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Environment, Conflict, and Cooperation:
Research and Policy Challenges
Alexander Carius, Adelphi Research (Berlin)
Wilton Park
Environment, Development and Sustainable Peace
Finding Paths to Environmental Peacemaking
September 16-19, 2004
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Armed Conflicts (2002)
Conflict data from www.prio.no/cwp/armedconflict. Map: Jan Ketil Rd
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Characteristics of Armed Conflicts (19462002)
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Environment & Security in Research and Policy
ResearchResource scarcity or abundance as potential sources ofconflict inequality in access, distribution, and wealth
Debate shifted from environment as source of conflict toenvironmental cooperation as a tool for confidence building
Policy
Environment and security debate has gained considerablepolitical attention (WCED, OSCE, UNEP, UNDP, NATO, EU)
However, normative approaches & concepts have rarely ledto appropriate and integrated policies and programmes
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Resource Scarcity ThesisPopulation pressure & high resource consumption
Resource depletionResource scarcity
Resource competitionAcute conflict
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Arguments for Scarcity ThesisMost armed conflicts are associated with natural resources(at least if land rights are included)Many countries have unsolved territorial boundariesTerritorial disputes can be proxies for disputes about otherscarce resources(minerals, sources of energy, food, water, etc.)Population growth, poverty and youth bulges seem toexacerbate resource conflicts
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Coping Capacity for Resource ScarcityPopulation pressure & high resource consumption
Resource scarcityTechnological innovation, substitution, market pricing
Economic developmentDemocracy & Peace
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Resource Abundance ThesisResource abundance can lead to conflict1. Motivation
To gain control of natural resource rents through conflict, acquiringcontrol by force, or securing resources by secession2. Financial meansFinance the conflict with natural resource rents3. Indirect effects
Abundant natural resources may result in poor governance, slowgrowth, instability, and inequality and, in turn, to conflict
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Environmental Cooperationas a Tool for Peacemaking
Environmental peacemaking
Using cooperative efforts to manage environmentalresources as a way to transform insecurities and createmore peaceful relations between parties in dispute
Overcoming political tensions through interaction,confidence building, and technical cooperation
Creating pathways for dialogue and confidence buildingwhere political tensions exist (process facilitation)
Little knowledge about design for peacemaking initiativesor conditions under which they are likely to succeed
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Preconditions for Environmental Peacemaking
Institutions are key to environmental peacemaking- Avoid sudden or fundamental institutional changes- Develop long-lasting and flexible institutions
Environmental peacemaking requires facilitation by thirdparties for communication, dialogue and data sharing
Implementation of programmes, guidelines, rules, norms,conventions of institutions
Cross-sectoral integration in program development atnational and global level is important
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Constraints for Environmental Peacemaking
Dilemma of securitization
Risk to overburden an already overloaded agenda
Working on true assumptions without clear evidence
Fragmentation of discourse and stakeholders
- Narrow interventional approaches
- Short term interventions
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Role of Donors and Policy Makers
Facilitate cooperation with sustained, long-term assistancefor confidence building among parties
Address interdependence between resource and conflict
Recognize impacts of donor activities on these dynamics
Reflect growing importance of regional approaches forconfidence building and cooperation
Increase opportunities for policy learning
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Communication and policy relevance
Dont call everything an environmental security problem(clarity of concepts and targets)
Prioritize relevant policies and problems and specify therisks in geographic and sectoral terms
Capitalize on practical tools (PCIA to assess peace and
conflict impacts of policies, programmes, projects)
Switch from the normative to the project level (vice versa)
Targeted briefings and policy dialogues
Transfer knowledge and accumulate experience
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Thank you for your attention
Slides no. 2, 3, and 5-8 adapted from Nils Petter Gleditsch, A Curse of Natural Resources? Scarcity,
Abundance, and Conflict, presented at the UNEP/DEWA Workshop on Environment, Peace, and Security
Initiative, Nairobi 17 May 2004
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