environmental degradation as a cause of conflict in - Steiner Graphics
environmental degradation as a cause of conflict in - Steiner Graphics environmental degradation as a cause of conflict in - Steiner Graphics
experts to consider the deep-seated causes of the discord, for pedagogicalpurposes.• To expose the major development needs that might reduce tension in the Darfurarea, and to offer an understanding of how the root causes of the conflictmight be addressed.• To produce reference materials for assisting teachers, in order to alert theauthorities and population of Darfur to the destructive impact of continuingenvironmental degradation.Areas of concernScholars and students from departments of politics, geography, sociology, medicine,law, and agriculture, along with diplomats, politicians, and humanitarian organisationalstaff came together in an interdisciplinary endeavour to address some of theroot causes and to suggest possible solutions for the conflict in Darfur. Their differingareas of specialisation were reflected in the diversity of disciplinary approachesto the problem. The venue was a particularly exciting opportunity for faculty andstudents of the Universities of Zalingei, El-Fashir and Nyala in Darfur to presenttheir research findings and to discuss issues of concern with a wide range of participants.Some of their recommendations called for closer cooperation between the UNaffiliated University for Peace (UPEACE) and universities in the region, proposals forcollaborative workshops, and joint research projects in the near future.Issues presented and discussed at the meeting included the following:• Water use, enhanced land use, compensatory settlement, and conflict resolution.• Indigenous institutions and practices promoting communal peace in Darfur.• Land tenure, land use, and conflicts in Darfur.• Effective natural resources management for sustainable peace in the region.• Darfur caught between conflict systems.• Environmental degradation and strife in Darfur: experiences and developmentoptions.• Combating desertification: an experience from Umm Kaddada district in eastDarfur.• Peacebuilding: a bridge between conflict resolution and peace.• Environmental degradation: governance, policies, and practices.• Reconstructing the common sociological and social characteristics of theethnic communities in Darfur.14
• The question of warrior cultures.• Development needs in Darfur and innovative approaches that might be borrowedfor application from elsewhere in Africa.• The role of the news media.Synthesis of Conference FindingsThe problem of desertification and its profound effects on the geographic area ofDarfur was considered a major source of profound ecological change. The advent ofdrought in the 1970s, leading to even more devastating drought during the 1980s,resulted in dramatic consequences. Some nomadic and agricultural activities, andthe slash-and-burn clearance of national forests, acted as major contributory factorsto soil nutrient depletion and reduced land productivity. Increased local demandsfor fuel, and growing pressures for higher levels of food production, led toshorter fallow periods and hence to the removal of the vegetation cover and thedismantling of the top soil layer on the Qoz sands. The ultimate result of this processwas the reactivation of the consolidated sand dunes and the advancement ofmoving sands, with all of their ecological and socio-economic consequences.According to Hassan Mangouri, University of Khartoum, in the face of the decliningincome, local populations opted for certain economic alternatives, whichin turn added to the process of degradation. Similarly, persistent drought conditionsin the northern parts of Darfur has had the effect of pushing the nomadicherders into the southern areas, who, in huge numbers, have searched for pastureand drinking water, intensifying the ongoing process of desertification and causinginter-tribal discord.A far-reaching effect of drought has been the decrease in land productivity.Farming is the main economic activity for more than eighty percent of Darfur’spopulation. Agricultural products such as millet, sorghum, groundnuts, and sesameare essential food sources as well as national cash crops. The production rate ofsuch crops is largely dependent on rainfall and the natural fertility of land. Deteriorationin both rainfall and land fertility has led to a sharp decline in the productionof rain-fed crops.Competition between settled pastoralist farmers and nomads is a feature of thenatural resources-based conflicts in Darfur. Abduljabbar Fadul, Vice-Chancellor, El-Fashir University, referred to eleven animal routes, which have been designated aspassages for nomads to pass through farmers’ plots during their movements fromsouth to north in the rainy seasons, and from north to south during the dry season.This arrangement was agreed upon by the Darfur local nomadic leaders and the settledfarmers in the early 1950s. Due to the deteriorating environmental conditions,15
- Page 1: ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATIONAS A CAUSE
- Page 4 and 5: Cover Photo:AU forces patrol Darfur
- Page 7 and 8: PREFACEThese essays were originally
- Page 9 and 10: AcknowledgementsThe conference was
- Page 11 and 12: Executive SummaryByMary E. King and
- Page 13: the theme of the conference, outlin
- Page 17 and 18: Deryke Belshaw, University of East
- Page 19 and 20: area in West Darfur of 1.5m feddans
- Page 21 and 22: on the interaction between conflict
- Page 23 and 24: Conflict In DarfurHistorical andCon
- Page 25 and 26: distributive centre and where the r
- Page 28 and 29: sues quite separate. Evidence for t
- Page 30 and 31: FOOTNOTES1It is not my purpose here
- Page 32 and 33: 20On other emerging ethnically-base
- Page 34 and 35: IntroductionTHE Greater Darfur regi
- Page 36 and 37: 2. Agriculture (Farming)Crop farmin
- Page 38 and 39: Secondly, the demand for mutton and
- Page 40 and 41: groundnut and sesame as sources of
- Page 42 and 43: The situation of drinking water in
- Page 44 and 45: ReferencesConference, Meleet, North
- Page 46 and 47: IntroductionTHE residents of the Um
- Page 48 and 49: Phase Two:This phase was a monitori
- Page 50 and 51: zone southward — and to use these
- Page 52 and 53: • Some water points in places lik
- Page 54 and 55: This study and the seminar organize
- Page 57 and 58: Land Tenure,Land Use andConflicts i
- Page 59 and 60: tain innovations called hakura (pl.
