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Linking Environment and Conflict Prevention the Role of the United Nations

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Linking Environment and Conflict Prevention the Role of the United Nations FULL REPORT LINKING ENVIRONMENT AND CONFLICT PREVENTION THE ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS CSS peace ETH Zurich © CSS and swisspeace 2008 Center for Security Studies (CSS) ETH Zurich Seilergraben 45-49 - SEI CH – 8092 Zürich Tel.: +41-44-632 40 25 Fax: +41-44-632 19 41 [email protected] www.css.ethz.ch swisspeace Sonnenbergstrasse 17 P.O. Box CH - 3000 Bern 7 Tel.: +41-31-330 12 12 Fax: +41-31-330 12 13 [email protected] www.swisspeace.ch A report by Simon A. Mason, Adrian Muller Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zürich Albrecht Schnabel, Rina Alluri, Christian Schmid swisspeace, Bern Supervised by Andreas Wenger (CSS), Victor Mauer (CSS), and Laurent Goetschel (swisspeace) This is the full report, which can be accessed at <www.css.ethz.ch> and <www.swisspeace.ch> as well as in the “CSS Environment and Conflict Transformation” Series (www.isn.ethz.ch > “Publishing House” > “Publication Series”). An 18-page summary of this full report can be accessed at the same websites. Cover photo Paul Klee, Rosenwind 1922,39 Ölfarbe auf Grundierung auf Papier auf Karton 38,2 x 41,8 cm Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, Schenkung Livia Klee Contents Foreword..................................................................................................................................... 4 Acronyms and Abbreviations ....................................................................................................... 5 List of Figures and Tables............................................................................................................ 8 Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................9 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................12 Motivation and rationale ........................................................................................................... 12 Conceptual framework and methodology .................................................................................. 13 Definitions ................................................................................................................................ 13 Part 1: Environment and Conflicts: State of the Art................................................................16 Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 16 1.1 Research on the links between environment and conflict..................................................... 16 1.1.1 Neo-Malthusian case study approach: ‘environmental conflicts’ ................................ 16 1.1.2 Political economy and statistical methodologies: ‘resource conflicts’ .......................... 17 1.1.3 Post-positivist, and political ecological approaches: ‘eco-political conflicts’................ 17 1.1.4 Convergence of resource and conflict management approaches ................................. 18 Summary................................................................................................................................... 19 1.2 Conflicts over the use of natural resources and the environment.......................................... 19 1.2.1 Indirect use: ‘resource curse’ conflicts ........................................................................ 20 1.2.2 Direct use: local and regional ‘resource scarcity’ conflicts........................................... 22 1.2.3 Environmental factors in conflict ‘hot spots’: Central Asia, Darfur ............................ 25 Summary................................................................................................................................... 32 1.3 Environmental trends and socio-political factors potentially affecting conflicts.................... 32 1.3.1 Food and water security............................................................................................. 33 1.3.2 Energy security .......................................................................................................... 35 1.3.3 Climate change.......................................................................................................... 38 1.3.4 Socio-economic and political conditions of environmental and resource insecurity.... 39 Summary................................................................................................................................... 41 Conclusions of Part 1 ................................................................................................................ 42 1 Contents Foreword..................................................................................................................................... 4 Acronyms and Abbreviations ....................................................................................................... 5 List of Figures and Tables............................................................................................................ 8 Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................9 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................12 Motivation and rationale ........................................................................................................... 12 Conceptual framework and methodology .................................................................................. 13 Definitions ................................................................................................................................ 13 Part 1: Environment and Conflicts: State of the Art................................................................16 Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 16 1.1 Research on the links between environment and conflict..................................................... 16 1.1.1 Neo-Malthusian case study approach: ‘environmental conflicts’ ................................ 16 1.1.2 Political economy and statistical methodologies: ‘resource conflicts’ .......................... 17 1.1.3 Post-positivist, and political ecological approaches: ‘eco-political conflicts’................ 17 1.1.4 Convergence of resource and conflict management approaches ................................. 18 Summary................................................................................................................................... 19 1.2 Conflicts over the use of natural resources and the environment.......................................... 19 1.2.1 Indirect use: ‘resource curse’ conflicts ........................................................................ 20 1.2.2 Direct use: local and regional ‘resource scarcity’ conflicts........................................... 22 1.2.3 Environmental factors in conflict ‘hot spots’: Central Asia, Darfur ............................ 25 Summary................................................................................................................................... 32 1.3 Environmental trends and socio-political factors potentially affecting conflicts.................... 32 1.3.1 Food and water security............................................................................................. 33 1.3.2 Energy security .......................................................................................................... 35 1.3.3 Climate change.......................................................................................................... 38 1.3.4 Socio-economic and political conditions of environmental and resource insecurity.... 39 Summary................................................................................................................................... 41 Conclusions of Part 1 ................................................................................................................ 42 1 Part 2: The Role of the United Nations ..................................................................................44 Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 44 2.1 The UN’s evolutionary approach in linking environment and conflict prevention............... 44 2.1.1 From environmental protection to equitable resource access...................................... 45 2.1.2 Addressing conflict prevention: the UN Secretary-General ........................................ 47 2.1.3 Overarching debates and their relevance to environmental conflict prevention .......... 48 Summary................................................................................................................................... 52 2.2 The agencies of the UN system and their programmes ........................................................ 53 2.2.1 Principal organs of the United Nations...................................................................... 55 2.2.2 Advisory subsidiary body........................................................................................... 57 2.2.3 Secretariat departments and offices............................................................................ 57 2.2.4 Programmes and funds.............................................................................................. 60 2.2.5 UN Economic and Social Council
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