Guides
index
INCORE guide to Internet
sources on Natural Resources, Environment and Conflict
Resources compiled by Jessica Blomqvist (June 2005)
Contents
Inclusion in this guide
does not imply an endorsement by INCORE of the views expressed in any
of these sources. If you have a complaint about this guide or believe
that we have omitted a relevant source please read our information about the guides before writing
to us. You may find that this will answer some of your questions. This
includes a warning about the type of information included in the guide,
information about our 'criteria for inclusion' in the guides and about
our 'updating and additions policy'.
News Sources
Diamonds.Net - Rapaport News
The Rapaport News website contains a special 'Conflict Diamonds' section which contains a larger number of articles related to this topic, gathered from various sources.
http://www.diamonds.net/news/?list=1
EDC News
This website is commissioned by the Environmental Policy Division at the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and edited by Leif Ohlsson at the department of Peace and Development Research at Goteborg University, Sweden. It contains news, reviews and references, research and sources as well as provides an email newsletter.
http://www.edcnews.se/Front.html
IRIN News
IRIN News aims to provide 'timely, strategic and non-partisan information so as to enhance the capacity of the humanitarian community to understand, respond to and avert emergencies.' Also, by countering misinformation and propaganda, it aims to support conflict resolution and reconciliation. Particularly relevant are news under the themes Environment and Peace & Security.
http://www.irinnews.org/
Reuters Alertnet
This news network offers the latest news on humanitarian-related events around the world and contains a topic section on 'Diamonds and resource wars'.
http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/reliefresources/sections/RESWARS.htm#
NGOs, International Organisations, Bilateral Agencies
Environmental Literacy Council
This NGO aims to help citizens, and young people in particular, gain environmental literacy. Particularly relevant are the website sections on Environment and Conflict, Conflict and Natural Resources, Conflict Diamonds and Oil and National Security. The organisation's website contains various publications, newsletters and press releases.
http://www.enviroliteracy.org/subcategory.php/222.html
Geneva Humanitarian Forum - Environment and Conflict Database
This database presents information that deal with how environment and conflict are interrelated. The topics covered are 'legal aspects', 'human security', 'human health', 'environmental terrorism', 'environmental refugees', 'land scarcity' etc.
http://www.genevahumanitarianforum.org/
Global Policy Forum
The GPF is a non-profit organisation with consultative status at the UN and one of their aims is also to monitor policy making in the same. The website offers an extensive list of UN and NGO documents related to natural resources and conflict, diamonds in conflict.
http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/natres/docsindex.htm
http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/diamond/
Global Witness
This organisation works to emphasise the link between natural resources, conflict and corruption. They do this mainly by conducting field investigations in 'countries devastated by conflict, massive corruption, and human rights abuses' and then use this information to lobby policy makers. Global Witness has been particular accredited for its expertise in accountability and corporate transparency in natural resource management. The website contains a number of useful resources, such as the sections on publications and press releases. Areas of focus in these sections include oil and diamonds generally, as well as Myanmar, Cambodia, Cameroon, Liberia, Zimbabwe and DRC.
http://www.globalwitness.org/
Green Cross International - Water Conflict Prevention Program
This program aims to prevent and resolve conflicts in 'water-stressed regions'. They do this by 'encouraging the participatory integrated management of basins at the local, national and international levels.' The website contains a programme description as well as a large number of links to relevant publications and sites.
http://www.gci.ch/GreenCrossPrograms/WATERRES/waterresource.html#international
International Committee of the Red Cross
The ICRC website contains a large number of documents, reports and news related to water and conflict, diamonds and conflict and natural resources and conflict generally - for instance, use the search engine.
