Environment and natural resource-related conflicts: moving towards transformational approaches

This issue investigates strategic approaches to address conflicts across the globe that centrally involve natural resources and the environment. Our authors are concerned with transformative rather than management approaches as they challenge the boundaries of policy and theoretical debates with rich description and analysis of unique case studies where different approaches are attempted. The cases examined in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America involve conflicts related chiefly to the land, water, forests and protected parks. Several authors identify ideological, economic, geographic and identity-based exclusion mechanisms as playing a central role in entrenching conflict involving natural resources. In responding to these conflicts, most of the authors argue in favour of structural changes to eradicate the causes. However, the nature of the conflicts, and the high numbers of the parties involved, often require complex inter-institutional approaches rather than short-term technological fixes. Several authors point out that long-term transformation should be based on the establishment, or re-establishment, of local stewardship mechanisms. All the articles appear to share the ultimate aim of identifying means for building peace and development which are sustainable in regions that have experienced ongoing war involving natural resources.