Environmental Peacebuilding Association

International

Afghanistan: Ministry Plans to Attract Investment in Pine Nuts Trade

Jan 6, 2019 | Rohullah Arman, TOLOnews

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) on Tuesday held a meeting in Kabul titled “Pine Nuts Development Investment Conference” where officials encouraged investors to invest…

Afghanistan: Afghan Villagers Panning for Gold Die as Tunnels Collapse

Jan 6, 2019 | Najim Rahim and Mujib Mashal, New York Times

More than two dozen villagers panning for gold in the northern Afghan province of Badakhshan were killed on Sunday after the makeshift tunnels where they…

Afghanistan: At Least 30 Gold Miners Killed in Afghanistan Landslide

Jan 6, 2019 | Sayed Salahuddin and Alex Horton, Washington Post

At least 30 workers were killed in a landslide in northeastern Afghanistan while illegally sifting for gold, officials said Sunday. The landslide occurred in Badakhshan…

South Sudan: Outlook 2019: New Signs of Hope Emerge for South Sudan’s Oil Industry

Jan 5, 2019 | Hellenic Shipping News

South Sudan’s long-suffering oil industry is looking with fresh optimism at 2019 following the East African producer’s latest peace deal which promises to re-energize the…

Afghanistan: Nimroz Farmers in Despair as Drought Kills Livestock

Jan 3, 2019 | Daily Outlook Afghanistan

Farmers in southwestern Nimroz province have been in despair after losing around 500,000 livestock to the worst drought in living memory. Mohammad Akbar Sharifi, agriculture,…

Food Security: Recognising the Debilitating Nature Conflict Has on Food Security

Jan 2, 2019 | Busani Bafana, Inter Press Service

In May 2018, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2417 (2018), explicitly acknowledging the link between conflict and hunger and calling on all partners to protect…

Afghanistan: Ministry Develops Policy to Ensure Mining Security

Jan 2, 2019 | Tamim Hamid, TOLOnews

The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum on Wednesday said it has developed a policy to ensure the safety of mining and ensure the safety of…

Iraq: Plunge in Oil Prices Threatens Iraq’s Postwar Recovery

Jan 2, 2019 | Sinan Salaheddin, Associated Press

The latest plunge in oil prices has dealt a heavy blow to Iraq’s stagnating economy, threatening the new government’s ability to rebuild after the war…

Gaza: Water Crisis May Make Gaza Strip Uninhabitable by 2020 [Video]

Jan 1, 2019 | Fred de Sam Lazaro, PBS News Hour

In the Gaza Strip, 97 percent of freshwater is unsuitable for human consumption, and raw sewage pours into the Mediterranean Sea. Facilities for desalinating and…

Myanmar: Residents Call for End to Mining Activities in Myanmar’s Kachin State

Dec 28, 2018 | Agence France-Presse

Residents from two townships in northern Myanmar’s Kachin state gathered in the state capital Myitkyina on Friday to demand that officials end to mining activities…

Afghanistan: Drones Used to Find Toy-Like “Butterfly” Land Mines

Dec 28, 2018 | Jeremy Hsu, Scientific American

A type of land mine called the “butterfly” has a particularly insidious reputation for two reasons: It is known for killing or crippling children who…

Egypt/Ethiopia: Water Crisis Looms for Egypt as Ethiopia's Nile Mega-Dam Nears Completion

Dec 27, 2018 | Kieran Cooke, Middle East Eye

Egypt is facing a water crisis. A rapid increase in demand due to population growth, severe mismanagement of resources and a lack of investment in…

Iran/Iraq: Iraq, Iran Ink Energy Sector Agreement

Dec 27, 2018 | Rudaw

Iraq and Iran have agreed to continue cooperation in the energy and electricity sectors, despite time ticking down on the US waiver of sanctions. Iran’s…

Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq's Kirkuk Oil Exports to Stay Restricted

Dec 26, 2018 | Ahmed Rasheed, Reuters

Exports from Iraq’s northern Kirkuk oilfields to the Turkish port of Ceyhan will stay at between 80-90,000 barrels per day (bpd) as most of the…

Water Wars: Early-Warning Tools Aim to Prevent 'Water Wars,' Curb Droughts

Dec 25, 2018 | Linda Givetash, NBC News

In a year of extreme heat and water-related tensions, researchers are trying to develop an early-warning system to prevent the devastating consequences of droughts that…

Iraq: Despite Oil Wealth, Iraq’s Basra Plagued by Broken Infrastructure, Poverty and Violence [Video]

Dec 25, 2018 | Jane Ferguson, PBS

Basra, in southern Iraq, contains much of the country’s oil wealth -- yet residents there are struggling just to survive. The city lacks basic services…

Afghanistan: 10,000 Tonnes of Fish Production Annually

Dec 24, 2018 | Afghanistan Times

Afghanistan produces an estimated 10,000 tonnes of fish every year, an official said on Monday, admitting that such low production won't meet the country's consumption…

Afghanistan: Water Shortages Worsen in Afghanistan as Drought Persists

Dec 23, 2018 | Al Jazeera

Afghans are facing water shortages due to the persistent drought that has ravaged the country this year. In many places, including the capital Kabul, local…

Afghanistan: Renewable Energy Projects Need $1.5B Investment: Ministry

Dec 23, 2018 | Rohullah Arman, TOLOnews

The Ministry of Energy and Water on Sunday said Afghanistan needs over $1.5 billion investment by the private sector to generate up to 2,000 megawatts…

Afghanistan: Taliban Gains $1.5B from Drugs, Mines Annually: Report

Dec 23, 2018 | Haseba Atakpal, TOLOnews

A report by the BBC shows that Taliban annually earns more than $1.5 billion from drug dealing, illegal mining, collecting electricity bills and financial support…

Afghanistan: How Does the Taliban Make Money?

Dec 22, 2018 | Dawood Azami, BBC

There are indications that the US is planning a significant withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan. Despite continued US military and financial support for the…

Myanmar: Myanmar’s New Gemstone Law Is Flawed Says Global Witness

Dec 21, 2018 | International Mining

Myanmar’s parliament has passed a new law governing the gemstone sector. According to international anti-corruption NGO Global Witness, “the law may do little to reform…

Myanmar: Myanmar Land Grab Fears Stoked by New Law

Dec 21, 2018 | Libby Hogan, Voice of America

A new land conflict is threatening to erupt in Myanmar, where land is so sought after that even a cemetery can be eyed by developers.…

Climate Change: Germany Aims to Put Climate into Focus at UN Security Council

Dec 21, 2018 | Julian Wettengel, Clean Energy Wire

Germany plans to use its diplomatic clout during its two-year term on the UN Security Council to ensure that climate change concerns are an integral…

Sudan: Student Killed in Sudan Bread Price Protests

Dec 21, 2018 | Agence France-Presse

A student demonstrator was killed Thursday in eastern Sudan, a local official and relatives told AFP, amid mounting protests over the rising price of bread.…

Myamar: IFC Report Recommends Alternatives to High-Risk Myitsone

Dec 21, 2018 | Thompson Chou, Myanmar Times

A government-sponsored study warned against restarting the highly controversial Myitsone dam and recommended alternatives to develop the country’s hydropower sector. The final version of the…

Sahel: Peace in Sahel Requires Tackling Causes of Instability, Special Adviser Tells Security Council amid Calls to Advance Development, Fight Terrorism

Dec 20, 2018 | UN Security Council

The Sahel is awash with challenges — from food insecurity and terrorist-related security threats to the negative impacts of climate change — but it has…