Environment, Human Security, and Conflict

This course examines the linkages between environmental conflicts and human security. The global rise in conflicts associated with control of natural resources (water, food, energy resources), has exposed the tensions between traditional notions of security and human-centred security concerns. Students will conduct in-depth analyses of cases of environmental conflicts around the world in order to identify the key actors, their projected values and interests, as well as the implications of different alternatives from a human security perspective. While the course highlights the politics behind conflicts, it includes contributions from other disciplines and fields.