Post-conflict Economic Development Research Articles

EBRD financing in Kosovo (2013-2020): Impact and strategies

Purpose: This paper analyzes the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's (EBRD) strategic financing roles in Kosovo from 2013 to 2020, focusing on economic impacts and developmental progress. Methodology: Employing a quantitative and comparative approach, this study utilizes secondary data analysis, supported by statistical tools in Microsoft Excel, to evaluate the effectiveness of EBRD investments in various sectors within Kosovo. Results: The findings reveal significant EBRD investments, primarily in SMEs and infrastructure, contributing to competitive gains and sustainable development. The study details the volume of investments and their distribution across different sectors, highlighting substantial impacts on employment and green energy initiatives. Theoretical Contribution: This research enriches the literature on international financial institutions' roles in post-conflict economic development, providing a nuanced understanding of the EBRD's strategic priorities and operational outcomes in transitional economies. Practical Implications: The study offers policymakers and development agencies insights into practical strategies for leveraging international finance for economic growth and sustainability. Recommendations are provided to enhance the focus on renewable energy and infrastructure, aligning with global sustainable development goals.

Revitalizing from Ashes: Economic Development and Business Resilience in the City of Vukovar

The paper examines a paradigmatic example of post-conflict economic development of Vukovar, Croatia. It represents a pertinent case study for localities encountering analogous challenges, most notably urban areas in Ukraine in the near future. The war that broke out in 1991 brought significant human casualties, population displacement, and extensive destruction of residential, social, and economic infrastructure. The completion of the peaceful reintegration of Vukovar into Croatia’s legal system in 1998 marked the beginning of the socio-economic revitalization process. The research scrutinizes the primary impediments and prospects for Vukovar’s economic growth, probing why substantial investments in reconstructing housing, transport, communal infrastructure, and fiscal incentives for businesses have not paralleled its economic performance. It concentrates on the local business climate and influential factors as potential explanations for this discrepancy. The topic was designed as a case study and was covered by document analysis, survey method, and semi-structured interviews. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study collates perspectives from entrepreneurs and business support institutions. The results confirmed that reconstruction of housing and social infrastructure is necessary, but more conditions are needed for successful post-conflict economic development, and that the business climate in lagging local units highly depends on state- and locally designed business-support measures.

‘(Re)ordering’ North Waziristan, Pakistan: Post-Conflict Transition, Borderland Dynamics, and Spatial Identities

ABSTRACT North Waziristan is emerging from an episode of terrorism that lasted for decades. Critically examining the dynamics of borderlands, this paper explicates the intersection of informal cross-border trade with the local economy and livelihoods. These socio-economic patterns created by ungoverned geographies, and porous uncontrolled borders foster a dependence on the informal economy, which is largely responsible for financing and perpetuating the instability. The paper signposts that effective border management and ongoing security reconstruction have contributed to rejuvenating the local economy and providing the necessary impetus for post-conflict economic development, keeping widespread unrest and militancy on hold.

Heritage trails and the framing of place authenticity in Belfast’s Titanic memoryscape

ABSTRACT Titanic heritage tourism has recently become a major objective in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as civic leaders look to leverage the infamous liner’s local origins to advance the city’s post-industrial, post-conflict economic development. Much of this activity has centred on the Titanic Quarter, a new residential, commercial, and cultural district emerging in the historic docklands of East Belfast. This district is home to Titanic Belfast, an ostentatious, new-build visitor attraction created to tell a celebratory, Belfast-focused Titanic origin story. Titanic Belfast is surrounded by numerous heritage elements once associated with the Harland and Wolff shipyards where Titanic was built, which have been incorporated into two heritage trails traversing the Titanic Quarter. This article draws on literature related to authenticity, heritage trails, and memoryscapes to interrogate how these trails underscore the place authenticity of the heritage assets dispersed throughout the Titanic Quarter. It also examines how these trails position Titanic Belfast as the focal point of a vast and coherent maritime heritage memoryscape, revealing a symbiotic relationship whereby Titanic Belfast draws people and capital to the area while the authentic heritage elements nearby furnish the ‘credibility armour’ needed to justify this grandiose new signature attraction and the celebratory narrative it offers visitors.

