Managing the tensions between a maximalist approach to environmental protection and anthropocentric peacebuilding

While protection of the environment can play an important part in building a positive peace in the aftermath of armed conflict, the potential tensions between a maximalist approach to environmental protection and anthropocentric peacebuilding are real. The distributional consequences of natural resources management can have profound impacts on the durability and quality of a contested peace. A maximalist, ecocentric approach to environmental protection will often demand that the benefits from natural resources be reduced. The resulting tensions cannot be eradicated. There are, however, potential ways to manage them. This chapter will begin by mapping out the tensions between anthropocentrism and ecocentrism, particularly given the need for local legitimacy in peacebuilding. It then discusses the problem of objectively measuring ecocentric harm and potential ways to manage tensions. It concludes with an analysis of the value of ecocentrism to combat the tendency to overvalue short-term results in favour of intergenerational equity.