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/home!Open
International Institute for Sustainable Development - IISD
This organisation seeks to promote sustainable development, including natural resource management, environment and security generally. The IISD does this through research and communication with policy makers and other actors in the field. Of particular interest is the section on Environment and Security, which contains a large number of relevant documents and other resources.
http://www.iisd.org/
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - the Post Conflict Assessment Unit
On the website of this UN unit one can find a substantive number of publications relevant to environment and conflict. Also presented are the unit's various ongoing activities, maps etc.
http://postconflict.unep.ch/
World Bank Group - Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction/ Natural Resources and Conflict
This part of the WB website offers a number of publications as well as links relevant to the subject of natural resources and conflict.
http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/ESSD/sdvext.nsf/67ByDocName/ThemesNaturalResourcesandConflict
JICA - Japan International Cooperation Agency
The JICA website contains information on its current projects and efforts on global issues such as Environmental Management and Natural Environment Conservation. Also posted on the website are some relevant resources and publications.
http://www.jica.go.jp/english/
Sida - the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
On the Sida website one can find information on its environmental policies and conflict management efforts. See also the publication section for some relevant publications.
http://www.sida.se/Sida/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=585
SDC - Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
The SDC's themes and focus are clearly presented on this website, including Food Security and Environmental Quality and Peacebuilding.
http://www.sdc.admin.ch/index.php?userhash=27673562&l=e&navID=3
USAID - The United States Agency for International Development
The USAID website provides information on its projects and policies as regards to environmental issues of various sorts, such as land management, water and forestry.
http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/environment/
Research Centres/Projects/Programmes and Online Resources
African Centre for Technology Studies - Ecological Sources of Conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa Project
This programme at the ACTS looks into the impact of 'Ecological resource scarcity and ecological stress' on the outbreak of political conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa. The website contains briefing papers, reports and policy briefs.
http://www.acts.or.ke/Eco-Project.htm
Centre for the Study of Civil War (CSCW, PRIO) - Environmental Factors in Civil War Programme
This research project for instance studies links between environmental degradation, resource scarcity and territory on the one hand and conflict onset and duration on the other. This perspective is also contrasted with the view that resource abundance can be equally harmful as resource scarcity. The website below offers a detailed description of the project as well as a number of relevant publications.
http://www.prio.no/page/CSCW_research_detail/CSCW_research_menu_right/9649/40948.html
The Centre for the Study of Global Governance - Oil and Conflict Project
The aim of this project is to look at links between dependency on oil and the outbreak of conflict. It does this by testing a number of hypotheses on several cases, including Angola, Azerbaijan and Columbia. The results will be based on interviews with relevant actors in these countries as well as primary sources.
http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/global/OtherProjects.htm
East-West Center - Natural Resources and Violent Ethnic Conflict in the Asia/Pacific Project
This research project at the East-West Center looks into the interplay between natural resources and ethnic conflict in the Asia/Pacific region. See the link below for contact details and more info.
http://www.eastwestcenter.org/res-pr-detail.asp?resproj_ID=168
Eldis
This internet based information service aims at providing development information that is 'of strategic, policy or practical interest for development practitioners'. See for instance News & Events as well as the resource guides on forestry and pastoralism.
http://www.eldis.org/index.htm
The HPCR Conflict Prevention Initiative - Economics and Conflict
This online source provides News and Features, Reports and Analysis, Laws and Agreements, Data and Maps, as well as links to organisations related to a large number of topics, including natural resources and conflict. For instance, search the E-library by region, country, topic and keyword.
http://www.preventconflict.org/portal/economics/portalhome.php
The Human Security Gateway - A Canadian Research and Information Database
The HSG website contains a substantial number of links related to various different topics and regions, including 'Natural Resources and Armed Conflict'.
http://www.humansecuritygateway.info/
International Environmental Law Research Centre - IELRC
This NGO conducts research on environment in the North-South context and wishes to contribute to sustainable environmental management in developing countries through the development of legal and constitutional frameworks. Of particular relevance is their research on governance, human rights and equity.
http://www.ielrc.org/about_ielrc.htm
International Relations and Security Network (ISN) - Environment and Conflicts Project
ENCOP looks into environmental degradation as a cause of conflict and violence. The site below offers links to a number of relevant ENCOP publications on this subject.
