Environment, conflict and security

Dr. Falendra K. Sudan*
The inter-relationships between environmental change, conflict and peace have been debated at different levels in recent past across the developing world. Environmental stress is emerging as a major treat to peace and security in the least developed nations. There is a direct correlation between environmental degradation and conflict. Due to rapid population growth, the per capita environmental resources are shrinking. The poor people are denied access to vital resources like land and water. There are conflicts between cultivators and pastoralists. Alongside, there is increasing problem of environmental refugees. Due to development pressures, the growing environmental pressures may also soon create insecurities and possible conflict in countries such as China, India and Brazil.
The concept of security is expanding from beyond militaristic threat, vulnerability and response mechanisms. New challenges are posed by scientific and technological innovation, economic development and environmental stresses. Environmental degradation can cause conflict and instability in least developed nations. The security institutions are required to be build up to protect environmental amenities and services as well as the commons. Trans-boundary pollution and resource conflicts may result in use of force to enforce international environmental law. Sometimes, conflict can be a constructive force calling for institutional change. Environmental stress and resource scarcity put pressures on existing institutions and to bolster and adapt institutions to manage environmental conflict effectively. Likewise, poverty reduction, bridging the gaps between haves and haves not, and promotion of human rights will improve  the security scenario and ensure peace.
Environmental change can also significantly increase vulnerability to climate change. Demographic pressure, resource degradation, and inequitable resource accessibility are worsening due to conflict and violence. Environmental stress is posing the greatest challenges to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in developing countries. Environmental scarcity has profound effects on societal stability too. The resource control rights and accessibility in conflict zone causes high insecurity and inequity.
In conflict zones, the valuable “conflict” commodities – oil, diamonds, timber, illicit drugs – can cause high competition to access or control the resources. The result can be a prolong conflict. This is due to potentially huge rewards from controlling such resources. The declining resources have a profound impact on livelihoods and society. Such situation is compounded by environmental damage. The conservation and sustainable management activities may inadvertently cause or exacerbate instability too. Social inequalities, governance failures, poverty and resource un-sustainability are closely linked.
Growing environmental scarcity perpetuates underdevelopment and promotes conflict. Indicators of environmental pressure, sustainability and degradation are not uncontroversial. Environmental change and resource depletion are potential causes of violent conflict. Therefore, environmental degradation is a potent contributor to insecurity and conflict.
The scarcities of renewable resources are already contributing to violent conflicts. The resource constraints are a crucial factor to contribute to insecurity. The competition for resources has been a significant cause of conflict. The resource scarcity, human rights abuses, outbreaks of infectious disease, and environmental degradation are non-conventional threats to peace and human security. Conflict might be stimulated by environment change and use of energy resources. The changes in social systems have been due to actual or perceived climate impacts.
The security is also a function of environmental sustainability. Security is needed to be understood at regional, global and community levels. There is need to broaden the concepts of security. New range of threats such as population growth, resource scarcity, and environmental degradation are vital in this context. The security is equated with human wellbeing. Security also includes protection from harm and injury. It also includes access to water, food, shelter, health, employment, and other basic amenities of life decent living.
Impacts of environmental change and climate change have been noticed in social-ecological systems. Famine is triggered by drought. However, political and economic management of entitlements to natural resources are more significant. Poverty, inequality, market failures, and policy failures are more potent causes of ‘natural’ disasters.  Environmental change and stress also causes famine and natural disaster.
Environmental change influence human security along with social factors. Climate change also influences human security. During low rainfall or drought, food production can be reduced significantly. This causes widespread hunger and child malnutrition.
With scarce resources, people will fight for survival. Environmental decline could lead to economic decline and collapse. Environmental conflicts are severe than economic, cultural, and political conflicts. Environmental degradation poses challenges to human well-being too. Therefore, use of new technology, human ingenuity, market pricing, and cooperation is very necessary. It has been noticed that due to lack of societal pressure, the resource-abundant countries fail to adopt best practices in economic and political life. Natural resources may be even a curse rather than a blessing. Environmental scarcity causes violent conflict. There is strong links between environmental scarcity and internal violent conflict. A society needs ingenuity to deal with environmental scarcity. Environmental stress also acts as constraints on innovation. Scarcity is a barrier against the production of ingenuity and adaptation to economic hardship.
Natural wealth directly fuels economic failure, corruption, and conflict. Natural resources motivate rapacious behaviour and allow the finance of civil war. Most durable conflicts are fueled by the struggle for control of natural resources like oil, diamonds, timber, etc. Therefore, the greed is a major cause of resource degradation and injustice and other grievances. High dependence on exports of oil, double the risk of further conflict. The resource-wealthy nations are institutionally weak. Least developed nations considered natural resources as a source of income and tax generation and not the people, as the primary tax base. Therefore, the large rents from natural resources hamper the government capacity and socio-economic progress.
Implications for Sustainability
The competition to control, use and access the non-extractive resources like common land or water is most likely to generate conflict and violence locally. This can exacerbate resource scarcity further. Conflicts decimate forests and agricultural land and degrade water sources. The resource access and use and environment degradation needs to be mitigated and managed to stop recurrence of further conflict and violence. Multiple and overlapping issues such as good governance, rural livelihoods, private-sector participation, and gender equality have varied implications for resource sustainability and policy planners in developing countries.
Therefore, the following policy prescriptions and questions raised are vital in natural resource governance and sustainability to curtail and mitigate conflict and violence.
It has been widely recognized that the environmental education and peace education are very closely linked. Both share common aims, topics and approaches. There is need to understand the complexity of resource conflicts and economic inequalities from educational perspective. Conflict is considered as a fundamental part and parcel of the contemporary developing societies. Peace education is aimed to address the complexity of conflict and attaining sustainable development. The closely related aspect is environmental and conflict research. The micro-level analysis of environment and security linkage are required to be conducted. Therefore, there is need to answer the following questions for holistic policy planning for resource sustainability and robust human security.
How individuals and groups cope with environmental stress? What are the adaptation, mitigation, and exit strategies? What are the environmental effects of conflicts on community and society?
What are the long-term health impacts of environmental damages and conflicts? What are the rehabilitation, reconstruction and development policies focusing on displaced population?
What are the social and economic costs of environmental damages and conflicts? Who are more vulnerable to environmental stress and conflicts? What are the options to improve human security and reduce vulnerability?
The author is Professor, Department of Economics, University of Jammu, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir.)

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