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Topic 1: Marine and Coastal Ecosystems

One of the UNEP’s main goals is to protect and care for the different global ecosystems. By encouraging research, new information and data can help direct efforts towards effective programs that benefit both the environment and humans. Marine and coastal ecosystems are one of the three main ecosystems researched by the UNEP, and it covers marshes, coral reefs, and seas. There is massive interaction between the environment and humans in this sector. For example, marine plant life is responsible for generating much of the Earth’s oxygen, and marine animals are a major source of food for populations around the world. Unfortunately, this ecosystem is threatened by both environmental changes and human action. Warming temperatures and natural disasters sparked by climate change are influencing biodiversity, as are over fishing and pollution. As these ecosystems are altered, they are less resilient to disaster.

The Ecosystem Management Program is the UNEP’s major program in helping to care for all types of ecosystems. It focuses on research and data collection, information sharing, and action programming. All of the subtopics discussed fit well into this framework. This topic is important because it is on the forefront of UNEP programming. Progress in ecosystem management can have huge benefits in the future, making it a necessary component of international discussion. It is also an example of how plants, animals, and humans are interconnected in both positive and negative ways.

Topic 2: Environment in Post-Conflict Africa

Many different states in Africa have faced or are currently facing devastating conflict. Tensions over ethnicity, religion, and the struggle for control over natural resources have long term and wide spread consequences. In addition to the physical and emotional devastation created by war, conflict leaves the environment severely damaged. If and when peace is restored, communities are left without resources or usable land. Often, the initial disputes over resources, which may not have been resolved, are exacerbated by the poor conditions, leading to renewed conflict over the same problems.

The UNEP plays a role in both sides of this topic: the influence of natural resources in creating conflict and the impact of that conflict on other areas in the environment. One of the key aspects of the organization’s role in this topic is the recovery of the environment in rebuilding communities. Currently, the UNEP has programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Sudan that are working with governments and communities to overcome the environmental setback that conflict has created. Humans can also harm their environment in post conflict zones in a number of ways. First, people are not always aware of the best strategies to use when rebuilding homes, infrastructure, farms, and businesses. This lack of planning can further damage the environment in the short and long term. Another important element is ensuring that people properly manage and use natural resources after conflict in order to minimizing potential resurgences in conflict due to overuse of resources and competition for power. While the UNEP cannot write laws that mandate who has control over what resources, it can work with governments and other UN agencies to create national strategies for successful resource management and international guidelines for buying and selling resources in an environmentally friendly manner. Because this topic deals with conflicts that many students will already be aware of (even if not in depth), it will be approachable while still providing a new and important perspective on conflict. Also important is the fact that the topic provides a clear link between the negative impact that humans have on the environment, and how, in turn, a degraded environment debilitates communities.