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Drought May Further Threaten Darfur Peace

Ben Block — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:07:17 +0000

Amidst the turmoil in Sudan, add the possibility of drought.

The Sahel, the semi-arid region between the Sahara Desert and southern grasslands, has received above-average rainfall in recent years. But precipitation trends suggest that a period of drought is in the near future, which aid workers warn could spell trouble for ongoing peace efforts inDarfur.

"This is three years they've been above the statistical average [for rainfall]," said Andrew Morton, manager of the United Nations Environment Programme's conflicts and disasters program. "If you believe in statistics, there is no evidence it will continue."

The expected drier seasons loom over attempts by the international community to revive peace negotiations between the Sudanese government and Darfur's rebel factions. Water and land disputes are at the core of negotiations, and improved resource management is necessary to avoid further violence, Morton said.

The competition for water and fertile land is considered a driving force behind the violence that has killed more than 300,000 people in Darfur since 2003, according to the United Nations.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center forecasted earlier this month that Darfur's upcoming rainy season - July through September - could bring asmuch as 20 millimeters (0.79 inches) less rainfall than the 47-year average from 1955 to 2002.

"There is a better chance for below average rainfall than above average rainfall," said Wassilla Thiaw, manager of the center's international bureau, which provided the forecast for its African Desk. [See precipitation records for 2005,2006,2007,and 2008.]

A drought would likely be disastrous in Darfur, where the United Nations is struggling to provide basic human services such as water, food, and health care for an estimated one million people in need. The aid organizations that had provided many of these services were ousted by President Omar Al-Bashir on March 4 in response to an InternationalCriminal Court order for his arrest.

The United Nations is already warning that its resources are limited, announcing last week that it is unlikely to have sufficient funding to fuel its water pumps for more than a month.

In Darfur, previous droughts have led farmers to fence off their land, forcing nomadic herdsmen to look elsewhere to feed their livestock. The drier conditions, coupled with overgrazing and deforestation, expanded desertification and contributed to fierce land competition between ethnic groups.

In the 1980s, desertification and poor land management were blamed for the poor water conditions. Today, climate change is recognized as a contributor to the conflict.

In Northern Darfur, 16 of the 20 driest years on record have occurred since 1972, according to UNEP. The loss of heavy rains throughout Sudanis due in part to natural temperature fluctuations, but climate models have recently found a correlation between the warming of the Indian Ocean and a drying of sub-Saharan Africa.

"Amid the diverse social and political causes, the Darfur conflict began as an ecological crisis, arising at least in part from climate change," wroteU.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2007.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said in its 2007assessment [PDF] that some areas of the Sahel are expected to become drier while others may receive additional precipitation. But a 2007UNEP report focused specifically on Sudans aid regions on the fringe of the Sahara, including parts of Darfur, are expected to rise in temperature between 0.5-1.5 degrees Celsius by 2060. As a result, rainfall levels may decline by 5 percent.

Thiaw, however, said that the Sahel recently received more rainfall than would be expected if climate change were affecting precipitation levels. "Most models point to suppressed rainfall over the Sahel with climate change, but that's not what we've been seeing over the past 10 years," he said. "But 10 years is still a very short period of time when you're talking about climate change. Climate change is something that happens over 20-50 years."

A separate UNEP report[PDF], released earlier this month, warned that the United Nations often carries out post-conflict operations "with little or no prior knowledge of what natural resources exist in the affected country, or of what role they may have played in fueling conflict."

Over the past 60 years, intrastate conflict resolutions have been twice as likely to deteriorate if the fighting was associated with a natural resources dispute, the report said.

In response to UNEP's warnings, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Sudanis investing$5 million to reduce water consumption 30 percent and implement other environmental improvements throughout its 25 bases.

"We will put green visors onto the blue helmets, making peacekeepers more environmentally sustainable," said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, during an event at the Washington, D.C.-based WoodrowWilson Center on Tuesday.

For information on how communities in the region are attempting to adapt to these challenges, read "Building Resistance to Drought and Climate Change in Sudan" from State of the World 2009: Into a Warming World.

This article originally appeared on Eye on Earth, Worldwatch Institute’s online news service. Ben Block is a staff writer with the Worldwatch Institute. He can be reached at bblock@worldwatch.org.

photo credit: UNICEF

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(Posted by Ben Block in Refugees and Relief at 2:07 PM)

Drought May Further Threaten Darfur Peace

Ben Block — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:07:17 +0000

Amidst the turmoil in Sudan, add the possibility of drought.

The competition for water and fertile land is considered a driving force behind the violence that has killed more than 300,000 people in Darfur since 2003, according to the United Nations.

