Alexander Carius

8/2/2019 Alexander Carius

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Environment, Conflict, and Cooperation:

Research and Policy Challenges

Alexander Carius, Adelphi Research (Berlin)

Wilton Park

Environment, Development and Sustainable Peace

Finding Paths to Environmental Peacemaking

September 16-19, 2004
http://www.adelphi-research.de/de/news/0.html


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Armed Conflicts (2002)

Conflict data from www.prio.no/cwp/armedconflict. Map: Jan Ketil Rd


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Characteristics of Armed Conflicts (19462002)


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Environment & Security in Research and Policy

ResearchResource scarcity or abundance as potential sources ofconflict inequality in access, distribution, and wealth

Debate shifted from environment as source of conflict toenvironmental cooperation as a tool for confidence building

Policy

Environment and security debate has gained considerablepolitical attention (WCED, OSCE, UNEP, UNDP, NATO, EU)

However, normative approaches & concepts have rarely ledto appropriate and integrated policies and programmes


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Resource Scarcity ThesisPopulation pressure & high resource consumption

Resource depletionResource scarcity

Resource competitionAcute conflict


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Arguments for Scarcity ThesisMost armed conflicts are associated with natural resources(at least if land rights are included)Many countries have unsolved territorial boundariesTerritorial disputes can be proxies for disputes about otherscarce resources(minerals, sources of energy, food, water, etc.)Population growth, poverty and youth bulges seem toexacerbate resource conflicts
http://www.adelphi-research.de/de/news/0.htmlhttp://www.adelphi-research.de/de/news/0.html


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Coping Capacity for Resource ScarcityPopulation pressure & high resource consumption

Resource scarcityTechnological innovation, substitution, market pricing

Economic developmentDemocracy & Peace


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Resource Abundance ThesisResource abundance can lead to conflict1. Motivation

To gain control of natural resource rents through conflict, acquiringcontrol by force, or securing resources by secession2. Financial meansFinance the conflict with natural resource rents3. Indirect effects

Abundant natural resources may result in poor governance, slowgrowth, instability, and inequality and, in turn, to conflict


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Environmental Cooperationas a Tool for Peacemaking

Environmental peacemaking

Using cooperative efforts to manage environmentalresources as a way to transform insecurities and createmore peaceful relations between parties in dispute

Overcoming political tensions through interaction,confidence building, and technical cooperation

Creating pathways for dialogue and confidence buildingwhere political tensions exist (process facilitation)

Little knowledge about design for peacemaking initiativesor conditions under which they are likely to succeed


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Preconditions for Environmental Peacemaking

Institutions are key to environmental peacemaking- Avoid sudden or fundamental institutional changes- Develop long-lasting and flexible institutions

Environmental peacemaking requires facilitation by thirdparties for communication, dialogue and data sharing

Implementation of programmes, guidelines, rules, norms,conventions of institutions

Cross-sectoral integration in program development atnational and global level is important


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Constraints for Environmental Peacemaking

Dilemma of securitization

Risk to overburden an already overloaded agenda

Working on true assumptions without clear evidence

Fragmentation of discourse and stakeholders

- Narrow interventional approaches

- Short term interventions


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Role of Donors and Policy Makers

Facilitate cooperation with sustained, long-term assistancefor confidence building among parties

Address interdependence between resource and conflict

Recognize impacts of donor activities on these dynamics

Reflect growing importance of regional approaches forconfidence building and cooperation

Increase opportunities for policy learning


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Communication and policy relevance

Dont call everything an environmental security problem(clarity of concepts and targets)

Prioritize relevant policies and problems and specify therisks in geographic and sectoral terms

Capitalize on practical tools (PCIA to assess peace and

conflict impacts of policies, programmes, projects)

Switch from the normative to the project level (vice versa)

Targeted briefings and policy dialogues

Transfer knowledge and accumulate experience


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Thank you for your attention

Slides no. 2, 3, and 5-8 adapted from Nils Petter Gleditsch, A Curse of Natural Resources? Scarcity,

Abundance, and Conflict, presented at the UNEP/DEWA Workshop on Environment, Peace, and Security

Initiative, Nairobi 17 May 2004

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Alexander Carius