Environment Expert

June 1, 2016 | CTG Global

CTG support and manage humanitarian projects in fragile and conflict-affected countries around the world.

International News

In the last two weeks, 45 international news items on environmental peacebuilding were posted on our website. The following is a sampling:

Climate Change: Obama Says Climate Change Is a Security Risk. Why Are Republicans Laughing?

March 21, 2016 | Keith Johnson, Foreign Policy

In the middle of January, Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work signed off on one of the potentially most significant, if little-noticed, orders in recent Pentagon history.

Iraq: Iraq Exports First Natural Gas Shipment in Its History

March 20, 2016 | Associated Press

Iraq on Sunday exported the first shipment of natural gas in its history, a key development for the OPEC member struggling to feed a cash-strapped economy amid an expensive fight against the Islamic…

India: Water Wars: Prohibitory Orders in Maharashtra's Latur Town to Avoid Violence over Water

March 20, 2016 | DNA India

Authorities in drought-hit Latur have imposed an order prohibiting the gathering of more than five persons in areas around 20 water storage tanks until May 31, to avoid any possible violence over water.

Kurdistan/Iraq: Iraq Halts Exports through Pipeline to Pressure Kurds - Iraq Oil Report

March 17, 2016 | Maher Chmaytelli and Chris Reese, Reuters

Iraq's central government has stopped oil exports through the Kurdish region to pressure the local authorities to resume talks about an oil revenue sharing agreement, the Iraq Oil Report said, citing Iraqi Oil…

Syria: Syrian Kurds Hope to Establish a Federal Region in Country’s North

March 16, 2016 | Anne Barnard, New York Times

Syrian Kurdish parties are working on a plan to declare a federal region across much of northern Syria, several of their representatives said on Wednesday.

Ethiopia/Egypt: Church Could Broker Peace in 'Water Wars' between Egypt and Ethiopia

March 16, 2016 | Mark Woods, Christian Today

Christians could play an important role in easing tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia, according to an Egyptian Coptic bishop.

Myanmar: Parliament Cancels Discussions on Letpadaungtaung Copper Mine Project, Military Land Seizures

March 11, 2016 | Eleven Myanmar

Win Myint, the speaker of Lower House, announced to MPs at a regular parliament session that the discussions on the Letpadaungtaung copper mine project and the government’s seizure of 60,000 acres of farmland…

Myanmar: Myanmar’s Jade Bounty is Disappearing ‘in Front of Our Eyes’: Hpakant MP

March 10, 2016 | Chan Mya Htwe, Myanmar Times

U Tint Soe, the new lower house MP for Hpakant township, discusses his frustration with Chinese lawbreakers, large-scale excavation, narcotics, landslides, environmental damage and the finite nature of jade resources.

Africa: Hunger Intensifies in Areas Suffering From Drought, Flooding and Conflict - UN Report

March 9, 2016 | United Nations

Thirty-four countries, including 27 in Africa, are currently in need of external assistance for food due to drought, flooding and civil conflicts, according to a new United Nations report released today.

Myanmar: China Says Still Trying to Resolve Stalled Myanmar Dam Scheme

March 8, 2016 | Reuters

China is pursuing efforts to resolve the problem of a stalled dam project in Myanmar, its foreign minister said on Tuesday, adding that Beijing had confidence in the incoming government of democracy leader…

Liberia: ‘Too Much Money’: No Land - GVL Planning Liberia Bow

March 8, 2016 | Rodney D. Sieh, FrontPageAfrica

A recurring Liberian nightmare is forcing another concessionaire out the door.

Afghanistan: Afghanistan Taliban War: Opium Fuels Conflict as Farmers Pray for a Prosperous Harvest

March 4, 2016 | Michael Kaplin, International Business Times

Despite billions of dollars in U. S.

Blogs & Opinion

In the last two weeks, 12 blogs & opinion pieces on environmental peacebuilding were posted on our website. Following is a sampling:

Why China is Arming its Fishing Fleet

June 16, 2016 | Evan Rees

Over the past four decades, China has gradually abandoned its self-imposed isolation in favor of deep ties with global markets.

Natural Resources Can Pay for Burma's Needs

June 16, 2016 | Andrew Bauer and Matthiew Salomon

This is an important year for Burma.

Peasants Mobilized in Colombia: The Strike is Finished, the Struggle Continues

June 16, 2016 | Lyda Fernanda Forero and Danilo Urrea

On May 27th, the Cumbre Agraria, Campesina, Etnica y Popular called for a national Minga, a period of strikes and mobilizations across the country aiming to put pressure on the government, demand the…

Land Grabbing Harms the Public

June 14, 2016 | Eleven Myanmar

Myanmar is still reeling from the consequences of land grabbing issues. A total of 1,500 acres of land were seized under the Thein Sein administration for projects in the diplomatic zone.

Parsing Myanmar’s First EITI Report

June 10, 2016 | Paul Shortell

Myanmar’s recently released first EITI report, covering the 2013-14 fiscal year, includes previously undisclosed data on resource production, revenue flows, licences and company ownership.

Can Securities Regulation Stymie Conflict in Africa?

June 8, 2016 | Katie Cramer

The “conflict minerals provision” contained in Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act instructed the SEC to develop reporting requirements for companies producing goods containing tantalum, tin, tungsten, or gold.

Global Witness' Mistake on the Afghanistan Mining and Gem Trade: There's No $1 Trillion There

June 8, 2016 | Tim Worstall

There’s much to admire in the latest report from Global Witness into the mining of lapis lazuli and other semi-precious stones in Afghanistan. The level of detail provided is for example exemplary.

Nigeria: Using Non-Violence to Achieve Clean Up of Ogoniland

June 8, 2016 | Cornelius Essen

The recent flag-off ceremony of cleanup of Ogoniland has reawakened the hope of the people of the community that their environment could be liveable again.

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.

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