Issue #314 – Jan 20, 2026

Announcements

Call for Submissions — Environmental Research Letters Focus Issue: Focus on Initial and Enduring Environmental Consequences of Armed Conflict

January 20, 2026 | Environmental Research Letters

Recent years have seen a sharp rise in armed conflicts worldwide with some estimates pointing to a roughly 25% increase in conflict events each year since 2020, alongside a growing population directly affected…

CCT Workshop Scholarships Available! [Deadline: January 28, 2026]

January 20, 2026 | Center for Conservation Peacebuilding

CPeace is delighted to have received funding for four partial scholarships for its Fundamentals of CCT Workshop being held March 2nd–6th in Washington, DC.

Call for Expertise: EnPAx Gender Interest Group Interested in Behavioural Science Expertise for Collaboration

January 15, 2026 | EnPAx Gender Interest Group
Environmental Peacebuilding Association

We're seeking GIG members with expertise in behavioral science approaches—particularly using behavioral interventions—within environmental peacebuilding contexts to contribute to a workshop we're developing for the 2026 EnPAx conference.

Applications for Travel Grants for the Fourth International Conference on Environmental Peacebuilding (DEADLINE: 22 January 2026)

January 5, 2026 | Environmental Peacebuilding Association

Travel grants for Fourth International Conference on Environmental Peacebuilding aim to increase the diversity of voices at the conference, with a particular focus on enabling the participation of students, individuals from or residing…

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.

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.

Peace with the Land: Reconciliation, Environmental Peacebuilding, and Indigenous Environmental Stewardship in Canada (Turtle Island) (A Path to Ottawa Event)

February 11, 2026 University of Ottawa and Environmental Peacebuilding Association
Ottawa, Canada

The objective of the event is to facilitate an interdisciplinary dialogue around Indigenous environmental stewardship, reconciliation, and environmental peacebuilding in the settler-colonial context (Turtle Island (Canada)), thus generating insights relevant to the Environmental…

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

February 10, 2026 Environmental Peacebuilding Association
online

Climate change is fueling human conflicts around the world. Degradation of ecosystems, including land and water resources, has forced mass migration among communities, both within nations and internationally.

After COP30: Securing Peace in a Warming World (A Path to Ottawa Event)

February 4, 2026 Surge Africa Organisation (SAO)
online

This will be an online discussion examining how peace and security featured before, during, and after COP30, and why the nexus remained largely peripheral within formal UNFCCC negotiations.

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…

Advancing Environmental Peacebuilding in Practice (A Path to Ottawa Event)

January 29, 2026 ConnexUs
online

Environmental peacebuilding offers a systems-informed framework to address the complex linkages among the environment, conflict, and fragility. While natural resources can fuel conflict, they also present powerful entry points for peacebuilding.

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.

Environmental Peacebuilding: The Year in Review and the Year Ahead

January 28, 2026 Environmental Peacebuilding Association
online

Please join us for our annual Year in Review and the Year Ahead Webinar during which we will discuss the global developments in Environmental Peacebuilding during 2025 and the things to look forward…

Library

In the last two weeks, 12 new publications were added to our online library of materials on environmental peacebuilding. Here is a sampling of the new additions:

Climate Change as a Threat Multiplier: Expert Perspectives on Human Security in Bangladesh

January 20, 2026 | Ferdous Sultana and Jürgen Scheffran
Geographies

Bangladesh is at the forefront of climate change impacts because of its geographical location, high population density, and constrained socio-economic infrastructure.

Oil Field Impacts on Venezuela’s Rivers and Water Stress with Environmental Challenges

January 20, 2026 | Aleksandar Valjarević
Journal of South American Earth Sciences

This study examines the ecological impact of oil extraction on Venezuela's river systems, focusing on pollution, hydrological changes, and water resource stress.

Preparing for Hot Conflicts: Army Training and Operations in a Warming World

January 20, 2026 | Erik M. Patton, Christopher L. Chapman, and Gabrielle E. W. Giersch
Military Review

Global climate change, a concept difficult to appreciate in a practical context, will affect the day-to-day training and operations for soldiers in numerous ways.

