Researcher: Dr. Stuart Schoenfeld, Department of Sociology, Glendon, York University.
Research Questions: (1) What are likely impacts of climate change and ecological degradation on the Eastern Mediterranean’ (2) How do those involved in decades of regional hostility and conflict talk about environmental issues’ (3) Can environmental cooperation be a strategy for regional peacebuilding’
Methodology: 1) Continual monitoring of reports on climate change and ecological degradation in the Eastern Mediterranean, (2) examination of environmental narratives – how those involved in Middle East conflict talk about environmental issues, (3) identification and investigation of those organizations that promote regional cooperation.
Results and Conclusions: (1) The blog ‘Environment and Climate in the Middle East’ contains current regional environmental news, (2) There are different types of environmental narratives in the region. Nationalist narratives give idealized (and unreal) portraits of ancient people living in harmony with nature. Narratives of sustainable development emphasize human ingenuity, adaptability and technological creativity. Narratives of environmental justice emphasize power relations, with some people subject severe environmental stress and others controlling scarce resources. Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, Lebanese and others in the region sometimes use similar narratives and sometimes use contrasting ones. (3) Despite regional conflicts of various kinds, some organizations are working on an agenda of regional environmental cooperation. They believe that cross-border cooperation is necessary to respond to the environmental crisis. They work to involve professionals, politicians and the grassroots in a shared vision of an ecologically sustainable and just future.
Dissemination of Results: The blog ‘Environment and Climate in the Middle East‘ is the internet face of the research project. In addition to current environmental news, it also has links to the cross-border regional environmental groups in the Middle East and resources on environment and peacebuilding. Professor Schoenfeld edited Palestinian and Israeli Environmental Narratives (2004) and with others in the project has published journal articles and book chapters on environmentalism and peacebuilding in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Impact on the Discipline: This project is part of a larger effort to understand the relationship between environmental stress and conflict, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, strategies for using shared environmental needs as a basis for peacebuilding. There is research on both the politics of these issues and the experiences of people engaged in environmental peacebuilding.
Impact on Society and Potential Users: The research is at the crossroads of two major global issues: how humanity responds to the environmental crisis and how to respond to seemingly intractable conflicts in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Other Involved Parties: Asaf Zohar, Ilan Alleson, Arava Institute for Environmental Studies
Key Words: environmentalism, climate change, peacebuilding, Middle East, Israel, Palestine