Blockchain for environmental peacebuilding: application in water management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to spur further exploration of blockchain technologies for environmental peacebuilding, specifically through water management. Although the environmental peacebuilding field acknowledges the potentially transformative nature of frontier technologies, most existing studies do not address how such technologies can contribute to peacebuilding through improved natural resource governance. Using a theory synthesis research design, this conceptual paper connects these studies to discuss how blockchain technologies in water management may contribute to environmental peacebuilding through the efficient and transparent management of natural resources.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a conceptual approach and a theory synthesis research design to present potential mechanisms through which blockchain technology can potentially contribute to environmental peacebuilding.FindingsThe authors discuss the limitations in the literature on environmental peacebuilding, blockchain and water management, concluding that the third generation of studies should focus on the role of frontier technologies. This approach should especially address the negative consequences of technology for peacebuilding objectives. The authors argue that blockchain applications in water management can potentially contribute to environmental peacebuilding objectives in three ways: (i) creating a mechanism for confidence-building in low-trust contexts through automated and transparent water transactions, (ii) facilitating postconflict economic development through attracting capital and increasing the efficiency of water management and (iii) improving governance through greater transparency and local participation in natural resource management.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to conceptually explore the use of blockchain technology for water management in the context of environmental peacebuilding. The insights from this study can guide policymakers of conflict sides that focus on resolving issues such as lack of governance and low state agency.

Integrated evaluation of energy system in Sri Lanka: a multidimensional sustainability perspective

ABSTRACT Increase in energy demand in Sri Lanka caused by rapid economic growth needs to be tackled in a sustainable way. Thus, this research intends to retrace the path of energy development during the last two decades from a multidimensional sustainability perspective which in return will help predicting its future behaviour. Integrated approach consists of a system dynamic model developed based on economic and socio-demographic factors, an indictor-based framework with stakeholder participation and a scenario analysis. Results show post-conflict economic development has taken a toll on the overall sustainability of the energy system which has become stagnant since 2010. Alternative scenarios suggest supply-side energy reforms have the highest impact on lessening the environmental burden of the energy system. Findings can provide insights and a structure guidance for the decision-makers to set the energy sector of Sri Lanka on a sustainable development path that is imperative in the long run.

Conclusión. Ver patrones, encontrar diversidad: investigar y comprometerse con el género y la construcción de la paz en Indonesia y Nigeria

These concluding remarks sum up some of the key themes arising in this thematic volume’s contributions, chapters that cover a breadth of different gendered aspects of peacebuilding in Indonesia and Nigeria, including the post-conflict experiences of women ex-combatants; women and land conflicts; arts, gender and peacebuilding; the gendered dynamics of post-conflict economic development; gender, spirituality and peacebuilding; gender-based violence; and the ethics of researching these issues and ‘giving back’. Throughout this volume, we have documented a broad variety of ways in which gender interweaves with peacebuilding, but also similarities in the emerging patterns, around how gender and peacebuilding are understood, how integral gender is to identity and how gender is mobilised as a resource. These remarks also summarise some of the challenges and gaps we encountered, such as the risks of silencing and essentialising of gender identities, and the continued need to go beyond simplistic notions of ‘adding gender’ to peacebuilding process, practice and research.

Nepal’s Social Security Reforms, State-building and the Role of Trade Unions

Trade unions play an important role in Nepal’s post-conflict economic development, but their influence is under-studied. Using a qualitative case study, this article examines the negotiations surro...

Marking Territory: Modeling the Spread of Ethnic Conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1992-1995

In order to study post-conflict economic development and social change in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), it is necessary to control for variation in the effect of conflict on each local community. To do this, we first explore the variation in nature, severity, and incidence of conflict during the 1992-1995 war. The conflict narrative is coded by type and date of an incident; these data are then related to indicators of pre- and post-conflict population composition, and presence of industrial, transportation, or military infrastructure. We then use OLS and IV regressions to attempt to identify the community determinants of where and when fighting will occur within a war. The results across the four sets of regressions indicate that ethnic composition is the primary initial determinant of conflict type and intensity, with more diverse communities suffering more conflict and greater intensity of fighting. We conclude that any analysis of post-conflict economic development needs to control for the variation in pre-war ethnic diversity and differences in pre- and post-conflict ethnic composition. Subsequent studies will seek to understand the effect of conflict typology, intensity, and community type on landmine placement and the effect of landmines on post-conflict social and economic development.

