Chair: Prof. Olavi Luukkanen (olavi.luukkanen[at]helsinki.fi)
Coordinator: Dr. Mohamed Elfadl (mohamed.elfadl[at]helsinki.fi)
Political conflicts and the general insecurity accompanying them lead to degradation or total destruction of croplands, pastures and forests. One of the first post-conflict development aims is usually to achieve sustainable management of these resources, so as to provide the affected people with sufficient food, fodder, fuel and other livelihood necessities. Effects of conflicts are aggravated by environmental constraints and disasters, including extreme variations in rainfall, heavy storms, wildland fires and earthquakes.
Tropical drylands have been found to be inherently more resilient to environmental change than more humid tropical ecosystems, and this ecological variation may explain differences in adaptation of livelihood-generating systems to different ecological conditions. The threat of climate change now necessitates new, site-specific interdisciplinary research on adaptation mechanism of both ecosystems and society. Understanding the already present local-level mechanisms of resilience on drylands may help us to establish new national and international strategies for responding to global change.
This working group invites contributions and participation especially from researchers and students who are interested in sustainable use and conservation of agricultural and tree-based production systems in regions of previous or ongoing serious political conflicts, with Sudan as one special case. The working group will also discuss new and innovative approaches to sustainable post-conflict management of renewable natural resources for local and community benefits. This includes establishment of new information systems, maintenance and re-introduction of traditional land-use techniques (including agroforestry practices), and support to new policies, legislation and organisations.
Thursday 11.2. (Metsätalo, Unioninkatu 40, room 10)
Session I 14.00-16:00
Mohamed Elfadl (University of Helsinki): “Forest-sector development in Southern Sudan: VITRI experience”
Edmund Asare (University of Helsinki): Remote sensing and GIS in evaluation of war outcomes: Abandoned forest land in Southern Sudan after the 1983-2005 conflict”
Terhi Evinen (University of Helsinki): “Community carbon forestry as a means to integrate REDD+ into natural resource management in Mozambique”
Session II 16.20-18.20
Fobissie Kalame (University of Helsinki): “Climate conflicts in Africa: A review”
Susanne Mulbah (University of Helsinki): “Post-conflict management of natural resources: The case of Liberia”
Badal Hassan (University of Helsinki): “The importance of dryland resources in rural livelihoods and poverty alleviation in the Horn of Africa”
Friday 12.2. (Main Building, Auditorium XVII)
Session III 9.00-11.00
Asheesh Mohamed (University of Oulu): “The role of water in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”
Leena Kirjavainen (WIDAGRI Consultants Ltd.): ”Gender and livelihood issues in peace-building: The case of Rwanda”
Paula Siitonen (University of Helsinki & Aalto University): ”From conflict management to sustainable cooperation”