Worldwatch suggests humanitarian and political action

Conflict and "un-natural" disasters have taken a heavy toll in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, yet new analysis from the Worldwatch Institute shows important lessons can be learned from the countries' differing responses to these difficult circumstances.

In Indonesia's Aceh province, the December 2004 tsunami killed some 170,000 people, more than ten times as many as perished in Aceh's 29-year war for independence. The disaster convinced the government and rebels that peace was indispensable for rebuilding. But in Sri Lanka, where the toll of the 1983-2002 civil war far surpassed the number of tsunami victims, bickering over tsunami aid reinforced ethnic and political divisions that may lead to resumed conflict.

"While grim in its origin, post-disaster humanitarian action can be a powerful catalyst for overcoming deep human divides," says Michael Renner, senior researcher and director of the Institute's Global Security Project. "But humanitarian impulses must be translated into tangible political change, or else lasting peace may not be achieved."

Renner recently returned from a fact-finding mission to Aceh, where he observed unexpectedly positive developments in the current peace process. But Renner cautions that the world community needs to keep close watch on this process to prevent backsliding and to reinvigorate a sluggish reconstruction effort that could become, in itself, a cause for resentment and new conflict.

In recognition of the dramatic rise in the numbers and impacts of disasters worldwide, Worldwatch has initiated a major research and public policy project on "un-natural" disasters, conflict, and peacemaking. Many of the earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods that battered the globe last year can be categorized as "un-natural disasters" because their impact was greatly exacerbated by human actions-including wetlands destruction, global warming, and population growth.

The Institute's new project focuses on the effects of disasters in areas already stressed by violent conflict. Activities and outputs include:

• An assessment of human-influenced disaster trends, and the prospects for peacemaking in Aceh and Sri Lanka, in Worldwatch's newly released State of the World 2006 report.
• A series of Policy Briefs analyzing specific cases where conflict and disaster have intersected, for the purpose of distilling key lessons and making policy recommendations.
• A new Worldwatch web portal that presents current disaster trends, provides opinion pieces and analysis, offers links to information from partner organizations, and details the Institute's research activities and speaking engagements on disasters and peacemaking.