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/pubs/ph/details.cfm?r_oID=237&sid=5D11C6A921FDEDBDF1F67C0D3DC922EF
Institute of Development Studies (IDS) - Environment Team Research Pages
The Environment Team's work 'is multi-sited, linking detailed, local-level understandings of ecology, livelihoods and knowledge with national and international processes, and with critical reflection on scientific, institutional and policy issues across these levels'. The website provides info on recent highlights and projects and outputs.
http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/env/index.html
Mineral Resources Forum - Law and Policy
This website contains a number of documents and resources related to 'conflicts involving the exploitation of natural resources that may include metals and minerals such as gold, diamonds, and coltan'.
http://www.natural-resources.org/minerals/law/conflict.htm
The Pacific Institute
This Oakland-based think-tank conducts research related to development, environment and international security. The website contains publications as well as a number of resources.
http://www.pacinst.org/about_us/
Swiss Peace - Environmental Change and Conflict Transformation Project IP7
This Swiss Peace project aims to 'improve scientific knowledge' on global change-related environmental and natural resource conflicts. The results of the project are presented in the form of working papers, dissertations and articles. See also the 'IP7 Environment and Conflict: Concepts and approaches for the study of natural resource conflicts and for conflict mitigation' publication for detailed information on IP7 research activities as well as suggested reading and links to relevant online resources.
http://www.swisspeace.org/research/environmental_conflicts.htm
University of California Irvine - Global Environmental Change and Human Security, GECHS-UCI
This research project is tied to the International Human Dimensions Programme (IHDP) and gains support from the Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of California Irvine. It focuses on the interplay between environment and other transnational forces and the impact this has on individuals and groups in developing countries. In other words, it aims to link security issues to environment issues. The website offers a news archive, publications as well as an overview of the centres research and fieldwork.
http://www.gechs.uci.edu/index.html
Waternet - Water and Conflict
This website provides information, resources, links etc related to 'the role of water in conflict and co-operation', and more particularly the Israeli-Palestinian water conflict and the Jordan river basin.
http://waternet.rug.ac.be/
The Water Page / The African Water Page
The Water Page's aim is to promote 'sustainable water resources protection, development and utilisation'. The website provides analysis on water issues generally but the section on 'water and conflict' is of particular interest as it contains a number of links and resources related to this topic.
http://www.thewaterpage.com/conflict.htm
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars - Environmental Change and Security Project
This project looks at how environmental change is linked to 'conflict, human insecurity, and foreign policy'. Included on the website are various ECSP reports as well as documents and papers.
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=topics.home&topic_id=1413
World Policy Institute
Although this policy research and advocacy institute does not currently have any specific projects on environment/natural resources and conflict, their website still contains a large number of documents related to these issues. Use the search engine and type for instance 'natural resources and conflict'.
http://www.worldpolicy.org/wpi/index.html
Articles, Reports and Documents - Natural Resources and Conflict
Classification of Natural Resources
By: Päivi Lujala. Department of Economics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology. 2003.
This paper discusses the need to classify natural resources properly in the analysis of whether or not a presence of natural resources in a country increases the risk of conflict. The author hence elaborates on 'how the economic incentives and opportunities for violent conflict and rent seeking differ for various natural resources' and puts forth a classification scheme that could be used when carrying out conflict research.
http://www.essex.ac.uk/ecpr/events/jointsessions/paperarchive/edinburgh/ws9/Lujala.pdf
Conflict in the Great Lakes Region: How is It Linked with Land and Migration?
By: Chris Huggins, Herman Musahara, Prisca Mbura Kamungi, Johnstone Summit Oketch and Koen Vlassenroot. Overseas Development Institute, 2005.
Looking at Rwanda, Burundi and DRC this paper analyses how access to land can be connected to outbreak of conflicts and the level and duration of these. The authors come to the conclusion that competition for land is a common source of conflict, that reallocation of land during conflict and post-conflict access to land can have significant impact on the situation in a country.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/VBOL-6AHGPL?OpenDocument
Conflict of Interests or Interests in Conflict? Diamonds & War in the DRC
By: Ingrid Samset. Review of African Political Economy, 2002.
