Conservation in Times of Conflict

The outbreak of armed conflict can halt and reverse conservation efforts. Protected areas can be a target, home base and source of finance for insurgencies, as well as a draw for refugees fleeing conflict and seeking livelihood resources. Conservation staff can be threatened or killed. Habitat is destroyed, wildlife killed, and the overall natural resource base is degraded or over-exploited. Instability may prompt funders to withdraw their support, further undermining conservation effectiveness. IISD has worked with conservationists in examining the impacts of conflict on their work, identifying actions for minimizing impacts and harnessing the peace-building potential of conservation.

Where to Read More

Conservation in Conflict: The impact of the Maoist-Government conflict on conservation and biodiversity in Nepal (PDF - 411 kb) » Mark Murphy, Krishna Prasad Oli, Steve Gorzula Nine years of conflict between Maoist rebels and the government in Nepal have killed more than 12,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more. The conflict has also halted conservation programs and disrupted the management of protected areas across large parts of the country. This paper analyzes the impacts of the Maoist-government conflict on the environment, on biodiversity and on conservation organizations in Nepal.
Nepal - Rethinking conservation strategy in times of conflict (PDF - 117 kb)
A short report from a workshop held at the 2004 IUCN World Conservation Congress in Bangkok, Thailand.
Report from World Parks Congress on the Conservation, Peace and Human Security Workshops, September 2003 (PDF - 237 kb)
The IUCN World Congress on Protected Areas is a once-a-decade global forum on protected areas, sharing effective practice, and taking stock of of progress and setbacks. The 5th World Parks Congress was held in Durban, South Africa, from 8 to 17 September 2003, to establish how protected areas are relevant to sustainable development. IISD co-organized a series of workshops on best practices in protected areas management in zones of ongoing or recently-ended conflict. The Congress produced a resolution that identifies factors vital for effective conservation in conflict-prone or openly-violent situations, areas where further effort or research is necessary, and actions IUCN and its members might take to carry these recommendations forward.
Conservation in Times of War (PDF - 285 kb)» Judy Oglethorpe, Rebecca Ham, James Shambaugh and Harry van der Linde, 2002 Overview chapter for IISD's book, Conserving the Peace: Resources, Livelihoods and Security (2002). The authors examine the impact of armed conflict on natural resources, biodiversity and protected areas and suggest options for conservationists working in conflict situations.

Key Publication

Trade, Aid and Security: An agenda for peace and development

» Oli Brown, Mark Halle, Sonia Peña Moreno, Sebastian Winkler, Earthscan, 2006.

Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur. All resonate loudly on the international stage, exposing and illustrating the intractable links among global security, war and conflict, the control over natural resources—be they oil, water, timber or "conflict diamonds"—and the deployment of aid money and the manipulation of international trade policies. This volume, written by leading authorities from across the globe, introduces the linkages among trade, aid and security, and exposes how inappropriate or misused trade and aid policies can and do undermine security and contribute to violence and the disintegration of nation states. On a practical level, they demonstrate how six key areas of trade and aid policy can be used to help forge stability and security, reduce the likelihood of armed conflict and assist economic and political recovery in our war-torn world. Foreword by Lloyd Axworthy. More...

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