Beyond Humanitarian Aid: Reclamation and Reconstruction of Contaminated Soil, Degraded Water Resources and Farmer Livelihoods from Wars and Conflicts

Abstract

Wars and conflicts leave behind degraded ecosystems, contaminated soils, polluted waters, farmers without livelihoods, food and nutrition insecurity, and poverty. The post-war band-aid of humanitarian aid is short-term and inadequate. Food and nutrition secure communities and nations require investments in an abundant and nutritious food supply and robust farmer livelihoods that produce society’s food. Central challenges are lack of scientific recognition of farmers’ roles, fragmentation of scientific information and weak systems applications to the reclamation and reconstruction of agricultural lands, rural livelihoods and food systems destroyed by conflict and war. Farmers are key partners in helping scientists develop research frameworks and on-the-ground experimentation with recovery approaches and new technologies.

Farmers need to be reconnected to the land--help in assessing what they need to be successful and access to knowledge and tools to restore/regenerate their soil and rebuild household and national food and nutritional security. There is a need for multi-level systems approaches: expansion of farmers’ “solution toolbox” for regenerating and reclaiming contaminated local soil and water resources and Guiding Principles for Reconstruction of War-ravaged Agricultural Lands and Waters to guide policy, planning and implementation to enable the co-production of food and nutrition security, livelihoods and natural resource reclamation.