- Page 61 and 62: mands for food production. All thes
- Page 63 and 64: Hashab Tenure SystemHashab ownershi
experts to consider the deep-seated <strong>cause</strong>s <strong>of</strong> the discord, for pedagogicalpurposes.• To expose the major development needs that might reduce tension <strong>in</strong> the Darfurarea, and to <strong>of</strong>fer an understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> how the root <strong>cause</strong>s <strong>of</strong> the <strong>conflict</strong>might be addressed.• To produce reference materials for <strong>as</strong>sist<strong>in</strong>g teachers, <strong>in</strong> order to alert theauthorities and population <strong>of</strong> Darfur to the destructive impact <strong>of</strong> cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g<strong>environmental</strong> <strong>degradation</strong>.Are<strong>as</strong> <strong>of</strong> concernScholars and students from departments <strong>of</strong> politics, geography, sociology, medic<strong>in</strong>e,law, and agriculture, along with diplomats, politicians, and humanitarian organisationalstaff came together <strong>in</strong> an <strong>in</strong>terdiscipl<strong>in</strong>ary endeavour to address some <strong>of</strong> theroot <strong>cause</strong>s and to suggest possible solutions for the <strong>conflict</strong> <strong>in</strong> Darfur. Their differ<strong>in</strong>gare<strong>as</strong> <strong>of</strong> specialisation were reflected <strong>in</strong> the diversity <strong>of</strong> discipl<strong>in</strong>ary approachesto the problem. The venue w<strong>as</strong> a particularly excit<strong>in</strong>g opportunity for faculty andstudents <strong>of</strong> the Universities <strong>of</strong> Zal<strong>in</strong>gei, El-F<strong>as</strong>hir and Nyala <strong>in</strong> Darfur to presenttheir research f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs and to discuss issues <strong>of</strong> concern with a wide range <strong>of</strong> participants.Some <strong>of</strong> their recommendations called for closer cooperation between the UNaffiliated University for Peace (UPEACE) and universities <strong>in</strong> the region, proposals forcollaborative workshops, and jo<strong>in</strong>t research projects <strong>in</strong> the near future.Issues presented and discussed at the meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>cluded the follow<strong>in</strong>g:• Water use, enhanced land use, compensatory settlement, and <strong>conflict</strong> resolution.• Indigenous <strong>in</strong>stitutions and practices promot<strong>in</strong>g communal peace <strong>in</strong> Darfur.• Land tenure, land use, and <strong>conflict</strong>s <strong>in</strong> Darfur.• Effective natural resources management for susta<strong>in</strong>able peace <strong>in</strong> the region.• Darfur caught between <strong>conflict</strong> systems.• Environmental <strong>degradation</strong> and strife <strong>in</strong> Darfur: experiences and developmentoptions.• Combat<strong>in</strong>g desertification: an experience from Umm Kaddada district <strong>in</strong> e<strong>as</strong>tDarfur.• Peacebuild<strong>in</strong>g: a bridge between <strong>conflict</strong> resolution and peace.• Environmental <strong>degradation</strong>: governance, policies, and practices.• Reconstruct<strong>in</strong>g the common sociological and social characteristics <strong>of</strong> theethnic communities <strong>in</strong> Darfur.14
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