Peace and the Environment

Working to strengthen peace, social cohesion, and community resilience by fostering inclusive, sustainable, and peaceful management of natural resources in Central Africa. The program recognizes the close link between environmental issues and inter-community relations. Ecosystem degradation, pressure on natural resources, and difficulties in accessing land, water, or livelihoods can heighten vulnerabilities and create or exacerbate local tensions. The programme recognizes that environmental challenges and relationships between communities are closely intertwined. Ecosystem degradation, pressure on natural resources, and difficulties in accessing land, water or livelihoods can heighten vulnerabilities and create or worsen local tensions. In the Great Lakes region, shaped by decades of conflict and displacement, these pressures fall first on the most vulnerable: displaced families, women, young people and marginalized communities. While climate change does not cause conflict on its own, it can deepen grievances, undermine livelihoods and increase the risk of violence. Conversely, fair and shared management of resources can become a lever for dialogue, trust and reconciliation. Our ambition To make environmental protection a tool for peacebuilding, so that access to land, water and natural resources becomes a source of cooperation rather than division. Our areas of intervention Peaceful management of natural resources: supporting dialogue among communities, resource users and local authorities to prevent and resolve disputes over land, water and other resources. Environmental education and awareness: strengthening environmental awareness among young people and communities through campaigns, workshops and field activities. Climate resilience and livelihoods: promoting sustainable, income-generating solutions, such as the production of eco-friendly biochar by displaced women, which shows that climate action and peace can reinforce each other. Youth and women’s leadership: supporting their meaningful participation in environmental decision-making and peace processes, recognizing them as agents of solutions rather than mere beneficiaries. Advocacy and climate justice: amplifying community voices with decision-makers to promote responsible, transparent and inclusive governance of resources. Our approach Participatory and inclusive, it starts from local realities: communities themselves identify problems, propose solutions and implement them through training, intercommunity dialogue, consultation spaces and community initiatives. Expected impact Reduced tensions linked to access to natural resources Stronger social cohesion and trust between communities Improved resilience to the effects of climate change Greater inclusion of young people and women in local environmental governance