Issue #312 – Dec 23, 2025

Announcements

Registration for the Fourth International Conference on Environmental Peacebuilding Is Now Open

December 23, 2025
Environmental Peacebuilding Association and University of Ottawa

The Environmental Peacebuilding Association® (EnPAx®) and the University of Ottawa are delighted to announce that registration for the Fourth International Conference on Environmental Peacebuilding is now open.

Environment and Peace – International Call for Proposals (Deadline: February 16, 2026)

December 22, 2025
PeaceNexus

Environmental organisations play a critical role in the fight against biodiversity loss and climate change. In doing so, they navigate complex social dynamics and tensions.

Events

For more upcoming events on environmental peacebuilding, please visit our online calendar of events.

Fourth International Conference on Environmental Peacebuilding

June 16, 2026 - 2026-06-19 Environmental Peacebuilding Association and University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Canada and online

The Environmental Peacebuilding Association® (EnPAx®) and the University of Ottawa are delighted to announce that the Fourth International Conference on Environmental Peacebuilding will be held on June 16-19, 2026.

Environmental Peacebuilding in Transboundary River Catchments (A Path to Ottawa Event)

February 10, 2026
online

Please join us for this Path to Ottawa Event on February 10, 2026 at 2pm GMT online. The link to register is at the bottom of this page.

Nonviolent Strategies for Defending Indigenous Land in the Philippines, Indonesia and Bolivia (A Path to Ottawa Event)

February 3, 2026 Academy for Conflict Transformation within Pro Peace
online

In this two-hour roundtable Dorthea Wabiser from Indonesia, Edward Intang Abelardo from the Philippines and Alex Villca from Bolivia will present the backgrounds, conflicts and strategies of the indigenous communities facing intense pressure…

The Future of Outer Space Security 2026

January 28, 2026 - 2026-01-29 Geneva Centre for Security Policy
online

As humanity’s dependence on space grows - from navigation and communication to climate monitoring and defence - so too does the risk of confrontation.

Virtual Conservation Conflict Transformation (CCT) Introduction / Refresher

January 22, 2026 Center for Conservation Peacebuilding
online

Join CPeace for a special two-hour, pay-what-you-can session - perfect for those curious to explore CCT for the first time, or for past participants looking to reconnect and refresh.

Sustainability Funding Promotes Peace in Iran (A Path to Ottawa Event)

January 14, 2026
online

This session will focus on the role of developed countries in peace building, especially by promoting environmental sustainability.

Library

In the last two weeks, 4 new publications were added to our online library of materials on environmental peacebuilding.

The Take: What Does RSF Capture of Heglig Oilfield Mean for Sudan's War? [Audio]

December 23, 2025 | Hiba Morgan
Al Jazeera

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have seized the Heglig oilfield, a critical site located on the border of Sudan and South Sudan.

Navigating the Waters: A Hegemonic Stability Theory Analysis of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and Its Impact on Hydro-Politics in the Nile Basin

December 23, 2025 | Mutktar Usmen and Irshad Ahmad
ESP International Journal of Science, Humanities and Management Studies

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) signifies a critical milestone in the intricate landscape of transboundary water management within the Nile Basin, inciting a contentious discourse among key stakeholders, notably Ethiopia, Egypt, and…

Navigating Climate, Conflict, and Migration: Insights from Ethiopia and the East and Horn of Africa

December 23, 2025 | Victor Villa, Brenda Chepngetich, Christopher Zapp, and Melissa Branca Carvalho Magalhaes
International Organization for Migration

This report examines the intricate relationship between climate, human security and migration in Ethiopia and the broader East and Horn of Africa region, with the goal of informing regional mobility governance.

Defueling Conflict: Notes from the Field

December 2, 2025 | Elise Doumergue, Shaadee Ahmadnia, Tracy Hart, Phoebe Spencer, Sally Judson, and Amanda Woomer
World Bank

"Defueling Conflict: Notes from the Field" explores the operationalization of conflict sensitivity and environmental peacebuilding, synthesizing tools and lessons learned from the World Bank's engagement in this field.

Jobs

Please visit our jobs page to view these positions and other job opportunities.

USA: Kroc Institute Visiting Research Fellowship 2026-2027

November 25, 2025 | University of Notre Dame: Keough School of Global Affairs

Each year, the Kroc Institute's Visiting Research Fellows Program brings outstanding scholars focused on peace research to the University of Notre Dame for a semester or a full academic year.

International News

In the last two weeks, 26 international news items on environmental peacebuilding were posted on our website. The following is a sampling:

South Sudan: Oil-Rich Unity State Drowns as Wealth Flows Elsewhere

December 19, 2025
Radio Tamazuj

For the sixth straight year, floodwaters have swallowed huge swaths of South Sudan, submerging villages and pastures and forcing tens of thousands of people onto shrinking islands of dry land.

Sudan: Drone Strike on Electricity Substation in Sudan's Nile River Sparks Widespread Power Outages [Video]

December 18, 2025
Al Jazeera

Authorities say at least two people were killed in the attack and members of the civil defense forces are fighting to extinguish the blaze.

Egypt/Ethiopia/Sudan: Hydropolitics in a Warming World: The GERD & the Future of Nile Basin Governance

December 18, 2025 | Abigail Stofer
Human Rights Research Center

As climate change accelerates, many political scientists and other thought leaders are increasingly asking whether resource scarcity will emerge as a primary driver of global conflict.