Street Level Bureaucrats and Post-conflict Policy-making: Corruption, Correctives, and the Rise of Veterans’ Pensions in Timor-Leste

ABSTRACT Much has been made of the ‘imperial’ influence of international actors (Chopra 2000) and their view of Timor-Leste as a petri dish for post-conflict development. However, this view obscures the ways in which conflict-era actors and their networks shape core decision regarding resource allocation. This article examines the political economies of resistance-era networks in the post-conflict period, focusing specifically on the large-scale pensions programme. The article argues that these former fighters tasked with registration verification serve as ‘street level bureaucrats’ and have re-shaped the programme to reflect their views of the conflict and interests. This is not a trivial matter – in 2015 the programme consumed 9 per cent of the national budget – and this work suggests that pensions should be viewed as a core aspect of post-conflict economic development in Timor-Leste and, more broadly, that the role of conflict actors in defining such programmes is essential to understanding redistributive policies after conflict.

Peace with Hunger: Colombia’s Checkered Experience with Post-Conflict Sustainable Community Development in Emerald-Mining Regions

The interactions between conflict and local development has puzzled scholars and practitioners alike. This article explores why the advent of peace in Colombia’s emerald-mining regions for the past few years, as well as a broader national peace process, has not delivered the expected development dividends among mining communities. We contrast differences in stakeholders’ perceptions between levels of governance (local, regional and national). Based on the research, we conclude that while stakeholder collaboration is successful at the regional and national levels of governance, it fails at the local level. While peace has allowed an increase in mainstream business investment in mining, this has concentrated production in a few hands leading to a deterioration in many aspects of community livelihoods and wealth distribution. There has been a shift in the concentration of wealth and production from traditional elites to large companies. Communities noted a loss of collective assets and lack of community and institutional capacity to overcome pressing issues in a post-conflict market economy that favors those who control capital and technology. Based on an evaluation of community perceptions through a focus group methodology, this study recommends ways to prepare and better coordinate stakeholders to engage with complex relationships, and protect community assets in a collaborative governance scenario. This research suggests that political reconciliation processes amid complex resource geographies require greater devolution and community engagement on post-conflict economic development during the peace process itself.

Between Demos and Ethnos: The Nepal Constitution and Indigenous Rights

AbstractThis article examines the contested reception of the Convention concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries (“ILO Convention 169”) in Nepal, particularly in the context of current constitutional reform and post-conflict economic development. Compelling evidence suggests that exclusionary political institutions, laws and structures have been the major cause of exclusion in contemporary Nepal. While Nepal is home to a range of different ethnic, language, religious and caste-based groups, the Adivasi Janajati (around 37 per cent of the population) consider themselves indigenous peoples. With such a sizeable minority, Nepal was the first and so far only Asian country to ratify the ILO Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention 169, which has considerable significance in a context of state restructuring and the accommodation of indigenous rights. The form of recognition of indigenous rights in the constitutional drafting process has created much heat, particularly over questions of autonomy and federalism, control over natural resources and land and quotas for political representation, but with less light concerning political consensus. The ILO Convention 169 has figured prominently in this process with various interpretations by different actors. Reconciling international meanings of this treaty with national interpretations used for political purposes in Nepal foregrounds a paradox existing between liberalism (in the form of rights and freedoms) and equality (democracy). Through a range of disciplinary methods, this article analyses the background to indigenous demands, the political and legal contestation over the interpretation of ILO 169 and the specific case of natural resources.

Post-conflict pro-poor private-sector development: The case of Timor-Leste

Post-conflict economic development is central to reducing poverty and improving local livelihoods. In this regard, many post-conflict development plans place a high priority on private-sector development. This paper examines the role of the private sector in post-conflict situations and discusses possible interventions for economic recovery based on a review of the literature and fieldwork in Timor-Leste. The paper identifies key factors critical to pro-poor private-sector development in post-conflict situations, with particular reference to Timor-Leste, considers some of the major obstacles, and suggests public policies to identify promising export products and to strengthen small and micro enterprises that might help the country to achieve pro-poor economic recovery and growth.