Evaluating Environmental Conflict Resolution: Theoretical and Empirical Perspectives From the Arab Region

Abstract

This study examines the growing importance of the environmental dimension in security variables, within the framework of the correlation between environment and security, particularly in the Arab region, where armed conflicts are often driven by competition over resources such as water, oil, and gold. When these environmental issues are weaponized, they hinder conflict resolution efforts and pose serious threats to both national security and human security in its broadest sense.
The study also explores the effectiveness of the Environmental Conflict Resolution (ECR) approach, which falls within the broader framework of environmental peacebuilding. It employs a qualitative case study methodology that analyzes secondary sources, policy documents, and UN resolutions.
Case studies, such as the conflict between Sudan and South Sudan and the Arab-Israeli conflict over water resources, demonstrate how ECR frameworks have been applied to promote cooperation in resource sharing and environmental management. The study also explores the links between environmental threats and security implications for fragile states, emphasizing the importance of adopting integrated conflict resolution strategies that incorporate environmental management.
Empirical evidence drawn from the cases of Sudan and South Sudan and the Arab-Israeli conflict highlights the limited effectiveness of the ECR approach in the absence of factors and conditions conducive to its success. Therefore, an environmental conflict resolution approach is necessary, but not sufficient, to achieve long-term peace; it should be integrated into comprehensive peacebuilding strategies to address the underlying political, economic, and other factors that fuel and complicate conflict.