Wellbeing, Resilience, and Humanitarian Approaches to Environmental Peacebuilding

Date & Time
Jun 18, 2026 | 16.00 - 17.30

Participants
Chair: Ruth Rhoads Allen, CDA Collaborative Learning Projects (United States)
Sophie Bhalla, MG360 Groundwater Research Institute (Canada)
Charles Kelly (United States)
Yana Abu Taleb, EcoPeace Middle East (Jordan)
Eiman Elbanhawy (United Kingdom)

This panel examines how environmental peacebuilding unfolds under conditions of extreme crisis, where material destruction, institutional transition, and human vulnerability intersect. Across diverse contexts, the presentations reveal how adaptive systems—whether spatial, organizational, or social—emerge in response to trauma and uncertainty. From the reconstruction of built environments and the transition from UN-led coordination to more locally driven systems, to the psychological and relational dynamics that shape collective action, the panel highlights how resilience is constructed across scales. It highlights ways that such institutional shifts create both challenges and opportunities for environmental peacebuilding, requiring approaches that are flexible, locally grounded, and responsive to evolving governance landscapes. Additionally, it discusses the role of psychology in cooperation and conflict dynamics, unpacking how trust, local norms, and institutional histories influence community resilience in the midst of environmental crisis. Beyond the resilience and psychological welfare of the communities facing crisis, the panel also underscores the importance of the resilience and motivation of the staff acting as caretakers and peacebuilders in these contexts. Together, the panel advances a holistic understanding of environmental peacebuilding, integrating infrastructure, institutions, and the individuals who sustain them, with a focus on resilience of the field, those working within it, and those receiving support and care.

Is Gaza Strip Resilient Enough? Adaptive Reuse and Community Innovation for Urban Futures of Post War Zones

Eiman Elbanhawy, University of Portsmouth

The Humanitarian Reset: Challenges and Opportunities for Environmental Peacebuilding

Charles Kelly, Independent (United States)

Unpacking the Role of Stress, Trust, and Hope in Environmental Crises

Sophie Bhalla, MG360 Groundwater Research Institute (Canada)

Caring for the Caretakers: Staff Well-being as a Foundation for Environmental Peacebuilding

Yana Abu Taleb, EcoPeace Middle East (Jordan)