Environmental Peacebuilding Association

Blogs & Opinions

Climate change, Instability and Migration: Forging a Positive, Sustainable Response

Jan 25, 2016 | Benjamin Pohl

The climate conference that took place in Paris last month has repeatedly been billed as a crucial global summit, and even as a decisive moment…

Effects of Low Oil Prices on South Sudan’s Economy

Jan 25, 2016 | Mabor Maker Dhelbeny

The month of January, 2016 emerges with new crisis of low oil prices, not only in the Republic of South Sudan but worldwide. I called…

How to Jumpstart the Afghan Economy

Jan 22, 2016 | M. Ashraf Haidari

To shore up its economy, Afghanistan and other South Asia countries need to stop playing power politics.

Afghanistan’s experience during and after the Cold War helps…

Using Citizen Science to Assess Environmental Damage in the Syrian Conflict

Jan 22, 2016 | Wim Zwijnenburg and Andy Garrity

For new and ongoing conflicts across the world, the need to document their impact on civilians and the environment upon which they depend is encouraging…

Forget Star Wars; Get Ready for Water Wars

Jan 20, 2016 | Marc Ross and Stephen J. McConnell

A great war looms, one that will rise from the most desperate circumstance: our battle over water. Today, we war because of a chasm of…

Ivorian Formula a Must - Agriculture: Key to Liberia's Economic Resurgence

Jan 19, 2016 | FPA Reporter

Liberia Must Begin to look next door to the Ivory Coast to see how they have been able to utilize their agriculture strengths to their…

Musings on Conflict Minerals Compliance – The Year That Was, the Year That May Be and What You Should be Doing Now

Jan 19, 2016 | Michael Littenberg

With New Year’s behind us and roughly four and a half months to go until the calendar 2015 conflict minerals filings are due, many companies…

Lessons From Uganda on Strengthening Women’s Voices in Environmental Governance

Jan 19, 2016 | Blake Ratner, Clementine Burnley and Paola Adriázola

It’s become popular to say that the health of the environment and the health of human communities are interlinked. Yet much of the investment aimed…

An Empty Table? Food-Climate-Conflict Connections in Paris

Jan 15, 2016 | Roger-Mark De Souza and Meaghan Parker

Security, terrorism, conflict, and peace: you won’t find any of these words in the landmark agreement released on December 12 at the 2015 Paris Climate…

Water Wars: Beijing Faces Further Pushback over Moves in the Asian Pacific

Jan 15, 2016 | Lawfare Staff

Diplomatic protests continued this week over China’s landing of multiple civilian aircraft on Fiery Cross Reef—a PRC-held artificial island in the Spratly chain. In addition…

Missing the Peace for the Trees

Jan 15, 2016 | Arthur Blundell and Emily Harwell

Natural resources play a role in nearly half of the world's conflicts, but when it comes to ending wars, they're almost always forgotten.

Tracking National Security in the Paris Outcome

Jan 14, 2016 | Carley Chavara

Security was inseparable from the climate talks in Paris, from the safety of conference participants to how climate change impacts the stability of nations. Though…

From Banned Crayons to Concrete, Gaza Struggles to Rebuild After a Decade of Israeli Blockade

Jan 14, 2016 | Robert Fantina

In addition to essential building supplies like boards and concrete, Israel’s blocked crayons, soccer balls, musical instruments and even potato chips from entering Gaza. Gaza…

Iraq and the Kurds Are Going Broke

Jan 13, 2016 | New York Times

Iraqi and American officials leading the military campaign against the Islamic State now have to wrestle with a challenge that has the potential to change…

Fire and Oil: The Collateral Environmental Damage of Airstrikes on ISIS Oil Facilities

Jan 13, 2016 | Wim Zwijnenburg and Annica Waleij

As the United States, Russia, and others step up attacks on the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), there is concern over their…

New Research Reveals Climate-Food-Conflict Connection via Nighttime Temperatures

Jan 11, 2016 | Raul Caruso and Roberto Ricciuti

The effect of climate change on the emergence of violent conflict has become one of the more lively academic debates and is even bleeding over…

Gold Mining, Conflict Threaten Myanmar’s Indawgyi Lake

Jan 10, 2016 | Htet Khaung Linn

Khaung Tong Creek was a 1.5 meter deep, pristine creek some 10 years ago, but these days this important tributary of Kachin State’s famed Indawgyi…

Watching the World Burn: Islamic State Attacks against Libya's Oil Industry

Jan 8, 2016 | Wim Zwijnenburg

Contrary to other armed groups in Libya, the strategy behind the Islamic State’s attacks on oil facilities this week is not purely military. It is…

Financing for Resilience: 3 Lessons to be Learned in Climate Finance

Jan 5, 2016 | Katharina Nett

When it comes to accessing and making best use of climate finance, states in situations of fragility are faced with particular challenges that are largely…

Missing the Big Picture in Challenging Africa’s “Land Grab” Narrative

Jan 4, 2016 | Chris Jochnick

Who walks away from fertile agricultural land available to lease for as little as $1 per year per hectare? Recent reports indicate international investors are…

Donald Trump’s First Campaign Ad Promises Blood for Oil

Jan 4, 2016 | Jeet Heer

The long-awaited ad contains a curious line: “He’ll quickly cut the head off of ISIS and take their oil.” ISIS, of course, controls oil fields…

The Business of War

Jan 3, 2016 | Asad Zaman

As plans for war against Syria heat up, new myths are being manufactured to support it. In line with Major General Smedley Butler’s thesis, we…

U.S. Policy Shifts from Détente to Deterrence in the South China Sea

Dec 28, 2015 | Andrew Lam

In geopolitics, when détente fails, it's time for deterrence, and nowhere more so than in the South China Sea. China's expansionist designs on the region's…

Liberia’s Economic Diversification Bill: It’s Better, but Seems Too Late

Dec 27, 2015 | Samuel Goteh

In the past centuries, Liberia’s model for economic development has been predominantly natural resource-driven and revenues generation for government’s operations have mainly come from the…

The Rare Metal Age

Dec 23, 2015 | Greg Klein

Read this book and you might want to renounce technology to live in a cave—provided it’s equipped with battery rechargers. Author David S. Abraham brings…

Climate Change, Arab Spring and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Dec 22, 2015 | Mohammad Bundokji

A contribution from guest writer Mohammad Bundokji, EcoPeace Middle East, on the compound climate-fragility risks arising from water scarcity, energy requirements and population influx in…

How to Conceive Resilience in a Protracted Crisis Situation like Eastern DRC? The Peacebuilding Contribution to Resilience in Conflict Settings

Dec 21, 2015 | Clémence Finaz

Eastern DRC has a long history of pervasive violence and instability. Aid agencies have been sinking hundreds of millions of dollars into this region for…