Conflict-sensitive landscape management is proving successful in mitigating conflict in parts of central Africa.

A story on the blog of the Landscapes for People, Food and Nature initiative outlines how “effective resource management can not only address sources of grievance and reduce the propensity for conflict, it can also present an opportunity for environmental peace building”.

Local and national conflict over natural resources (including land) is affecting small-scale farmers in countries such as Rwanda, Uganda and Congo who depend on their forests and natural resources for their livelihoods and food security.

An integrated landscape approach to mitigating conflict – which considers the range of natural resources and human uses in the area – is having some positive impacts. For example, the introduction of a well-managed, productive agroforestry system in central Niger has reduced local conflict. Rules have been negotiated on how resources can be used and managed, placing more responsibility on local people.

The article outlines steps that can be taken to analyze conflict situations and design programs that consider the natural resources and people or institutions involved to ensure local communities have ownership, access, and rights to resources that preserve their livelihoods. Such an approach relies on bringing “the right people to the table in the right sequence and at the right time to find common solutions to problems of environmental management”. The result can be better natural resource management which reduces pressure and competition for resources.

Read the full story: Becoming Conflict-Smart