Environmental stressors, natural resources and human security

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Environmental stressors, natural resources and
human security

• Siri EriksenDepartment of Sociology and Human
  GeographyUniversity of OsloP.O.Box 1096
  BlindernNO-0317 Oslo, NorwaySiri.eriksen_at_sgeo.ui
  o.no

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Human security

• the condition when and where individuals and
  communities have the options necessary to end,
  mitigate, or adapt to risks to their human,
  environmental, and social rights have the
  capacity and freedom to exercise these options
  and actively participate in attaining these
  options.

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A need to shift the focus

• Most policy attention so far has been on climate
  risks
• Some attention has been paid to macro-level and
  sectoral adjustments
• However, a micro-level and multi-sectoral focus
  is needed
• Increased focus is needed on local response
  capacity and on drivers of vulnerability

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Message 1 Responses take place in a context of
multiple stressors

• People experience a multiplicity of risks
• Multiple stressors are both environmental and
  societal in origin
• Local systems of natural resource use can be
  sensitive to pressures from outside
• Sources of vulnerability link across space such
  as between urban and rural areas and across
  international borders, as well as across sectors
• These interactions influence the capacity to
  respond to climate-related events

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Message 2 Vulnerability context is highly
differentiated

• The vulnerability context varies from place to
  place, between individuals and over time
• Groups are not homogenous
• There are hidden and unexpected sources of
  vulnerability
• Vulnerability and poverty are not synonymous
• Interventions can inadvertedly increase exposure
  to stressors and reduce response capacity

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Message 3 Peoples responses to multiple shocks
and changes are intrinsically political processes

• There is continuous negotiation of competing
  interests between groups
• Policy attention and investments have been skewed
  towards commercial farmers and large land owners
  at the expense of smallscale resource users
• Most populations have a poor negotiating position
  in labour and trade markets that lock them into
  unreliable and short term survival type
  strategies at the expense of long term livelihood
  security

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Main challenges

• Ensuring peoples access to means of ensuring
  well-being, including social infrastructure,
  cultural rights, employment, economic activities
  such as farming, and natural resources
• Strengthening the ability of vulnerable
  populations to influence political processes,
  policy development, economic changes and natural
  resource management systems and hence ensure
  their adaptation interests