Pathway from Water-Conflict to Water-Peace in the Middle East and North Africa

January 20, 2026 | Muhammad Khalifa, Maha Al-Zu'bi, and Youssef Brouziyne
Water Practice and Technology

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with its arid and semi-arid climate, faces profound challenges in managing limited water resources.

Gender Responsive Climate Security Assessment for Sri Lanka

January 20, 2026 | Janani Vivekananda, Emma Whitaker, and Mary Potts
UN Women, UNDP, and UNDPPA

Commissioned by the UNDP–DPPA Joint Programme and UN Women with the support from the Government of Australia, and conducted by adelphi research, this pioneering assessment offers the first integrated analysis of climate resilience,…

No Escape II: The Way Forward. Bringing Climate Solutions to the Frontlines of Conflict and Displacement

January 20, 2026 | Jana Birner, Joelle Eid, Esmé O’Keeffe, and Michelle Yonetani
UN High Commissioner for Refugees

This report shows that an evidence-based, whole-of-society approach that allows all to participate and leaves no one behind is both possible and essential.

Climate Risks and Agricultural Changes in Conflict-Affected Myanmar

January 20, 2026 | Bart Minten, Joanna van Asselt, Zin Wai Aung, and Joseph Goeb
International Food Policy Research Institute

Climate change and conflict are increasingly shaping livelihoods in Myanmar, with agricultural households among the most directly affected.

Jobs

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

Ukraine: Project Manager - Kharkiv/Kyiv

January 19, 2026 | Croix-Rouge Française

Ukraine is facing a humanitarian crisis that is worsening every day.

Nigeria: Product Manager

January 19, 2026 | One Acre Fund

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund equips 5. 5 million smallholder farmers to make their farms more productive.

Nigeria/Kenya/Rwanda: Value Chain Strategy Lead (Fixed-Term)

January 19, 2026 | One Acre Fund

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund equips 5. 5 million smallholder farmers to make their farms more productive.

International News

In the last two weeks, 29 international news items on environmental peacebuilding were posted on our website. The following is a sampling:

Afghanistan: The Unseen Drought: How Widespread Female Illiteracy Threatens Water Conservation

January 20, 2026 | Numan Rahim
Khaama Press

Female illiteracy in Afghanistan undermines water conservation, leaving millions at risk as households struggle with scarcity, poor hygiene, and inefficient water use practices.

Israel/Palestine: From Ruins to Renewal: Gaza's Farmers Seek to Restore Harvests after Conflict

January 19, 2026 | Maxime Le Lijour
World Food Programme

Over 100 days into the ceasefire, WFP has significantly expanded operations and helped to push back famine - even as farmers like Isa Shamallah slowly reclaim devastated farmland, hoping to produce food again,…

Egypt/Ethiopia: Trump Offers to Mediate Egypt-Ethiopia Dispute on Nile River Waters

January 16, 2026 | Trevor Hunnicutt
Reuters

US President Donald Trump offered on Friday to mediate a dispute over Nile River waters between Egypt and Ethiopia.

Australia: Water Wars ahead Now Australia’s Longest River Officially Critically Endangered

January 15, 2026 | Mike Foley
Sydney Morning Herald

Australia’s longest waterway is under such dire threat of collapse that the entire lower Murray River ecosystem, which stretches nearly 1000 kilometres from western NSW, through Victoria and to the sea in South…

Greenland: Trump Insists US Needs Greenland for Security as Danish and Greenlandic Foreign Ministers Visit Washington

January 14, 2026 | Aarif Lashari
The Swamp

US President Donald Trump has once again insisted that the United States “needs” Greenland for national and global security, reviving a controversial idea as the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers visit Washington for…

Geoeconomic Conflict Overshadows Climate in WEF Risk Report

January 14, 2026 | Robin Hicks
Eco-Business

Geoeconomic confrontation has surged to the top of the world’s risk register for 2026, as rising rivalry between major powers, economic instability and technological anxiety overshadow environmental concerns in the near term, according…

Ukraine/Russia: Ukraine Strikes Oil Tanker Near Russia 'Assisting Putin to Break Sanctions'

January 13, 2026 | Will Stewart and Gavin Quinn
Daily Express

Two purported Ukrainian drones launched an attack on the Liberian-flagged tanker Delta Harmony near the Russian port of Novorossiysk, as per sources favoring Moscow.

