Environmental Provisions in Contemporary Peace Agreements

Erin McCandless, University of Johannesburg (South Africa)

While environmental degradation and climate change are increasingly recognized as drivers and multipliers of conflict, their integration into peace agreements remains limited and uneven. This paper maps and critically analyses how environmental and climate-related provisions appear in peace agreements worldwide, drawing primarily on the PA-X Peace Agreements Database (University of Edinburgh). It identifies where, how, and to what extent environmental concerns are codified within formal and informal accords, examining trends across issue areas such as land and resource management, climate adaptation, and environmental governance. Through mini case studies—including Sudan’s Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (2011) and Juba Peace Agreement (2020), and Nigeria’s Kafanchan Peace Declaration (2016)—the paper explores how peace processes are beginning to recognize the environment as both a source of conflict and a foundation for sustainable peace. It concludes by assessing the normative and practical implications of embedding environmental governance in peace processes, offering insights for mediators, policymakers, and scholars seeking to align peacebuilding practice with global climate and sustainability agendas.