Environmental Peacebuilding Association

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Guinea: Using UAVs to Map Diamond Mines and Reduce Conflict in Africa

Aug 11, 2015 | Patrick Meier, iRevolutions

In June 2014, a joint USAID and USGS team used a small UAV to map artisanal diamond mining sites in Western Guinea. The purpose of this…

India: Special Court Set Up to Try Land-Grabbing Cases

Aug 11, 2015 | The Hindu

The State government, on Monday, issued a notification to establish a special court in Bengaluru for speedy inquiry and trial of land-grabbing cases. The court…

Liberia: Will Palm Oil Help Liberia? Industry Expansion Has Critics Crying Foul

Aug 11, 2015 | Sara Jerving, Mongabay

Many rural Liberians have had their lives upended as the country becomes a new frontier for the mass production of palm oil – an edible…

Liberia: Nimba Citizens Laud LEITI’s Extractive Education

Aug 11, 2015 | Cholo Brooks, Global News Network

Citizens of Nimba County have lauded the Liberia Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (LEITI),for its nationwide dissemination exercise of its 5th report on the extractive sector…

South China Sea: South China Sea Tensions Deter Oil Exploration

Aug 11, 2015 | Sue Lannin, ABC News

An energy analyst said exploring for oil and gas near disputed islands in the South China Sea is too much of a gamble for international…

Water Wars: Filming Water Wars

Aug 11, 2015 | Gautaman Bhaskaran, Gulf Times

Set sometime in the future, Paani would dramatize how water shortage would affect relationships between individuals, cities and nations. The beautiful young daughter of the…

Liberia: President Obama's Emissions Cuts - Quest for Renewable Energy in Liberia

Aug 10, 2015 | Stephen B. Lavalah

It is an obvious fact that no one can live without clean air, clean water and clean environment; however, on a daily basis, we are…

Liberia: Equatorial Palm Oil Reaches Deal to Allow Exports from Liberia

Aug 10, 2015 | London South East

Equatorial Palm Oil PLC Monday said it has signed an agreement with the National Port Authority of Liberia to lease land so it can build…

South Sudan/Sudan: South Sudan Seeks to Revise Oil Deal with Sudan after Global Prices Drop

Aug 10, 2015 | Xinhua

Due to the deteriorating economic conditions caused by the civil war and lack of political stability, South Sudan is seeking to revise the oil deal…

Sudan: People in South Kordofan Reject Traditional Gold Mining

Aug 9, 2015 | Radio Dabanga

The Abu Jubaiha Citizens' Committee in eastern South Kordofan has called on all people living in the locality to oppose the establishment of gold mining…

South Sudan: Nilepet Suspends 'Assistance' Payments after Corruption Report

Aug 8, 2015 | Radio Tamazuj

South Sudan's state-run oil company Nilepet has suspended so-called “assistance” payments after the publication of a report revealing that Managing Director Joseph Cleto Deng was…

South Sudan/Sudan: Sudanese Petroleum Minister Discusses Oil Cooperation in Juba

Aug 7, 2015 | Sudan Tribune

The Sudanese Oil and Gas minister Mohammed Zayed Awad has downplayed the adverse impact on oil fields from the ongoing conflict in South Sudan. Awad…

Liberia: Senate to Hear Proposed Land Rights Act

Aug 7, 2015 | The New Dawn

The Liberia Legislature is expected to hold a public hearing on the 2014 proposed Land Rights Act on Monday, August 10, 2015. According to press…

South China Sea: ASEAN Again Split on South China Sea Reclamation Issue

Aug 7, 2015 | Today

The Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN), which wound up meetings of regional foreign ministers yesterday, said some members had “serious concerns” about land reclamation…

Myanmar: While Myanmar Military Touts Reforms, Villages Still Fight Land Grabs

Aug 6, 2015 | Simon Lewis and John Zaw, Union of Catholic Asian News

The problem has been reported across Myanmar, including in ethnic minority areas where many Catholics and other Christians live. A report released in June by the…

Conflict Minerals: Assent/Tulane Study Illustrates Difficulty of Conflict Minerals Compliance…Even for Mylar Balloons

Aug 6, 2015 | Jeff Yoders, MetalMiner

US companies shelled out roughly $709 million and 6 million staff hours last year to comply with regulations to disclose conflict minerals in their supply chains,…

Businesses: Can Big Brands Like Nestlé Really Play a Role in Halting Land Disputes?

Aug 6, 2015 | Oliver Balch, The Guardian

Globally, over 70% of land lacks clear registration or is subject to ownership disputes. This phenomenon directly increases the vulnerability of the world’s poorest, as…

Japan/Philippines/South China Sea: Japan May Give Planes to Philippines for Aerial Patrols, sources say

Aug 6, 2015 | ABC News

Tokyo is looking to offer Manila three Beechcraft TC-90 King Air planes that could be fitted with basic surface and air surveillance radar, four sources…

China/United States/South China Sea: John Kerry Says US Will Not Accept Restrictions on Movements in the Sea

Aug 6, 2015 | ABC News

US secretary of state John Kerry has accused China of not allowing freedom of navigation and overflight in the disputed South China Sea, despite giving…

Iraq: The Electricity Uprising in Iraq

Aug 6, 2015 | Abdul Latif Al-Saadoun, Middle East Monitor

"If we cannot provide enough electric power for the Iraqis, why don't the families buy private generators?" asked an Iraqi official during a recent press…

Kyrgyzstan/Tajikistan/ Uzbekistan/Fergana Valley: Border Problems – A Threat to Central Asia’s Future

Aug 6, 2015 | Elena Kosolapova, Trend

Two days ago, there was a shootout along the border of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which resulted in the injury of six Tajiks. As of now,…

Turkey: Turkey to Boost Security for Energy Infrastructure as PKK Attacks Rise

Aug 6, 2015 | Orhan Coskun and Humeyra Pamuk, Reuters

Turkey will deploy thermal cameras and horse-back patrols to heighten security around key oil and gas pipelines as Kurdish militant attacks increase, in a bid…

Conflict Minerals: Conflicts May Hinge on Phosphorus Supply

Aug 6, 2015 | Paul Hanley, The Starphoenix

Life without phosphorus, and plenty of it, is impossible. It's a central component of DNA, shared by every living creature on earth. Human cells use…

United States: Pentagon Prepares for Century of Climate Emergencies and Oil Wars

Aug 6, 2015 | Nafeez Ahmed, Middle East Eye

The US Army is preparing for a new era of war for oil. While energy has always played a role in military conflicts, US military…

In Conflict Minerals, Ethical Investors Gain Ability to Rank Companies

Aug 5, 2015 | Kristin Lin and Eily Chasan

Coming up with a “conflict-free” determination to comply with the SEC’s rule can be costly for companies—and the value of the information is up for…

Pentagon Issues Scary Climate Security Report, as Russia Lays Claim to Vast Arctic Territory

Aug 5, 2015 | Eric Holthaus

Global warming could turn the Arctic into a 21st-century battlefield, and the United States isn’t prepared. That’s the key takeaway from a new Pentagon report on the…

China/South China Sea: China 'Stops Reclamation Work in South China Sea'; US Voices Concerns over Military Role for New Islands

Aug 5, 2015 | ABC News

China has stopped land reclamation work in the South China Sea, according to foreign minister Wang Yi. Mr Wang's remarks at the Association of South-East…