Environmental Conflict Analysis: the Ecological Economics Approach

Giorgos Kallis, ICREA Professor

Environmental Conflict AnalysisThe approach of Ecological Economics

2nd International Summer School on Environmental Conflicts and Justice

4 July 2011. Barcelona, Spain

Institute of Environmental Science and Technology Autonomous University of Barcelona

Introduce to you the distinctive analytical approach to environmental conflicts that we follow here in Barcelona and by comparison, orient you to the different approaches that will

be covered in this School.

• Make explicit (ex-post) the analytical and methodological approach.

Aim of this presentation

• Brief introduction to Ecological Economics

• Main features of EE approach to environmental conflicts

• Comparison with other approaches to environmental conflicts

• Research directions

Outline

• Brief introduction to Ecological Economics

• Main features of EE approach to environmental conflicts

• Comparison with other approaches to environmental conflicts

• Research directions

Outline

(Social) Ecological Economics

• Brief introduction to Ecological Economics

• Main features of EE approach to environmental conflicts

• Comparison with other approaches to environmental conflicts

• Research directions

Outline

Main features

Unit of analysis

Canadian-owned copper mine in Mirador, Ecuador

Vocabulary

Explanation of conflict

Growth => Global metabolism => Extraction at frontiers =>

Injustice => Popular movements of resistance => CONFLICT

Analytics

Seeing a social decision outcome as a multi-criteria process where power and institutions decide the relevant “weights” of values/criteria

Methods

Normative/epistemological position

Vedanta vs. the villagers

• Brief introduction to Ecological Economics

• Main features of EE approach to environmental conflicts

• Comparison with other approaches to environmental conflicts

• Research directions

Outline

Political Ecology

Conflict and peace studies

Comparison

BCN OSLO MCH

Unit of analysis Conflict Countries Territories - communities

Scale Local (Inter)National Multi-scale

Conflict intensity Low to medium Violent All (incl. silenced)

Conflict type Extraction, plantations, infrastructures, waste

Climate variation, water

Land-use, cities, commodification, water, energy and minerals

Causes Social metabolismInjustice

MultipleUnderdevelopment & Poor governance

CapitalismExploitation(Post)colonization

Method/sources Case-studiesAction research

National regressions Case-studiesDiscourse analysis

Seeing like: Protesters Western scientists Working classthe Marginalized

Theory Ecological Economics International studies MarxismPost-structuralism

View of conflict Productive Bad Good

Response Environmental JusticeDegrowth

DevelopmentLiberal Democracy

RevolutionReal democracy

• Brief introduction to Ecological Economics

• Main features of EE approach to environmental conflicts

• Comparison with other approaches to environmental conflicts

• Research directions

Outline

Research directions

Thank you!

giorgoskallis@gmail.com