This article analyses how diamonds and natural resources has prolonged the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. For instance it looks at the way external actors have exploited natural resources in the DRC to further their own positions in neighbouring countries such as Rwanda , Uganda and Zimbabwe. The conclusion is that this has contributed to prolonging war in the DRC.
http://www.cmi.no/publications/2002%5Csamset_in_roape.pdf
Conflict Timber: Dimensions of the Problem in Asia and Africa Vol. 1
By: Jamie Thomson and Ramzy Kanaan. USAID/DCHA/OTI, USAID/ANE/TS. 2004.
Thomson and Kanaan explore how the sale of timber in Asia and Africa can be connected to conflict in these areas. Although exploitation of these so called forest resources cannot be entirely blamed for sparking and financing conflicts, the conclusion of the paper is that this 'certainly played a considerable role in sustaining many conflicts in these regions.
http://www.dec.org/pdf_docs/PNACT462.pdf
Conserving the Peace: Resources, Livelihoods and Security
Edited by: Richard Matthew, Mark Halle and Jason Switzer. IISD, 2002.
This collection of case studies deal with the interplay between environment/natural resources, people and conflict from various perspectives.
http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2002/envsec_conserving_peace.pdf
Cultivating Peace - Conflict and Collaboration in Natural Resource Management
By: Daniel Buckles. 1999.
The various authors in this book offer interesting discussions on the potential relationship between natural resource management and conflict, focussing mainly on four themes - 'culture, society, peace and policy'.
http://web.idrc.ca/en/ev-9398-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
Dirty Diamonds - Armed Conflict and the Trade in Rough Diamonds. Economies of Conflict: Private Sector Activity in Armed Conflict
By: Ian Smillie. Programme for International Co-Operation and Conflict Resolution, 2002.
This study looks into links between the diamond trade and armed conflict and examines in detail the concept of 'conflict diamonds'. Also dealt with in the study are issues such as the 'Kimberly Process' and how the diamond industry and national/international actors can deal with the problem of conflict diamonds sustaining conflict.
http://www.fafo.no/pub/rapp/377/377.pdf
Environment, Scarcity, and Conflict - A Study of Malthusian Concerns
By: Leif Ohlsson. Dept. of Peace and Development Research, University of Goteborg. 1999.
Discussing the debate 'between "pessimists" and "optimists" on the Malthusian issue', Leif Ohlsson argues that natural resource scarcity 'immutably turns up as scarcity of social resources', i.e. 'the ability of societies to adapt to increasing scarcities of first of all land and water' - the ultimate effect of social resource scarcity being conflict within countries. The study looks at the link between environment and conflict with a special focus put on the genocide in Rwanda. Ohlsson concludes that intrastate conflicts are more likely not because of water scarcity per se 'but by the institutional change required to adapt to water scarcity. To illustrate this point, he also develops a Social Resource Water Stress/Scarcity Index.
http://www.edcnews.se/Reviews/Ohlsson1999.html
Expert Group Meeting on Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Development
By: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2004.
This DESA Paper discusses how the UN Department can address the fact that natural resources tend both to motivate and sustain conflict by 'promoting global policy development'.
http://www.un.org/
From Water'wars' to Water'riots'? - Lessons from Transboundary Water Management
Edited by: Jannik Boesen and Helle Munk Ravnborg. DIIS Working Paper no 2004/6.
This working paper consists of a number of articles related to water and conflict presented as part of the Danida study on 'Conflict Prevention and Mitigation in Water Resource Management - lessons learned and challenges ahead'.
http://www.diis.dk/graphics/Publications/WP2004/jbo_hmr_water.pdf
Fueling Conflict
By: Michael Renner. Foreign Policy in Focus, PetroPolitics Special Report. 2004.
Looking at cases such as Nigeria, Sudan, Angola and Columbia, this article concludes that exploitation of oil resources can indeed be tied to the outbreak and sustaining of violence and that it is ultimately the demand in industrialised countries that is to blame for making 'oil a resource worth battling over'.
http://www.fpif.org/papers/03petropol/war.html
International Companies and Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Cross-Sectoral Comparisons
By: John Bray. The World Bank Social Development Papers - Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction.
