Toward indigenous methodologies and environmental peacebuilding: A study on water projects in Nepal

Environmental peacebuilding, both in research and practice, demonstrates the potential of preventing, minimizing, and mitigating conflict, particularly in postwar societies. However, the complexities of the environment have not yet been fully considered. In consequence, environmental peacebuilding may involuntarily perpetuate violence instead of building peace. The paper aims to begin filling these theoretical and methodological gaps by critically examining the conceptual aspects of the “environment.” Studying through a postcolonial lens and applying indigenous methodologies, the paper reorients environmental peacebuilding scholarship by focusing on the politics of two drinking water projects in the eastern hills of Nepal. The study highlights the theoretical and methodological challenges of overemphasizing material aspects of resources that are embedded within the “environment.” The paper contends that the environment should not be deemed important only from material and usability perspectives but also for its historical and sociopolitical dimensions within the local community context. The paper concludes that ignoring these dimensions further obscures the conceptual and practical interlinkages between the environment, conflict, and peace. This, in turn, can undermine environmental peacebuilding efforts, a crucial approach to addressing climate change-induced conflict.