Policy News - November 24, 2004

Cooperation and conflict

“How can we use the environment to build peace instead of war?” asks a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The report consists of chapters penned by international scholars, who conclude that the relationship between environmental degradation and political instability is poorly understood. UNEP released the report on October 6 in conjunction with its Initiative on Environment and Conflict Prevention, a new program designed to promote conflict prevention, peace, and cooperation through policies and activities related to environmental protection and restoration. The report addresses steps to research this link and recommends ways that analysis could bolster policy making aimed at conflict prevention. It describes the “relatively undeveloped” efforts of local and regional governments and international institutions. If made a higher priority, these efforts could clarify the connection between environmental degradation and conflict. In addition, the report urges researchers to adopt early warning systems, such as those now used to alert governments to famine or emerging social or political conflicts. Understanding Environment, Conflict, and Cooperation is at www.unep.org/pdf/ecc.pdf.