Iraq: Iraq at “Critical Turning Point” as Oil Dependence Deepens, Research Center Says

December 18, 2025
Shafaq News

Iraq needs a “realistic diagnosis” of its economic imbalances to implement effective reform policies, a step that cannot succeed without a strong private sector instead of continued reliance on the state as the…

Chad: UNSC Informal Expert Group Visits Chad to Address Climate, Peace and Security Challenges in Lake Chad Basin and Eastern Chad

December 17, 2025
UN Regional Office for Central Africa

The Informal Expert Group of members of the UN Security Council on Climate, Peace and Security (IEG CPS) conducted a six-day informal field mission to Chad from 7 to 12 December 2025.

Ukraine: Defense Ministry Sets Priorities for Developing Underwater Demining in Ukraine

December 16, 2025
Odessa Journal

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine held the conference “Depth of Security – 2025,” during which a framework concept for the development of underwater demining in Ukraine was developed.

Liberia: LEITI Releases 16th Country Report as Liberia Prepares for 2026 Extractive Sector Validation

December 15, 2025 | J. H. Webster Clayeh
FrontPage Africa

Members of the Multi Stakeholders Group of the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative have unanimously approved and launched the 16th LEITI Country Report, reinforcing national efforts to promote transparency, accountability and improved governance…

Afghanistan: FAO Rebuilds Key Irrigation Canal in Helmand, Restoring Water to Villages

December 14, 2025
Atlas Press

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has announced the reconstruction of 2. 5 kilometers of the Lashkari Canal in Helmand province, with support from the World Bank.

Ukraine/Russia: SSU Drones Set Fire to Russian Oil Platforms in the Caspian Sea

December 13, 2025 | Dmytro Shumlianskyi
Militarnyi

Long-range drones of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) Alpha Special Operations Center have successfully attacked Russian oil platforms in the Caspian Sea for the second time in a week.

India: Towards Coexistence: Expanding Project Cheetah and Tackling Human-Wildlife Conflict

December 12, 2025
Devdiscourse

The National Tiger Conservation Authority, chaired by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, reviewed efforts to expand Project Cheetah and manage human-wildlife conflict. Discussions focused on scientific management, conservation strategies, and inter-state cooperation.

Wildlife: Managing Conflict between Baboons and People: What's Worked, and What Hasn't

December 11, 2025 | Shirley C. Strum
The Conversation

Conflict between humans and baboons can tear communities apart. Shirley C. Strum has studied wild olive baboons in Kenya for more than 50 years.

Egypt/Ethiopia: Egypt’s Withdrawal from Nile Talks Deepens Rift with Ethiopia

December 9, 2025 | Kevin Cheruiyot
East African

Egypt’s withdrawal from negotiations with Ethiopia over the use of the Nile River is expected to further escalate tensions and deepen the already strained diplomatic relations between the two.

2026 Grawemeyer World Order Award Winner Explores the Connection between Climate Change and Security

December 2, 2025 | Betty Coffman
University of Louisville

For his work to understand why climate change leads to negative security consequences in some places and not others, Joshua W.

Blogs & Opinion

In the last two weeks, 9 blogs & opinion pieces on environmental peacebuilding were posted on our website. Here is a sampling:

Underwater Cities: Climate Change Meets Governance Crisis in Iraqi Kurdistan

December 17, 2025 | Farhad Mamshai

When floods struck the Kurdistan region of Iraq earlier this month, it was a deluge that demonstrated how fragmented governance and weak state capacity can transform climate hazards into humanitarian and security crises.

How Climate Change Could Help Foster Peace in Yemen

December 17, 2025 | Tareq Hassan

Yemen’s tragedy is traditionally depicted through the limited perspective of humanitarian need and political divisiveness, but there is a greater existential crisis that is not visible to the average observer: Yemen’s rapid and…

The Real Reason behind US Resuming Iraqi Kurdistan Oil Imports

December 15, 2025 | Simon Watkins

An oil tanker carrying crude from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) unloaded its cargo at a US port at the very end of last month – the first since the reopening of…

The Intersection of Transboundary Water Conflicts and Human Rights

December 14, 2025 | Sharmista Banik

When the United Nations General Assembly, in 2010, affirmed that 'the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation' (Resolution 64/292) is a human right, it impliedly recognised water as a fundamental…

Environmental Peacebuilding 31Years Strong

December 9, 2025 | Gidon Bromberg

This week, thirty-one years ago, Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli environmentalists came together on the Red Sea in Taba, Egypt, to create EcoPeace Middle East.

Join the Association

The Environmental Peacebuilding Association® (EnPAx®) is the leading global network that brings together practitioners, researchers, and decision makers working on environment, conflict, and peace. EnPAx includes both individual and institutional members. If you have any questions regarding membership, please contact us at membership@environmentalpeacebuilding.org.

Sharing and Posting Materials

The strength of the knowledge platform depends on submissions and suggestions on contents from users. To share publications and information on events, job opportunities, and other announcements, please contact share@environmentalpeacebuilding.org. Please also feel free to share ideas on how the platform can be further improved to meet your needs.

About Our Community of Practice

Environmental Peacebuilding is a knowledge platform and global community of practice on natural resources, conflict, and peace, hosted by the Environmental Peacebuilding Association. The platform unites a global network of researchers, practitioners, and decision makers in sharing experiences and lessons from managing natural resources in fragile states and conflict-affected settings. The platform also helps people to access new publications on the topic, conduct new research, and participate in events to support the growth of the field. As part of our Community of Practice, we bring you biweekly updates on recent developments, including news about our program as well as links to new publications, upcoming conferences and events, and job openings.

Please visit us at www.environmentalpeacebuilding.org for more information.

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Compiled by Buket Altınçelep, Maria Camilla Cadonici, Karishma Goswami, Amelie L'Henaff, Liz Hessami, Madeleine Loll, Kathleen McLean, Avery Thau, and Milen Yishak
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