Environmental Peacebuilding Association

Blogs & Opinions

Land, Conflict and Sustainable Development

Dec 7, 2016 | Caleb Stevens

When I arrived in Liberia six years ago, I was tasked with facilitating the development of the country’s first national land policy. Of the many…

Armed Conflict Catches Animals in the Crossfire

Dec 7, 2016 | Kaitlyn M Gaynor

When people make war, wildlife often becomes a casualty. Explosives and war materials kill living things that are not their targets. Valuable wildlife products, like…

Pearl Harbor, 75 Years Later

Dec 5, 2016 | George Friedman

Wednesday will be the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It happened three-quarters of a century ago, but it remains the defining moment…

Modi's Dangerous Anti-Pakistan Antics Could Push the Two Countries towards a Water War

Dec 4, 2016 | Usman Ali Khan

Recently, the distribution of water between two Indian states Tamil Nadu and Karnataka has become a source of conflict over water divide, sweltering both into…

Water Wars: Beijing Charts Post-Election Path Forward

Dec 2, 2016 | Chris Mirasola

Many have wondered how China would respond to uncertainty regarding the US’ role in the Asia-Pacific since last month’s election. If news from this week…

The Environmental Consequences of Iraq's Oil Fires Are Going Unrecorded

Dec 1, 2016 | Doug Weir

The oil fires burning in and around the northern Iraqi town of Qayyarah began in July when retreating Islamic State forces ignited wells, storage tanks…

Why You Should Care about More Than Just “Conflict Minerals” in the Congo

Nov 28, 2016 | Carol Jean Gallo

Starting around the early 2000s, a global human rights advocacy movement was mobilized to raise awareness of how certain raw materials in electronics came from mines…

No Sun over Qayyara

Nov 27, 2016 | Benedetta Argentieri

A haze of thick black smoke obscured the view of the sky. The only source of illumination was a wall of flames at least three-stories…

The New EU Conflict Minerals Regulation — Is It Something to Be Thankful for?

Nov 24, 2016 | Dynda A. Thomas and Christina Economides

Since the US Presidential Election 2 weeks ago, some have been looking forward to a possible repeal of the US conflict minerals rule by a…

Water Wars: Duterte Entrenches New Normal in South China Sea

Nov 23, 2016 | Chris Mirasola

In a stark upending of the status quo, Philippine vessels have had access to traditional fishing grounds around Scarborough Shoal for the past month. This breakthrough followed…

Food Scarcity Causes Conflicts — But So Can Food Abundance. Here’s Why.

Nov 23, 2016 | Ore Koren

For a new U.S. administration facing global security challenges, the relationship between food security — what the World Bank defines as “access to enough food for an active, healthy…

How to Ensure That You Are in Compliance with New EU Due Diligence Regulations

Nov 18, 2016 | Source Intelligence

In a recent decision, the European Union reported it reached an agreement concerning how it will regulate conflict minerals. The new guidelines set forth will…

So What Should We Do about Conflict Minerals Compliance for Next Year?

Nov 18, 2016 | Cydney Posner

As of now, Forms SD and conflict minerals reports are still due on May 31, 2017. With all the discussion, in light of the election…

Enough Project Response to Misleading Conflict Minerals Op-Ed

Nov 17, 2016 | Enough Project

On November 13, the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed by Tate Watkins entitled "How Dodd-Frank Led to More Mayhem in Africa." Relying on outdated, narrow…

Oil Palm Produce Must Be Value Added to Avoid Liberia’s 90-Year Mistake

Nov 16, 2016 | Liberian Observer

The oil palm producers in Liberia, notably Malaysia’s Golden Veroleum and Sime Darby, are saying the same thing Harvey Firestone said in 1926, when he…

Water During and After Armed Conflicts: What Protection in International Law?

Nov 15, 2016 | Mara Tignino

Armed conflicts affect water in several ways: destruction and damage of water facilities, attacks against power plants providing water supplies, and the collapse of water…

120 minutes: A Story of a Water Master and Transformative Irrigation in Afghanistan

Nov 13, 2016 | Bashit Ahmad

As the local mirab - “water master” and I walked along the high-elevation canal, high winds blew sand in our mouths and eyes. The elevation…

Even With a New Colombian Peace Deal, What Happens in the Countryside?

Nov 13, 2016 | Michael Albertus

Will Saturday’s new peace accord with the FARC guerrilla group fare better than the June deal? The new accord follows an Oct. 2 referendum that narrowly rejected the Colombian…

Women's Leadership: Critical to Securing the Paris Agreement; Essential to Fulfilling It

Nov 11, 2016 | Courtney Durham, Natalie Elwell, and Cynthia Elliot

The Paris Agreement on climate change wouldn’t be what it is today without action from strong women from around the world. Christiana Figueres, the UNFCCC…

A Veteran’s Day Warning: Trump’s Climate Policies Will Create More War, More Refugees

Nov 11, 2016 | Joe Romm

Donald Trump’s climate policies would create dozens of failed states south of the U.S. border and around the world. They would lead to hundreds of…

States Back Further Progress on Conflict and Environment in UN Legal Debate

Nov 9, 2016 | Doug Weir

Before this May’s UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolution, the annual debates on the work of the International Law Commission (ILC), which take place in the…

Progress on Protecting the Environment from Conflict is Long-Overdue

Nov 8, 2016 | Doug Weir

As Islamic State forces had retreated, they had opened oil pipelines, and blown-up well heads. The smoke plumes from the wells were so intense they…

From Syria to Iraq: Federalize or Perish

Nov 8, 2016 | Norman Ricklefs and Hadi Fathallah

Federalism is the natural solution to the crisis gripping Syria and the Sunni regions of Iraq. Unfortunately, calls for federalism are often viewed in the…

As Demand Grows to Add Another Mineral to the List, Calls Continue to Reform Conflict Minerals Reporting Requirement. Today’s Election May Decide the Next Round for Dodd-Frank.

Nov 8, 2016 | Source Intelligence

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) continues to receive comment letters from a variety of organizations and individuals about whether to refine conflict minerals…