What does political ecology tell us about the environmental crises in the Middle East
Registration essential
Christian Henderson is assistant professor at Leiden Institute for Area Studies at Leiden University, Netherlands. His research focusses on the agrarian political economy and the political ecology of the Middle East and North Africa. His work has previously been published in the Journal of Peasant Studies, Environment and Planning A, Review of African Political Economy and the Journal of Arabian Studies.
Title and abstract:
What does political ecology tell us about environmental crisis in the Middle East?
Like many parts of the world, the environment in the Middle East is in crisis. Climate change, biodiversity loss and unsustainable material extraction will have the same detrimental consequences for life as elsewhere on the planet. In recent years, however, the state of the environment in the Middle East has been framed in a sensationalistic manner; with little evidence, it is blamed for conflict and migration and is predicted to lead to societal collapse. Using a lens of political ecology, this talk will illustrate how these assumptions are problematic; they are rooted in a Western perception of the environment in the Middle East that is determined by cultural and political imaginaries. Political ecology also tells us that the current policies enacted by regional states to address sustainability will probably fail, on the basis that they are technopolitical. But it also tells us that there is a potential for an alternative that offers a more optimistic future, albeit one that requires radical change and a departure from the current system.
Date:
3 December 2021, 17:00
Venue:
ZOOM WEBINAR
Speaker:
Dr Christian Henderson, Assistant Professor at Leiden Institute for Area Studies, Leiden University
Organising department:
St Antony's College
Organiser:
MEC Administrator (St Anthonys College)
Host:
MEC Administrator (St Anthonys College)
Part of:
Middle East Centre Friday Seminar Series
Booking required?:
Required
Booking url:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oJOeoh8fS0moNGmmNZD_NA
Cost:
FREE
Audience:
Public
Editor:
Stacey Churcher
