Regenerative Production as a Vehicle for Environmental Peacebuilding? An Exploratory Case from Uganda

Sep 5, 2024 | Richard Marcantonio
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The number of active armed conflicts is growing around the globe. One key influencer, though importantly not determinant, in these events is environmental change—mostly caused by humans. The body of research on environment and conflict has grown rapidly in the last couple of decades, with some clarity and also some outstanding questions. Concurrently, there are also important questions on how to harness environmental challenges for cooperation and peacebuilding. Evidence suggests that it is possible for environmental challenges to be a source of peacebuilding. However, it is not always a clear or even possible path, and there can be potential adverse effects to such pursuits. Part of the challenge stems from the complex and increasing cumulative effects of environmental change and the cascading effects of these changes ranging from migration to unsustainable livelihoods to catastrophic and/or repetitive disaster events. Another key challenge is a lack of evidence with which to parse these complex interactions. This is especially true at the community level, as most of the  research has focused on the international and national levels to date.