environmental degradation as a cause of conflict in - Steiner Graphics

Deryke Belshaw, University of East Anglia, proposed a number of innovativeland use and development strategies for the region of Darfur, suggesting the needfor strengthening local land tenure, farmers associations, and credit institutions.He stressed the necessity to replicate successful local experiences and promisingimports in response to people’s interests and preferences. He recommended therapid collection of a large amount of relevant information, to be analysed andsubsequently used in designing effective reconstruction and development strategies.He also encouraged the use of natural resource base-soil, water, vegetation,appropriate technologies, improved products, family enterprises, and improved institutionsand infrastructure at the local level. Such steps would have the effect ofenhancing productivity rapidly in both the settled agriculture and nomadic pastoralistsystems.Curriculum for Environmental EducationThe need for developing an environmental education curriculum was raised, andeducation planners were urged to devise a countrywide blueprint for environmentaleducation, with the support of national and international experts and specialisedinstitutions. Such a plan should provide a teaching education curriculum, the designationof comprehensive training courses, and a plan for methods and tools forstudy materials. The syllabus should undertake to encourage positive and friendlyattitudes among children towards the environment and engage them in lively activitiesthat contribute to the rehabilitation of the ecosystem.Dr Mangouri gave the example of a local teacher: El-Sayed Abu Hamad, in El-Fashir town, who engaged more than a thousand pupils in planting trees withinthe town perimeters. Education programmes should be linked with plans announcedby national institutions, in order to ensure the continuation of functioning programmes,which promote environmental protection and the planting of trees. Projectssuch as ‘food for work’ should be revitalised to incorporate the efforts of asmany local persons as possible in environmental conservation tasks.Diffusion of Knowledge on Resource-based ConflictsSources of information on the environment are usually inaccessible for persons inrural areas, and a great need exists to create mechanisms for the dissemination ofbasic knowledge on environmental degradation and desertification, and their consequentdisturbing effects. It is equally important to adopt a research strategy thatwould promote thorough investigation and increased understanding of environmentalissues leading to improved social stability. Institutions of higher learning need17