John Bray here offers a different perspective on the relationship between natural resources and conflict, namely looking at the roles international companies can play in post-conflict reconstruction. The point made is that 'if policy-makers are to secure the maximum benefits from private investment, they need to understand how different companies and sectors view opportunity and risk, and find ways to assess their overall impact in post-conflict settings'. The paper looks both at extractive industries, such as petroleum and mining, as well as three other commercial sectors and concludes that it is necessary for international companies to make social impact assessments in order to 'help find a way out of cycles of deprivation and conflict'.
http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/ESSD/sdvext.nsf/67ByDocName/InternationalCompaniesandPost-ConflictReconstructionCross-SectoralComparissons/$FILE/WP22_RevisedWeb.pdf
International Waters: Indicators for Identifying Basins at Risk
By: Aaron T. Wolf, Shira B. Yoffe and Mark Glordano, Department of Geosciences at Oregon State University
The authors of this study set out to test claims that water scarcity can be directly linked to conflict and the aim is to 'assess all reported events of either conflict or cooperation between nations over water resources over the last fifty years and to use these events to inform the identification of basins at greatest risk of dispute' over the next five to ten years. One of the main findings is that 'institutional capacity within a basin' and 'generally positive international relations' is as important as the physical aspects of the water basin in determining conflict potential - 'very rapid changes, either on the institutional side or in the physical system, are at the root of most water conflict'.
http://www.hidropolitik.hacettepe.edu.tr/inter_waters_indicators_for_identifying_basin_at_risk.pdf
Land & Conflict - A Toolkit for Intervention
By: USAID Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation, 2004.
This report deals with the relationship between land and violent conflict generally and also offers a number of recommendations to donors on 'how to plan successful programmatic interventions to address land and violent conflict'.
http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/cross-cutting_programs/conflict/publications/docs/CMM_Land_and_Conflict_2004.pdf
Liberia: Trade, Environment, and Conflict
By: Benjamin Hofstatter. ICE Case Number 82, 2001.
This report offers a to the point account of the relationship between conflict, diamonds and the environment in the Liberian case.
http://www.american.edu/TED/ice/liberiadiamonds.htm
Livelihood Conflicts: Linking Poverty and Environment as Causes of Conflict
By: Leif Ohlsson. Sida, Department for Natural Resources and the Environment. 2000.
In this paper, Leif Ohlson looks at the connection between environmental scarcity, loss of livelihoods, poverty and conflict. He concludes that environmental scarcities can lead to livelihood loss which can cause livelihood conflicts, i.e. 'the common denominator of many … of the civil wars and conflicts which plagued Africa, South Asia, and Latin America during the last decade, is poverty resulting from loss of livelihood which, in turn, is often caused or exacerbated by environmental degradation'.
http://www.sida.se/content/1/c6/01/99/24/LivelihoodConf.pdf
The Logs of War - The Timber Trade and Armed Conflict
By: Global Witness / Fafo's Programme for International Cooperation and Conflict Resolution. 2002.
As the title suggests, this report looks at the political economy of timber trade and how this trade in tropical timber ties in with armed conflict.
http://www.globalwitness.org/reports/download.php/00044.pdf
Middle East Water Conflicts and Directions for Conflict Resolution
By: Aaron T. Wolf, 1996.
This study looks at how the 'critical shortage of water in the Middle East came about, the political tensions that are inexorably intertwined with the scarcity of water, and what the nations of the Middle East can do to help alleviate both the water crisis and the attending political pressures'.
http://www.ifpri.org/2020/briefs/number31.htm
Minerals & Conflict - A Toolkit for Intervention
By: USAID Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation, 2004.