The United Nations is already warning that its resources are limited, announcing last week that it is unlikely to have sufficient funding to fuel its water pumps for more than a month.

In the 1980s, desertification and poor land management were blamed for the poor water conditions. Today, climate change is recognized as a contributor to the conflict.

"Amid the diverse social and political causes, the Darfur conflict began as an ecological crisis, arising at least in part from climate change," wroteU.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2007.

Over the past 60 years, intrastate conflict resolutions have been twice as likely to deteriorate if the fighting was associated with a natural resources dispute, the report said.

photo credit: UNICEF

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(Posted by Ben Block in Refugees and Relief at 2:07 PM)

The Death of the Land Mine-Detecting Flower

Julia Levitt — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:51:40 +0000

Research on the land mine detecting flower, which we posted about back in 2005 here and here, has come to an end.

The company behind the concept, Denmark-based Aresa, has discontinued work on the project, and has subsequently changed the company focus from biotechnology to investment. According to this press release issued in September,

The business model behind the landmine plant has become outdated and consequently aresa is changing its strategy to investment in mine contaminated land in Croatia. aresa intends to maintain its humanitarian focus, but now with a far less risky investment case for the stock.

The genetically modified flower, called RedDetect, was engineered to change color when its roots came in contact with nitrogen dioxide, a compound released by decaying chemicals used in explosives. The award-winning innovation had potential to become an important tool it detecting the presence of land mines, which kill thousands of civilians each year.

A previous release from Aresa states that the company transferred the RedDetect technology into a hardier host plant – tobacco – in March 2008. But the RedDetect concept was not progressing toward commercial development as quickly as the company had hoped, and (as this release from Aresa states), the growing use of mine-clearance machines has driven down the cost and increased the machines' status as the preferred method for mine clearance.

Thanks to Worldchanging reader Anthony Leiserowitz from Yale University for alerting us to this news.

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(Posted by Julia Levitt in Refugees and Relief at 10:51 AM)

GlobalGiving Goes Green

Sarah Kuck — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:11:28 +0000

Stories of distant, weather-rocked communities, from Katerina to China, Thailand to Africa, are enough to make any news reader feel a little helpless. The problems are big, and the ways support those trying to make a difference are often confusing. How do you chose what projects to support? How will you know your money is truly going to a beneficial, effective cause?

Helping to answer those questions is GlobalGiving Green, new philanthropy service helping to connect donors with community projects that support impoverished populations and reduce climate changing emissions.

The site is a sustainability focused spin-off of the already successful donation site GlobalGiving, a project created by two former World Bank executives (Editor's note: as Ben Block observed, the World Bank itself recently received poor internal reviews of its ability to prioritize sustainability projects.)

Like the original site, GlobalGiving Green also uses information and communication technology to allow users to search through a database of worldwide projects and donate to the one that speaks most strongly to their values and interests. GlobalGiving organizers hope that this strategy will strengthen the likelihood that people will give.

GlobalGiving Green showcases innovative projects that combat the intertwined problem of poverty and climate change. (Many traditional development projects actually increase greenhouse gas production, a sad irony because the natural disasters associated with climate change, like violent storms, flooding and drought, disproportionately affect impoverished communities.)

GlobalGiving Green visitors can choose which project they wish to donate to from four different categories: emissions reduction, reforestation, green technology and climate change education. Browsing each category by project takes visitors all over the world to see how their donation could support projects like sustainable agriculture in Indonesia, bring clean water systems to Mozambique, protect rainforests in Australia, or provide jobs and fuel efficient stoves in Honduras.

For example, donating to the 'Solar Electric Systems for 10 Low-Income Families', a volunteer-based program pictured below, 'helps make it affordable for low-income families to install solar energy systems on their homes, reducing energy costs and having a positive impact on the environment.'

GGG's "How You Can Help" allows donors to choose a level at which they're comfortable giving, and let's them know exactly what their money is going toward:

$50 - Purchases 25 energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs.
$100 - Provides solar training for one volunteer.
$250 - Pays for permit fees associated with one solar electric installation.

GGG allows donors and community-project leaders to connect directly and exchange information on the site. All project leaders provide updates and write blogs tracking the progress of the projects, so that visitors can gauge the success of each one. Donors are also encouraged to participate in the conversation by commenting on why they chose the project or by giving feedback to project leaders.

A project makes it onto GGG if it helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provides sustainable, positive economic growth, aids the culture and environment of a community, and/or helps educate future generations so they can take sustainable development into their own hands. GGG is partnering with scientific consulting firm Eco-Securities to help evaluate and review each projects’ benefits and impacts before it is given the 'green leaf' of approval.

