Tue, Nov 6, 2012
A flagship book that documents and analyzes
the devastating impact of war on the environment
in 23 conflict-affected countries and territories
across the globe was released today by the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),
the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), the
University of Tokyo, and McGill University
following 5 years of unprecedented field
research.
Washington, DC and Geneva
6 November 2012 - A flagship book that documents
and analyzes the devastating impact of war
on the environment in 23 conflict-affected
countries and territories across the globe
was released today by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP), the Environmental
Law Institute (ELI), the University of Tokyo,
and McGill University following 5 years
of unprecedented field research.
Assessing and Restoring
Natural Resources in Post-Conflict Peacebuilding
highlights how post-conflict reconstruction
efforts based on the sustainable use of
natural resources and the environment can
foster lasting economic and social growth
in war-torn nations. In fact, re-establishing
access to land and water are often the two
most important priorities at the rural level.
FURTHER RESOURCES
Assessing and Restoring Natural Resources
in Post-Conflict Peacebuilding
Environmental Peacebuilding
International Day for Preventing the Exploitation
of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
UNEP and Disasters and Conflicts
This set of case studies, edited by David
Jensen, a member of UNEP's Post-Conflict
and Disaster Management Branch and Steve
Lonergan, professor emeritus at the University
of Victoria, is the result of an extensive
collaboration between 35 specialists from
the United Nations, government ministries,
non-governmental organizations, academia
and the military. The research spanned the
globe, including case studies from Iraq,
Sierra Leone, Haiti and Afghanistan relating
to a wide range of topics such as the assessment
of direct and indirect environmental impacts
of war, the restoration of key natural resources,
the impacts of road infrastructure on land
rights, the remediation of polluted sites,
and the risks of depleted uranium contamination.
Today, on the International
Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the
Environment in War and Armed Conflict, Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon reemphasized the need for "a
greater international focus on the role
of natural resource management in conflict
prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding."
He also highlighted that "the resource
curse must no longer be allowed to undermine
the security of fragile and conflict-affected
states and the foundations of sustainable
development."
"Addressing the
environmental dimensions of conflicts and
disasters is one of UNEP's seven priority
areas," said Jensen. "As natural
resources become increasingly scarce, and
the impacts of climate change intensify,
fragile states will need additional support.
The lessons contained in this book will
be essential in helping to chart our future
direction and to improve our capacity for
rapid response."
A shift toward increased
attention to natural resources and the environment
during post-conflict recovery began when
former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan asked
in 1999 for a comprehensive assessment of
the effects of the Kosovo conflict on the
environment and human settlements. The report,
The Kosovo Conflict: Consequences for the
Environment and Human Settlement, was the
first of its kind by UNEP to assess the
environmental damage and risks for human
health, livelihoods, and security.
"Hot spots - areas
with acute chemical and other contamination
- pose grave and unique threats to human
health and the environment," said ELI
President John C. Cruden. "Although
it is imperative that the hot spots be cleaned
up, the post-conflict clean-up process can
also invigorate local economies, advance
the innovation of technologies, build cooperative
relationships, and contribute toward capacity
building. This is one of the main lessons
highlighted in this groundbreaking publication,
part of an entire program of research and
assistance that ELI is proud to be working
on."
"The post-conflict
assessment process provides an invaluable
opportunity to understand the role of natural
resources after a conflict has ended and
to plan accordingly," said Lonergan.
"The book examines many successes in
remediating specific environmental hot spots.
It also demonstrates the importance of restoring
the resource base upon which millions of
livelihoods depend in order to prevent continued
instability, food insecurity and potential
conflict."
The book - funded by
the Government of Finland, USAID, the European
Union, the Center for Global Partnership
of the Japan Foundation, the John D. and
Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the
Compton Foundation - focuses on 4 themes:
(1) Post-Conflict Environmental Assessments;
(2) Remediation of Environmental Hot Spots;
(3) Restoration of Natural Resources and
Ecosystems; and (4) Environmental Dimensions
of Infrastructure and Reconstruction.
It is part of a series
of 6 books published by Earthscan / Taylor
and Francis that addresses: high-value natural
resources; assessment and restoration of
natural resources; water; land; resources
for livelihoods; and resource governance.
+ More
Swedish Duo Win First
Place in Climate and Clean Air Coalition
Film Contest
Fri, Nov 9, 2012
Wallace and Gromit-Style Video Spells Out
Urgency to Act on Soot to Methane
Paris, 8 November, 2012 - Two Swedish students
today scooped a new award aimed at alerting
the world to the huge benefits of fast action
on crop, health and climate-damaging substances,
known as Short-Lived Climate Pollutants
(SLCPs).
Frans Wiberg and Staffon
Druid, ages 17 and 18, took first place
for their production entitled, A Short Video
About SLCPs, at a meeting of the Coalition
in Paris, France.
FURTHER RESOURCES
Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce
Short Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC)
Other winners included Nonyelum Umeasiegbu
from Nigeria who took second slot for a
new slogan on SLCPs and Linnea Fahlstrom
and Hilda Broqvist, also from Sweden, for
their video entry which took third place.
Answering the call for
young video producers and budding social
media experts between the ages of 12 and
25, Wiberg and Druid teamed up lending their
creative vision to raise awareness of short-lived
climate pollutants (SLCPs) as part of a
school project in their home town of Linköping,
Sweden.
"Our School principal
learnt of the contest and alerted our teachers
to the opportunity," said Wiberg. "We
were studying sustainable development in
our Social Studies class and our teacher
made an assignment of the project."
The students submitted
a video under the category for Best Audio-Visual
Product addressing the impact of SLCPs,
which are responsible for a substantial
portion of current global and regional warming
trends effecting health, agriculture and
ecosystems.
"Our video gets
the message through easily, without being
too technical or simplistic in tackling
the issue," Druid commented. "If
we don't work towards protecting the earth,
the future seems very dark for the planet."
Fast action to reduce
these pollutants - especially methane and
black carbon - has the potential to slow
down the warming expected by 2050 by as
much as 0.5°C, as well as prevent over
two million premature deaths each year and
avoid annual crop losses of over 30 million
tons.
Both young men plan
to pursue careers related to the environment.
Frans plans on studying
Green Economics and Staffan would like to
pursue a career in either hydrology or geology.
While they have yet
to receive a grade on the project, the CCAC
has awarded them top marks and looks forward
to following their future successes.
The duo were last night
given each a signed photograph by award
winning film maker Jan Arthaus Betrand who
is also a goodwill ambassador to the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP).
The presentation, conducted
by UNEP Spokesperson, Nick Nuttall, happened
during a meeting of the Coalition in Paris
to which the Swedish students were invited.
For more information,
please contact Nick Nuttall, Acting Director
UNEP Division of Communications and Public
Information/UNEP Spokesperson on +254 733
632755 and nick.nuttall@unep.org
About The Climate and
Clean Air Coalition
The Climate and Clean
Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate
Pollutants (CCAC), is a voluntary partnership
of governments, intergovernmental organizations,
private sector representatives, environmental
actors and other members of civil society.
Established in February, 2012, CCAC's primary
focus is to catalyze action for the reduction
of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs)
in the atmosphere such as black carbon,
methane and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
SCLPs responsible for
a substantial portion of current global
warming with particularly large impacts
in urban areas and sensitive regions of
the world like the Arctic, and have harmful
health and environmental impacts. Reducing
SLCPs can have immediate, multiple benefits,
protect human health and the environment
immediately and slow the rate of climate
change within the first half of this century.