The USAID toolkit examines the relationship between violence and valuable minerals such as diamonds and coltan. It also for instance 'discusses lessons learned in developing programs to deal with 'conflict commodities'' as well as 'presents a range of program options' etc.
http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/cross-cutting_programs/conflict/publications/docs/CMM_Minerals_and_Conflict_2004.pdf
Natural Resources and Conflict in Africa
By: Paul Collier
This article deals with why Africa has been plagued by so many civil wars. Collier concludes that a lot can be explained by economic factors, including the endowment of natural resources within countries.
http://www.crimesofwar.org/africa-mag/afr_04_collier.html
Natural Resources and Violent Conflict: Options and Actions
Edited by: Ian Bannon and Paul Collier. World Bank, 2003.
The various contributions in this book deal with how the presence of primary commodities and natural resources in developing countries is interconnected with the outbreak and persistence of armed conflict in these. The aim is to develop a global perspective on these issues and hence find measures for the international community to help prevent the negative effects that natural resources tend to have.
http://www-wds.worldbank.org/
Natural Resources and War - Papers forthcoming in Journal of Conflict Resolution
The website below provides downloadable versions of the various contributions to the Journal of Conflict Resolution's forthcoming special edition on Natural Resources and Armed Conflict (August 2005). Authors include James Ron, Thad Dunning, James Fearon, Macartan Humphreys, Paivi Lujala, Richard Snyder, Jeremy Weinstein, Paul Collier and Anke Hoeffler.
http://www.mcgill.ca/rgchr/jcrpapers/
Natural Resources, Conflict, and Conflict Resolution: Uncovering the Mechanisms
By: Macartan Humphreys. 2004.
This study sets out to test the rebel greed hypothesis and the evidence produced show support for a 'weak states rather than a rebel greed hypothesis' and that 'Natural resources affect conflict onset independent of state strength and weaker evidence that these effects are exacerbated when states are weak'. In addition, the author concludes that 'Natural resources are associated with shorter wars and natural resource wars are more likely to end with military victory for one side than other wars'.
http://www.columbia.edu/~mh2245/papers1/resources.pdf
The Political Economy of Natural Resources-Based Conflict in Sudan
By: Omer A. Egemi and Sara Pantuliano
Looking at several areas of Sudan, the authors discuss how land tenure is linked to local conflicts. The study concludes that it is scarcity of resources rather than ethnic differences that cause conflict.
http://www.sudia.org/DocBase/PoliticalEconomyofNaturalResources-BasedConflictin.pdf
Resources and Conflict in the Asia Pacific Region - Linking resources and conflict the Melanesian way
By: Glenn Banks. Pacific Economic Bulletin, 2005.
This article deals with how well the Melanesian countries fit the so called 'the resource-curse model', i.e. to what extent can natural resources be connected to civil conflict in these countries. The conclusion is that 'it is not about either greed or grievance, or curses for that matter, but it is more centrally about the changes that occur in relationships between individuals, groups, and local governments' due to resource developments.
http://peb.anu.edu.au/pdf/PEB20-1Banks.pdf
Stolen Goods: Coltan and Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo
By: Dena Montague. Arms Trade Resource Project, the World Policy Institute. SAIS Review, 2002.
This paper looks into the interplay between 'economic exploitation and conflict in Africa'. A general conclusion is that 'International competition for scarce resources in general, and coltan in particular, is a key factor in the lack of state stability and the continuation of war in the DRC'.
http://www.worldpolicy.org/projects/arms/news/22.1montague.pdf
Sudan Oil and Conflict Timeline
By: SudanUpdate
Extensive timeline of developments surrounding oil and conflict in Sudan from 1955 to 1999.
http://www.sudanupdate.org/REPORTS/Oil/21oc.html
Water and Conflict in the Gaza Strip
By: Stephanie Goeller. ICE Case Studies, 1997.
The case study at hand provides a brief overview of how scarcity and mismanagement of water in the Gaza Strip has 'aggravated the Arab-Israeli conflict'.
http://www.american.edu/projects/mandala/TED/ice/GAZA.HTM
Water and Conflict - lessons learned and options available on conflict prevention and resolution in water governance
By: Helle Munk Ravnborg. Danish Institute for International Studies, 2004.
