Environmental Peacebuilding and the Transferability of EcoPeace Middle East’s Strategy

Abstract

Environmental peacebuilding is a theory of conflict management used by EcoPeace Middle East in the Jordan River Valley. The theory posits that despite a seemingly intractable conflict, communities that come together for the protection of their common natural resources can simultaneously build a foundation for peace while also helping the environment. This study assessed the potential transferability of EcoPeace’s environmental peacebuilding model to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH). Two primary questions were proposed: What organizational, strategic, and contextual factors enable or constrain each organization's activities and progress?" and "What factors should EcoPeace consider when assessing the transferability of their environmental peacebuilding model to the HKH region?” In-person interviews were conducted with nine interviewees in Kathmandu, Nepal at the ICIMOD headquarters. A semi-structured interview guide was used to better understand staff perceptions of organizational, contextual, and strategic factors that influence the work being done. Additionally, publicly available information was collected to understand how those three broad factors influence the work of EcoPeace Middle East. Key limiting factors of the transfer of the environmental peacebuilding model include the genesis of the organizations, the geography and scope of the conflict being operated within, the existing international policies, and the broader strategies pursued. Additional organizational factors identified in the study include the focus of the work, funding, staffing decisions, and short-term vs. longterm progress. Other contextual factors identified include the sense of urgency in the region and additional strategic factors include data-sharing and collaboration with private industry. Despite limitations in scope, this study highlights the important organizational, contextual, and strategic factors that an organization should consider when transferring a model to another conflict or region.