Mali: Combating Climate Change for Peace in Mali

January 13, 2026 | Tara Abhasakun
Peace News Network

Mali is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change in the world.

Somalia: ‘Catastrophic’ Turn in Prolonged Food Crisis Imminent, Caritas Somalia Director Warns

January 13, 2026 | Ngala Killian Chimtom
Crux

As more than 4.

Colombia/Peru: Where Rivers Redraw Nations: Amazon Island Dispute Tests Peru-Colombia Ties

January 13, 2026 | Neil Giardino
Anadolu Agency

Home to roughly 3,000 people, Santa Rosa has recently become the focus of a territorial rift between the two nations, raising questions of sovereignty, river access, and the flow of commerce along the…

Bangladesh/Myanmar: Teknaf Farmers, Fishermen in Panic over Myanmar Armed Conflict

January 12, 2026
Deshkal News

The ongoing armed conflict inside Myanmar is having a direct impact on Bangladesh’s territory along the Teknaf border in Cox’s Bazar.

Afghanistan: Helmand Residents Say Solar-Powered Wells Fail to Meet Water Needs in Winter

January 10, 2026 | Sharif Amiry
Amu TV

Residents of Nad Ali district in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province say they are struggling to access drinking water during the winter months as reduced sunlight limits the capacity of solar-powered wells installed with…

Ukraine: 1 Million without Water, Heat after Russian Strike

January 8, 2026 | Louis Oelofse
Deutsche Welle

Ukraine says overnight Russian strikes targeted energy infrastructure in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia, amid freezing temperatures. Meanwhile, Russia says foreign troops sent to Ukraine would be targets.

Venezuela: US Seizes Russian-Flagged Tanker, Another Tied to Venezuela as Trump Widens Oil Push

January 8, 2026
Reuters

The US seized two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, one sailing under Russia's flag, as part of President Donald Trump's aggressive push to dictate oil flows in the Americas…

India/Pakistan: Water Weaponisation and the Indus Crisis: A Treaty Broken, a Region at Risk

January 7, 2026 | Arshad H. Abbasi
Friday Times

The land between the rivers, the cradle of human civilisation, is being transformed, carefully and deliberately, into its grave.

Blogs & Opinion

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

Gold in Sudan: The Resource That Never Became Wealth — A Vast Asset with No Developmental Impact

January 19, 2026 | Mohannad Awad Mahmoud

Since Sudan lost the bulk of its oil revenues following South Sudan’s secession in 2011, gold has become the country’s most important source of foreign currency and, in some years, the largest component…

India’s Indus Gamble: How Water Is Becoming a Strategic Weapon in South Asia

January 16, 2026 | Saima Afzal

India’s approval of the 260-megawatt (MW) Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project on the Chenab River marks more than an incremental expansion of infrastructure. It reflects a deeper transformation in South Asia’s water politics.

In the Race for DRC’s Critical Minerals, Community Forests Stand on the Frontline

January 16, 2026 | Didier Makal and Latoya Abulu

Ten years ago, the displacement of nearby famers from the villages of Bungubungu and Shilasimba by Société d’Exploitation de Kipoi (SEK), a company owned by Australia-based Tiger Resources in search of copper and…

The Middle East’s Next War Will Be over Water

January 15, 2026 | Jose Lev Alvarez Gomez

The Middle East is not running out of slogans. It is running out of water.

'Blood Minerals' in DR Congo - Myth or Reality?

January 14, 2026 | Alex Mvuka Ntung

“Blood minerals” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) commonly refer to tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold (3TG).

Unearthing Power: Will the DRC Break Free of the “Resource Curse?”

January 13, 2026 | Diego Tobon

Explore how the Democratic Republic of the Congo can escape the resource curse and turn its mineral-rich geology into leverage in the global green transition, navigating corruption, conflict, and great‑power competition to build…

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.

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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.

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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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