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Assessing threats in the exploitation and management of natural resources. 22 March 2013 Fanina Kodre-Alexander UNEP. Assessing threats in the exploitation and management of natural resources.
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Assessing threats in the exploitation and management of natural resources 22 March 2013 Fanina Kodre-Alexander UNEP
Assessing threats in the exploitation and management of natural resources “Climate change not only exacerbates threats to international peace and security; it IS a threat to international peace and security” - Ban Ki-Moon, UN Security Council, July 2011
Assessing conflict risks in the exploitation and management of natural resources • The UN System Task Team on the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda stresses four core dimensions: • environmental sustainability • inclusive social development • inclusive economic development and • peace and security
Assessing conflict risks in the exploitation and management of natural resources • UNEP - 7 thematic priority areas: • Climate Change • Disasters and Conflicts • Ecosystems Management • Environmental Governance • Environment Under Review • Hazardous Waste and Harmful Substances • Resource Efficiency
Peace-building in Sierra Leone Peace-building in Sierra Leone Overview • Disasters and Conflicts core services: • Disaster risk reduction • Post-crisis environmental assessments • Post-crisis environmental recovery • Environmental cooperation for peace-building
Peace-building in Sierra Leone Peace-building in Sierra Leone Overview • Since the start of the millennium over 35 major conflicts and some 2,500 disasters have affected billions of people around the world.
Peace-building in Sierra Leone Peace-building in Sierra Leone Assessing conflict risks in the exploitation and management of natural resources • UNEP’s goal is to ensure natural resources, environmental risks and opportunities are fully considered and integrated into sustainable development strategies. Report: From Conflict to Peace-building:The Role of Natural Resources and the Environment. http://www.unep.org/ecp
Assessing conflict risks in the exploitation and management of natural resources Assessing conflict risks in the exploitation and management of natural resources Future trends: • Increasing population growth and consumer consumption: demand for natural resources will continue to increase. • Increasing environmental degradation supply of natural resources will continue to decrease. • Ministries of environment and overall governance of natural resources remain weak in many countries. • Climate change as a threat multiplier, changing the distribution and supply of resources. Strong potential for increase in resource-based conflicts and environmentally induced migration.
Assessing conflict risks in the exploitation and management of natural resources • Case study in Africa
Peace-building in Sierra Leone Peace-building in Sierra Leone Sierra Leone conflict – 1991-2002 Resources: • Diamonds • Cocoa • Coffee http://www.unep.org/sierraleone
Peace-building in Sierra Leone Peace-building in Sierra Leone Sierra Leone 1999 – Revolutionary United Front earned an estimated US$70 million from diamonds
Peace-building in Sierra Leone Peace-building in Sierra Leone Sierra Leone • 70,000 combatants demobilized • 3 peaceful transfers of power
Peace-building in Sierra Leone Peace-building in Sierra Leone Sierra Leone: Mining - Tonkolili • 2012 – 32% economic growth • 2 iron ore mines on stream
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone: estimate 10-20% land to agribusiness Socfin Agriculture Company : Malen 6,500ha SIVA Group : 80,00ha
Peace-building in Sierra Leone Peace-building in Sierra Leone Lessons learned
Peace-building in Sierra Leone Peace-building in Sierra Leone Lessons learned • Develop a set environmental standards • Educate decision makers and stakeholders • Monitor activity and enforce environmental and social laws • Educate and involve
Peace-building in Sierra Leone Peace-building in Sierra Leone Assessments and reports • Sierra Leone: Environment, Conflict and Peace-building Assessment • Central African Republic: Environment, Conflict and Peace-building Assessment • From Conflict to Peace-building: The Role of Natural Resources and the Environment • Greening the Blue Helmets: Environment, Natural Resources and UN Peacekeeping Operations • Livelihood Security: Climate Change, Migration and Conflict in the Sahel “Many of the risk factors for conflict that existed in the 1980s and 1990s have not been adequately addressed, most prominently in the environment and natural resources sector.” Available at: http://www.unep.org/disastersandconflicts
UNEP courses • Training Course on Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Development (www.pedrr.net) • Graduate Level Teaching Module on Disasters, Environment and Risk Reduction (ecoDRR) www.cnrd.info/index.php?teaching-material