Addressing the Role of Natural Resources in Conflict and Peacebuilding: A Summary of Progress
Publisher: UNEP
Date: 2015
Topics: Assessment
Preventing, managing and resolving natural resource conflicts is undoubtedly among the key peace and security challenges of the 21st century. Increasing demand for natural resources combined with environmental degradation and climate change will serve to intensify competitive pressures between countries and communities over resource access, ownership and use.
The Environmental Cooperation for Peacebuilding (ECP) programme is one of the four work streams under UNEP’s Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch (PCDMB). The overall aim of the ECP programme is to strengthen the capacity of countries, regional organizations, UN entities and civil society to understand and respond to the conflict risks and peacebuilding opportunities presented by natural resources and environment.
To achieve this goal, the ECP programme is divided into three main pillars. First, it works with academics and practitioners to develop an extensive evidence base of good practices and lessons learned from conflict and peacebuilding case studies. This wealth of material is managed in a global knowledge platform and disseminated to a community of practice on environmental peacebuilding. Second, it conducts policy analysis and creates partnerships with UN and other actors in order to help formulate more effective response policies and programmes across the spectrum of peace and security operations. Finally, it provides technical support to UN country teams, conflict-affected countries and other stakeholders in the field to conduct assessments and apply good practices through catalytic partnerships and pilot projects.
The purpose of this report is to highlight both the progress and results that the ECP programme has achieved in the field of environmental peacebuilding from 2008 to 2015 within each of these main activity pillars. The report also shares some of the key lessons learned and recommendations for future focus areas.
ECP contributes to UNEP’s programme of work for 2014-2015 within the Disasters and Conflicts subprogramme, under expected accomplishment (a): “The capacity of countries to use natural resource and environmental management to prevent and reduce the risk of disasters and conflicts is improved.”