The real strength of GGG, however, is not just that it allows the people wanting to help to choose for themselves how to do so, but also that it helps needy communities bypass outdated industrial models that would only further exacerbate their problems, and instead provides them with tools to let them pull themselves out of poverty, sustainably.

Photo description and credit: GlobalGiving Green.

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(Posted by Sarah Kuck in Refugees and Relief at 4:11 PM)

Are Myanmar’s Storm Victims Suffering Needlessly?

Ben Block — Sun, 11 May 2008 18:11:36 +0000

As the floodwaters of Cyclone Nargis began to recede from Myanmar's low-lying Irrawaddy Delta this week, at least one regional leader was quick to note that this devastating disaster could have been partially prevented through better coastal management.

Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), mentioned in an address in Singapore that expanding coastal populations and widespread mangrove degradation played key roles in worsening the cyclone's impact. Much of the damage from the cyclone was caused
by storm surge, powerful waves whipped up by the high winds.

"The mangrove forests, which used to serve as buffer between the rising tide, between big waves and storms and the residential area... all those lands have been destroyed," Agence France-Presse reported him saying. "Human beings are now direct victims of such natural forces."

Mangrove forests, salt-tolerant trees and shrubs found mainly in intertidal areas of the tropics, provide critical breeding grounds and habitat for many plants and animals, including several high-value fish species. Ever since the 2005 Indian Ocean tsunami that devastated parts of Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Thailand, mangroves have received greater attention for their potential role in protecting coastlines against storm surges. But their role as coastal guardians - including in places like the Irrawaddy Delta - is still disputed within the scientific community.

Of the 100,000 people who Myanmar officials say have perished or face imminent death if they do not receive humanitarian aid in the wake of the May 2 cyclone, many had lived in areas once covered with mangrove forests. Myanmar is home to some of the largest remaining forested areas in Southeast Asia. However, the government junta often encourages citizens to convert mangrove forests into shrimp aquaculture facilities or rice fields. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that Myanmar lost about 9 percent of its mangrove forests - 48,500 hectares - between 1980 and 2005.

Mangrove roots hold together the shifting silt and other debris that flows down a delta and shapes coastal landscapes. By deterring erosion, mangroves prevent the debris from washing inland and damaging agricultural land. "It's pretty...clear, looking around the world, that it is generally accepted that mangroves help stop erosion and protect coastland," said Mark Spalding, a senior marine scientist with The Nature Conservancy.

Mangrove branches and roots may also reduce the surging energy of a massive storm wave as it approaches inland. "There are lots of structures that add friction to the movement of water through this fringing mangrove forest," said Ivan Valiela, a marine biologist with Woods Hole Research Center in Massachusetts.

But to effectively study the role of mangroves in slowing wave action, researchers need to compare a severely damaged mangrove coast with a similar mangrove coast that was not heavily affected. This has proven to be a major limitation and has prevented scientific consensus, said Valiela, editor of the journal Estuarine, Coastal, and Shelf Science.

Finn Danielsen, a senior ecologist with the Nordic Agency for Development and Ecology who researched the protective power of mangroves during the Asian tsunami, said computer simulations have accurately measured the effect of mangroves. "There is no doubt that mangroves could have absorbed some of the energy of Hurricane Nargis," he said. "It is true that other factors also play a role, but this does not mean that the role of coastal tree vegetation is smaller."

Tom Smith, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, considers himself one of the world's few researchers who challenges whether mangroves affect a wave's forces. Data on the subject is "scant and meager," Smith said. He considers studies that have relied upon computer simulations, satellite imagery, and field studies to be flawed.

Smith concedes that many researchers are uncomfortable with his conclusions, due to concerns that this may slow the momentum of ongoing mangrove conservation efforts. But, he said, more emphasis should instead be placed on relocating people farther inland, which would protect them from dangerous oceanic storms and also help preserve mangrove forests.

According to the United Nations, nearly half of the world's population lives within 150 kilometers of a coast, and more are projected to move there in coming years due to population growth and tourism. Myanmar is no exception to this trend. The recent cyclone flooded the city of Yangôn, home to more than 4 million people, as well as several other cities of between 100,000 and 500,000 people. "Poorly constructed homes in low-lying, incredibly exposed areas... It's just set-up for this sort of disaster," Smith said.

Ben Block is a staff writer with the Worldwatch Institute who covers everything environmental for Eye on Earth. He can be reached at bblock@worldwatch.org.

Photo credit: NASA

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(Posted by Ben Block in Refugees and Relief at 10:11 AM)