Leveraging the Environment and Natural Resources for Peacebuilding

Apr 19, 2021 | Anum Farhan
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Understanding the linkages between the environment, conflict and peacebuilding is key to building and sustaining peace in post-conflict societies. Natural resources such as water, land, timber, diamond, gold, minerals and oil have been significant drivers of conflict when exploited by opposing parties, and when the environment itself is targeted, it threatens people’s health, livelihoods and security. With the increasing impacts of climate change on the poorest regions, water availability, food security, disease, and population migration all have the potential to increase vulnerabilities, aggravate existing tensions and generate new conflicts. Environmental peacebuilding as a field recognises the influence of natural resources and the environment on peace and security, and studies the most effective means to manage natural resources to prevent and reduce conflict and build lasting peace.