Munk Ravnborg here looks at local water conflicts rather than transboundary water resources and international security. The author concludes that it is necessary to increase our understanding of implications of the former and how to achieve more effective water governance.
http://www.diis.dk/graphics/Publications/Briefs2004/hmr_WaterConflict_web.pdf
Water: Cause for Conflict or Co-operation?
By: Irna van der Molen and Antoinette Hildering, 2003.
This paper offers an overview of the debate over whether increasing freshwater scarcity will lead to national and/or international conflicts or if 'cooperative arrangements for sharing river resources' can mitigate these tendencies.
http://www.student-pugwash.org/halifax2003/papers/VanderMolen.pdf
Water, Conflict, and Cooperation
By: Alexander Carius, Geoffrey D. Dabelko and Aaeron T. Wolf
Concluding that water can indeed be an indirect cause of conflict by for instance affecting agriculture and hence the main source of livelihood for many people, the authors recommend a UN program of preventive diplomacy focused on water.
http://www.un-globalsecurity.org/pdf/Carius_Dabelko_Wolf.pdf
Articles, Reports and Documents - Environment and Conflict
Conserving the Peace: Resources, Livelihoods and Security
Edited by: Richard Matthew, Mark Halle and Jason Switzer. IISD, 2002.
This collection of case studies deal with the interplay between environment/natural resources, people and conflict from various perspectives.
http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2002/envsec_conserving_peace.pdf
Ecological Sources of Conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa: Linking Theory to Practice
By: Christopher Huggins. ACTS Ecological Sources of Conflicts Vol. 2. No. 3. 2003.
This report provides a through overview of the topic of how ecology has played and will play a role in conflict and conflict resolution in the Sub-Saharan region of Africa. It also sums up a number of relevant policy implications/recommendations.
http://www.acts.or.ke/EcoPolicyBrief4.pdf
Environmental Degradation and Intra/Interstate Conflicts in Bangladesh
By: M. Abdul Hafiz and Nahid Islan. Centre for Security Studies, ETH Zurich. 1993.
This paper analyses if environmental degradation and 'man made disturbances to environment' could be a cause of future conflict in Bangladesh and/or between this country and neighbouring states. In other words, could environmental degradation in the country lead to social effects on such a scale that it would cause violent conflict? And if so, what would the magnitude of the conflict be and how could the social effects and this/these potential conflict(s) be resolved?
http://cms.isn.ch/public/docs/doc_242_290_en.pdf
The Environment and Conflict in the Third World: Examining Linkage, Context and Policy
By: Geoffrey D. Dabelko, 1996.
This article gives a thorough overview of the debate of whether or not environmental scarcity leads to violent conflict and it offers arguments from both sides of the spectrum. Dabelko also discusses the environmental security context, the north-south context and offers a number of policy conclusions.
http://www.bsos.umd.edu/harrison/papers/paper12.htm
Environmental Change and Security Project Report, Issue 10 2004
Edited by: Geoffrey D. Dabelko, the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars.
In this ECSP Report, a number of 'top thinkers' in the field discuss the way forward in terms of linkages between environment, population and security. Particularly relevant is for instance the article 'From Environmental Peacemaking to Environmental Peacekeeping'.
http://wwics.si.edu/topics/pubs/ECSP_report_10.pdf
Environmental Degradation and the Israeli Palestinian Conflict
By: Jad Isaac and Mohammad Ghanyem
This article offers an interesting account of the linkages between environmental degradation and the Israeli Palestinian conflict. According to the authors 'this paper will try to address the environmental problems in Palestine defined here as the West Bank and Gaza, including East Jerusalem, out of a conviction that sustainable peace is only possible through just and equitable utilization and management of natural resources between Israelis and Palestinians.'
http://www.arij.org/pub/pubarabic/envdegredation/index.htm
Environment, Scarcity, and Conflict - A Study of Malthusian Concerns
By: Leif Ohlsson. Dept. of Peace and Development Research, University of Goteborg. 1999.
