Environmental Justice and the Discourse of Peace Building in Ethiopia

Abstract

This paper is intended to explicate the nexus of the issue of environmental justice and peace building practices in Ethiopia. In line with this, it expounds the significance of environmental justice dimension of peace building process in the country. Better understanding of the links between environmental issues and human security is vital for effective conflict prevention, peace building and post-conflict rebuilding. Yet, in this country, significant attention was not given to this environmental dimension of peace building process. Since every single of conflicts that happen in the country is politicized, this ecological approach is often obscured. Furthermore, there is no significant literatures and research investigations on this issues .Thus, for the fact that there are different environmental injustices that highly contribute for a range of violent conflicts in the country, it is argued that comprehensive restoration of lasting and sustainable peace is impossible without restoring environmental justice and solving environmental problems therein. In this article, by using analytic approach and personal observation, the findings of the study indicate that there is a considerable prevalence of environmental injustices such as pollution, resource depletion, coercive eviction of local people from their farm land and settlement, unfair or disproportionate share of environmental advantages and disadvantages, oppression of some group of people to dominate and exploit their resources, and forceful confiscation of one’s land and resources around the border,– which one way or another contribute a lot for violent conflicts and instability throughout the country.

Keywords: Environment, Environmental Justice, Peace, Peace building, Conflict

DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/10-11-05

Publication date:June 30th 2020