It highlights that cooperation over management of shared natural resources/ecosystem restoration can pave way for broader political agreements and even prevent conflict.
Link between land degradation and global conflicts
- Loss of economic opportunities: Land degradation can nudge the negatively affected communities towards criminal activities. Eg.smuggling, human trafficking.
- Food insecurity: Recurrent crop failures and rising inflation increases risk of political and economic turmoil in the country. Eg. Clashes in Somalia.
- Human mobility: Land degradation can increase migration and displacement.
- Increasing inequalities: It leads to marginalisation and discrimination of minority and vulnerable groups.
- Governance: Weakened land related governance structures can escalate conflict, including across borders. Eg. In Amazon rainforest, weak environmental governance led to conflicts between Brazil, Peru, and Colombia.
Leveraging land restoration for international peace:
- The report identifies five key enablers for ecosystem restoration initiatives to promote peace in conflict areas.
- Focus on technical and scientific collaboration: can create a neutral ground to pursue shared goals.
- Inclusive dialogue: must be prioritised in transboundary ecosystem restoration.
- Transboundary governance mechanisms: as confidence-building mechanisms.
- Conflict-sensitive approaches to land restoration: to build trust and cooperation.
- Capacity building: Improving dialogue between parties.
Flagship Initiatives for Land Restoration:
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