The Nature of Peace – The dynamics between post-conflict peacebuilding and environmental protection

This project systematically analyzes the impacts that peacebuilding processes and environmental protection have on each other in post-conflict societies. Despite their severe consequences for nature, livelihoods and peace, these linkages are considerably under-researched.

We examine two case studies, Colombia and Uganda, along five research questions:
(1) To which extent are environmental concerns integrated or neglected in the peacebuilding process?
(2) Which drivers can explain this level of integration or neglect?
(3) What are the consequences for ecosystems, natural resources, and
(4) for the livelihoods of local communities?
(5) How do these consequences feed back into the peacebuilding process and its goal of sustainable peace?

Based on our results, we develop recommendations on how to better safeguard the environment and livelihoods in such a process.

The project applies an inter-disciplinary and mixed-method approach including legal and policy analyses, GIS and spatial analyses. Adding to this, we conduct field research in biodiversity hotspots at risk, with semi-structured and focus group interviews, transect and narrative walks.

The major end users of our findings are key Swedish governmental agencies, NGOs and academics that work on the interlinkage of peacebuilding and environment. In addition, the project’s results serve practitioners, experts, civil society organizations and vulnerable groups in Colombia and Uganda.