go to top scroll for more

Projects

Projects: Summary of Projects by Region
Projects in Region Scotland involving University of Edinburgh : ES/N005740/1
Reference Number ES/N005740/1
Title Rethinking Environment and Development in an Era of Global Norms: Exploring international politics of justice on carbon forestry and hydropower
Status Completed
Energy Categories Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Other bio-energy) 10%;
Renewable Energy Sources(Hydropower, Large hydropower (capacity of 10 MW and above)) 10%;
Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Environmental, social and economic impacts) 80%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields SOCIAL SCIENCES (Law) 40%;
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Development Studies) 40%;
AREA STUDIES (Middle Eastern and African Studies) 10%;
AREA STUDIES (Asian Studies) 10%;
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Policy and regulation) 25%;
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Other sociological economical and environmental impact of energy) 75%;
Principal Investigator Dr M Zeitoun
No email address given
Development Studies
University of East Anglia
Award Type Standard
Funding Source ESRC
Start Date 30 January 2016
End Date 30 November 2017
Duration 22 months
Total Grant Value £162,296
Industrial Sectors
Region East of England
Programme DfId
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Dr M Zeitoun , Development Studies, University of East Anglia (99.995%)
  Other Investigator Dr J Fisher , School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh (0.001%)
Dr H Schroeder , Development Studies, University of East Anglia (0.001%)
Dr HPH Dhungana , Untitled, Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (0.001%)
Dr M Mason , Geography and Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) (0.001%)
Dr N Ali , Law, University of East Anglia (0.001%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract The research responds to the unprecedented emergence of global environmental norms intended to reconcile natural resource management with poverty alleviation. Prominent examples of such norms are the social safeguards included in global conventions and the human rights-based rulings of international courts. The norms possess the potential to transform development practice in the future, so long as they effectively support poor people's claims on natural resources and rights to sustainable livelihoods.The increasing significance of global environmental norms challenges research to develop new theory on the dynamics of environment and development that attends to cross-scale relationships between local environmental struggles, environmental mobilizations and global norms. This research employs an environmental justice lens to examine the effects of global environmental norms on poverty alleviation in the Global South through explorations of forests and water.The proposed research expands the political ecology approach through attention to notions of environmental justice and cross-scale environmental politics. Notions of justice are at the core of many environmental struggles, as they inform people's claims and practices in relation to natural resources. Justice conceptions are also an integral component of international environmental politics and global environmental norms. Thus ideas about justice are an integral element of environmental politics across scales, connecting local struggles to mobilizations at national and international levels as well as the conceptions informing global norms - or causing dissonances between them.Research in stage 1 proceeded by way of four case studies from Nepal, Sudan and Uganda on how marginalized people's struggles in reaction to carbon forestry and hydropower projects are, or are not taken up in environmental mobilizations, and how this uptake does, or does not contribute to increases in wellbeing.The particular objectives guiding the research in stage 2 are to:(1) Generate empirical insights on the resonance of global norms and international mobilisations with environmental struggles by examining international politics of justice on carbon forestry and hydropower.(2) Combine the empirical insights from stage 1 and 2 to develop new theory on cross-scale dynamics of environment and development.(3) Support practitioners involved in environmental mobilisations in generating impact in low-income countries through novel forms of engagement.Research in stage 2 will trace references to the struggles examined in our stage 1 research in negotiations over the so-called Safeguards on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and international court cases dealing with hydropower projects in the South. The research team will synthesize their findings in a theoretical and two case-based journal articles. In addition, the insights fromstage 1 and stage 2 will inform the development of a theoretical paper on cross-scale dynamics of environment and development. The project team will also expand the cooperation with environmental activists on the basis of the insights gained in stage 1 research, using think tanks and workshops to create new forums for engaging activists, professionals and government officials. Such forums facilitate involved actors to develop shared ideas about justice and apply them to the REDD+ Safeguards and international water law
Data

No related datasets

Projects

No related projects

Publications

No related publications

Added to Database 05/12/17