In the span of only a few decades, new big data ecosystems and a combination of frontier technologies, including social media, artificial intelligence, blockchain, earth observation, and crowd-sourcing have become critical to monitor and address natural resources management, environmental degradation, climate change, and human security.

The application of these new methods of data generation and use are enabling practitioners, policymakers and the private sector to develop tailored solutions for world regions experiencing climate, environmental, and natural resource-driven conflict. These methods offer great potential for conflict and disaster early warning, horizon scanning, conflict monitoring, cooperative resource management, natural resources traceability, land use planning and much more. Despite the rapid proliferation of these methods, however, the environmental peacebuilding field still lacks comprehensive principles for the application and governance of these new technologies.

To address this gap, a core group of researchers and practitioners from the Environmental Peacebuilding Association and the United Nations Environment Programme are collaborating to assess the different applications of frontier technologies for environmental peacebuilding at all phases of the conflict lifecycle. The case studies will be presented through a digital platform as well as a written policy report, highlighting both the benefits and risks posed by this rapidly evolving field.