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
touched the ground, and the king was never seen eating. Dr O’Fahey noted that theextremely complex ethnicities in the area that defy simple explanations, and that‘colour-coding’ does not work.For hundreds of years, a well-run sultanate had been contingent on environmentalissues. The British conquered Darfur in 1916, ending the sultanate’s politicalcontrol, yet they retained the sultanate system. They continued to use the sametitles within the local administration. Dr O’Fahey confirmed that Darfur was themost indirectly ruled part of Sudan until the 1970s. According to Dr O’Fahey, ‘Theabolition of traditional rules, with no substitute of another functioning system, isat the heart of the current conflict, because there was no response to the environmentalcrises of the 1960s. The political decisions of the 1970s are at the core ofthe crisis today’.The serious endangerment of natural resources in the area, if no preventive andcorrective measures are taken soon to rescue the ecosystem from complete deterioration,will bring the entire area to a point of no return, and a last opportunityfor action will have been missed forever. Policy makers, researchers, civil societyinstitutions, and the international community should learn from the lessons of pastmissed opportunities.RecommendationsRecommendations were made by experts in relevant areas, drawing on a series offield studies and experimental work accomplished over a period of three decades.Most of the presentations were given by professionals who had led national andinternational projects in the Darfur area in cooperation with the central governmentand international organisations, and which were concerned with issues ofdesertification, population, and development. Top-down vertical development modelsare not applicable, in the judgement of most presenters. To confront the rootcauses of the conflict and to help the people of Darfur find permanent solutions fortheir problems, important steps need to be undertaken. They may be summarisedas follows:• Fair and just post-Naivasha arrangements, which include financial compensationfor loss of property and life, need to be implemented so that opportunitiesare offered for enhanced livelihoods in both rural and urban locations,and for all affected parties.• The organisation and conducting of a regional seminar to disseminate knowledgeon economic and social aspects of environmental degradation.• The establishment of a research centre, which could provide a pool of data,new techniques for the accumulation of data, analyses, and empirical studies20
on the interaction between conflict and the environment.• The development of ecological and inter-communal early warning indicators.• The development of an environmental education system with special focus onchildren.• Solutions are needed at the political level, so that a sustainable peace can beachieved.• Following the signing of any peace accords, it is imperative to establish apost-war land commission for land tenure and use, which can adopt an acceptableand flexible approach based on openness and free consultations with theconcerned local leaders.• The demobilisation of tribal militias and the employment of long-term disarmamentplans, including the curbing of easy access to small weapons in theregion.• Local administration should have the support of the government for the importantadministrative tasks that they must undertake, and such support shouldnot be politically motivated.• Improved farming systems and technologies are crucial for the rehabilitationof deserted fields and the increase of their agricultural productivity.• Increased investment in agriculture and improved marketing systems are criticallyneeded.• Encouragement of investment in environmental management would be prudent.• Investment in rural infrastructure; roads, power and drinking water is a toppriority.• Increase resource use efficiency.• Systems that can provide early warning of impending conflicts need to bedeveloped as quickly as possible.• Rehabilitation of the hashab trees and their combination with millet are recommendedas urgent measures to reconsolidate the reactivated sand dunesand to contribute to an increase in farmers’ income.• Concentration of in-migrating nomads around water points for long periodsshould be strictly avoided.• Wood cutting in settlement surroundings for various purposes should be rigorouslyavoided.• The successful experiences of some villages in conserving trees in settlementperimeters—through the efforts of the inhabitants themselves—should befollowed in all affected areas.• Improvements in livestock husbandry should be instituted through the controlleduse of the pasture, by accurately calculating the Land Carrying Capacityin terms of Livestock Standard Unit (L.S.U.).21
- 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 and 14: the theme of the conference, outlin
- Page 15 and 16: • The question of warrior culture
- Page 17 and 18: Deryke Belshaw, University of East
- Page 19: area in West Darfur of 1.5m feddans
- 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
- Page 65 and 66: co-exist at the local level where e
- Page 67 and 68: IndigenousInstitutions andPractices
- Page 69 and 70: abs. In the past they had been invo
touched the ground, and the k<strong>in</strong>g w<strong>as</strong> never seen eat<strong>in</strong>g. Dr O’Fahey noted that theextremely complex ethnicities <strong>in</strong> the area that defy simple explanations, and that‘colour-cod<strong>in</strong>g’ does not work.For hundreds <strong>of</strong> years, a well-run sultanate had been cont<strong>in</strong>gent on <strong>environmental</strong>issues. The British conquered Darfur <strong>in</strong> 1916, end<strong>in</strong>g the sultanate’s politicalcontrol, yet they reta<strong>in</strong>ed the sultanate system. They cont<strong>in</strong>ued to use the sametitles with<strong>in</strong> the local adm<strong>in</strong>istration. Dr O’Fahey confirmed that Darfur w<strong>as</strong> themost <strong>in</strong>directly ruled part <strong>of</strong> Sudan until the 1970s. Accord<strong>in</strong>g to Dr O’Fahey, ‘Theabolition <strong>of</strong> traditional rules, with no substitute <strong>of</strong> another function<strong>in</strong>g system, isat the heart <strong>of</strong> the current <strong>conflict</strong>, be<strong>cause</strong> there w<strong>as</strong> no response to the <strong>environmental</strong>crises <strong>of</strong> the 1960s. The political decisions <strong>of</strong> the 1970s are at the core <strong>of</strong>the crisis today’.The serious endangerment <strong>of</strong> natural resources <strong>in</strong> the area, if no preventive andcorrective me<strong>as</strong>ures are taken soon to rescue the ecosystem from complete deterioration,will br<strong>in</strong>g the entire area to a po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong> no return, and a l<strong>as</strong>t opportunityfor action will have been missed forever. Policy makers, researchers, civil society<strong>in</strong>stitutions, and the <strong>in</strong>ternational community should learn from the lessons <strong>of</strong> p<strong>as</strong>tmissed opportunities.RecommendationsRecommendations were made by experts <strong>in</strong> relevant are<strong>as</strong>, draw<strong>in</strong>g on a series <strong>of</strong>field studies and experimental work accomplished over a period <strong>of</strong> three decades.Most <strong>of</strong> the presentations were given by pr<strong>of</strong>essionals who had led national and<strong>in</strong>ternational projects <strong>in</strong> the Darfur area <strong>in</strong> cooperation with the central governmentand <strong>in</strong>ternational organisations, and which were concerned with issues <strong>of</strong>desertification, population, and development. Top-down vertical development modelsare not applicable, <strong>in</strong> the judgement <strong>of</strong> most presenters. To confront the root<strong>cause</strong>s <strong>of</strong> the <strong>conflict</strong> and to help the people <strong>of</strong> Darfur f<strong>in</strong>d permanent solutions fortheir problems, important steps need to be undertaken. They may be summarised<strong>as</strong> follows:• Fair and just post-Naiv<strong>as</strong>ha arrangements, which <strong>in</strong>clude f<strong>in</strong>ancial compensationfor loss <strong>of</strong> property and life, need to be implemented so that opportunitiesare <strong>of</strong>fered for enhanced livelihoods <strong>in</strong> both rural and urban locations,and for all affected parties.• The organisation and conduct<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> a regional sem<strong>in</strong>ar to dissem<strong>in</strong>ate knowledgeon economic and social <strong>as</strong>pects <strong>of</strong> <strong>environmental</strong> <strong>degradation</strong>.• The establishment <strong>of</strong> a research centre, which could provide a pool <strong>of</strong> data,new techniques for the accumulation <strong>of</strong> data, analyses, and empirical studies20
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