Discussing the debate 'between "pessimists" and "optimists" on the Malthusian issue', Leif Ohlsson argues that natural resource scarcity 'immutably turns up as scarcity of social resources', i.e. 'the ability of societies to adapt to increasing scarcities of first of all land and water' - the ultimate effect of social resource scarcity being conflict within countries. The study looks at the link between environment and conflict with a special focus put on the genocide in Rwanda. Ohlsson concludes that intrastate conflicts are more likely not because of water scarcity per se 'but by the institutional change required to adapt to water scarcity. To illustrate this point, he also develops a Social Resource Water Stress/Scarcity Index.
http://www.edcnews.se/Reviews/Ohlsson1999.html
Global Environmental Change and Human Security: Conceptual and Theoretical Issues
By: Richard A. Matthew and Leah Fraser. GECHS-UCI, 2002.
This report looks into issues related to security and environment. It seeks to define the concept of 'human security' in broader terms and looks at how human security is related to global environmental change from a theoretical standpoint.
http://www.gechs.uci.edu/gechsprdraffinal.pdf
Liberia: Trade, Environment, and Conflict
By: Benjamin Hofstatter. ICE Case Number 82, 2001.
This report offers a to the point account of the relationship between conflict, diamonds and the environment in the Liberian case.
http://www.american.edu/TED/ice/liberiadiamonds.htm
Livelihood Conflicts: Linking Poverty and Environment as Causes of Conflict
By: Leif Ohlsson. Sida, Department for Natural Resources and the Environment. 2000.
In this paper, Leif Ohlson looks at the connection between environmental scarcity, loss of livelihoods, poverty and conflict. He concludes that environmental scarcities can lead to livelihood loss which can cause livelihood conflicts, i.e. 'the common denominator of many … of the civil wars and conflicts which plagued Africa, South Asia, and Latin America during the last decade, is poverty resulting from loss of livelihood which, in turn, is often caused or exacerbated by environmental degradation'.
http://www.sida.se/content/1/c6/01/99/24/LivelihoodConf.pdf
On the Threshold: Environmental Changes as Causes of Acute Conflict
By: Thoma F. Homer-Dixon. Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, 1991.
In this study, the author offers a detailed discussion of how environmental change can lead to acute conflict. Homer-Dixon suggests 'a preliminary analytical framework that lays out a research agenda for exploring the issue' and proposes that 'environmentally induced conflicts are likely to arise first in the developing world'.
http://www.library.utoronto.ca/pcs/thresh/thresh1.htm
State-of-the-Art Review on Environment, Security and Development Co-Operation
By: IUCN - The World Conservation Union, 1999.
This report 'seeks to trace the development of interest in and understanding of the link between environmental degradation, social tension and conflict, and to identify the significance for development assistance'.
http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2002/envsec_oecd_review.pdf
Tragedy in Rwanda: the political ecology of conflict
By: Peter Uvin. 1996.
This article examines how social as well as ecological processes can be connected to the occurrence of the 1994 'Rwandan tragedy'.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1076/is_n3_v38/ai_18375140
Understanding Environment, Conflict and Cooperation
By: UNEP, 2004.
This report discusses the potential relationship between environmental degradation and political instability; and whether or not preserving the environment through cooperative measures and sharing can solve and prevent conflict.
http://www.unep.org/PDF//ECC.pdf
What is an Environmental Conflict?
By: Stephan Libiszewski. Environment and Conflicts Project. ENCOP Occasional Papers. Center for Security Studies, ETH Zurich/Swiss Peace Foundation 1992-95.
This article attempts to 'clarify theoretically what environmental causes of conflict are and what they are not; and how the causal link between physical processes in nature and the rise in violent conflict within or between societies should be seen'.
http://cms.isn.ch/public/docs/doc_238_290_en.pdf
Maps
UNEP Post Conflict Assessment Unit
Contains natural resource/environment maps of Afghanistan, Albania, Serbia and Montenegro, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iraq as well as of the presence on depleted Uranium during the Kosovo conflict.
http://postconflict.unep.ch/maps.htm
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