Chair: Dr Irmeli Mustalahti (irmeli.mustalahti[at]helsinki.fi)
Coordinator: Ms. Lisa Jokivirta (lisa.m.jokivirta[at]jyu.fi)
The link between climate change and security is an issue of growing urgency. Environmental risks and the frequency of natural disasters is on the rise, driven in part by an unpredictable and changing global climate. Meanwhile, environmental degradation and the mismanagement of natural resources can fuel conflict within and between states, contribute to poverty, and leave communities more prone to disaster vulnerability. It is clear that a better understanding of the links between environmental risks and security is needed in order to promote more effective peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction. This working group seeks to understand these links, and generate discussion on how careful management of our environment and our resources can contribute to conflict prevention and disaster resilience.
This working group invites both practice-oriented and theoretical papers that deal with themes of environmentally induced conflict, including for example mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, diminishing natural resources and risks related energy, food security and population growth. Particularly welcome are cases studies that explore situations where climate change, livelihood and human security are directly linked.
THURSDAY 11.2.
14.00 – 14.30 Group Introductions
14.30 – 15.00 Anna-Maija Beloff: “Social Dimensions of Insecurity in Natural Disasters”
15.00 – 15.30 Faith Mavengere: “Green Revolution Strategy: Is it the best approach to ensure household food security? A case study of Morrumbala district in Mozambique”
Coffee Break
16.00 – 16.30 Sujan Saha: “Climate change, social stress and violent conflict: A case study from Bangladesh”
16.30 – 17.00 Mike Starr & Syed Ashraful Alam: “Climate Change and water-use of woodlands in Sudanese Sahel: a cause of conflict?”
17.00 – 17.45 Group Discussion and Re-Cap of Day 1
FRIDAY 12.2.
9.00 – 9.30 Anna Bolin: “What impacts can REDD projects have upon local communities livelihoods, and their resilience to climate change? A Tanzanian Case Study”
9.30 – 10.00 Roland Sundström: “Participatory land-use planning for sustainable forest management and REDD”
10.00 – 10.30 Dominic Taku Tassa: “Building a participatory research method for analyzing benefit sharing mechanisms and governance issues in PFM-REDD related projects: A case study in Tanzania”
10.30 – 11.00 Leena Akatama: “Potential of REDD Climate Change Policy for Gender Equity in Angai Forest, Tanzania”