Hardback
Climate Security and Climate Justice
Recognizing Context in the Sahel
9781035325177 Edward Elgar Publishing
This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License. It is free to read, download and share on Elgaronline.com.
Bringing climate security and climate justice into dialogue, this topical book uses the Sahel as a case study to discuss the contrast between these two approaches and how they tend to lack an engagement with social, historical and political contexts. Tor A. Benjaminsen introduces the international debate on climate security, with a particular focus on Mali as a ‘hub’ country of the current security crisis in the Western Sahel.
Bringing climate security and climate justice into dialogue, this topical book uses the Sahel as a case study to discuss the contrast between these two approaches and how they tend to lack an engagement with social, historical and political contexts. Tor A. Benjaminsen introduces the international debate on climate security, with a particular focus on Mali as a ‘hub’ country of the current security crisis in the Western Sahel.
More Information
Critical Acclaim
Contents
More Information
Bringing climate security and climate justice into dialogue, this topical book uses the Sahel as a case study to discuss the contrast between these two approaches and how they tend to lack an engagement with social, historical and political contexts.
Tor A. Benjaminsen introduces the international debate on climate security, with a particular focus on Mali as a ‘hub’ country of the current security crisis in the Western Sahel. Providing a critique of simplistic narratives, he develops the idea of ‘recognition’ as a neglected aspect of justice in the literature on the Sahel, as well as in policy and media debates. Chapters cover topics including colonization, desertification and forest governance; pastoralism, moral economies of resistance and Jihadism; materialist political ecology; and green transformation, afforestation, land dispossession and context. The book ultimately demonstrates how issues of climate justice across Africa are embedded in the politics of social transformation towards low-carbon societies in rich countries.
This book is an invaluable resource for students and scholars of climate justice and climate change, peace and security studies, environmental and development studies, geography and political ecology. Its practical implications are vital to environmental policymakers, NGO employees and climate activists worldwide.
Tor A. Benjaminsen introduces the international debate on climate security, with a particular focus on Mali as a ‘hub’ country of the current security crisis in the Western Sahel. Providing a critique of simplistic narratives, he develops the idea of ‘recognition’ as a neglected aspect of justice in the literature on the Sahel, as well as in policy and media debates. Chapters cover topics including colonization, desertification and forest governance; pastoralism, moral economies of resistance and Jihadism; materialist political ecology; and green transformation, afforestation, land dispossession and context. The book ultimately demonstrates how issues of climate justice across Africa are embedded in the politics of social transformation towards low-carbon societies in rich countries.
This book is an invaluable resource for students and scholars of climate justice and climate change, peace and security studies, environmental and development studies, geography and political ecology. Its practical implications are vital to environmental policymakers, NGO employees and climate activists worldwide.
Critical Acclaim
‘This open access book is an important resource for understanding the intricate interplay of climate change, security, and justice in the Sahel. Based on his extensive knowledge of the region and nearly four decades of fieldwork, Benjaminsen offers a rich, historically grounded analysis, skilfully bridging the largely disconnected debates on climate security and climate justice.’
– Nina von Uexkull & Lion Kircheis, Journal of Peace Research
‘The problems of the Sahelian region have long been used to illustrate simple environment and development narratives, with climate-induced environmental scarcity now presented as a major cause of the problems of insecurity in the region. Tor A. Benjaminsen takes a grounded and historically contextualized political ecological approach to demonstrate convincingly how these simple but destructive narratives have flourished within a socially-produced ignorance stemming in large part by a lack of recognition of the knowledge, humanity, and rights of Sahelian people. It is a must read not only for those interested in the region but in climate justice and security more broadly.’
– Matthew Turner, University of Wisconsin-Madison, US
‘This is a brilliant, must read book based on decades of research, and written with great care and understanding; using climate justice debates, Tor A. Benjaminsen effectively challenges the simplistic narratives about the claimed connections between insecurity, conflict and climate change. Further he demonstrates how these representations of the Sahel have served to dispossess and restrict people.’
– Rosaleen Duffy, University of Sheffield, UK
‘Climate Security and Climate Justice is a brilliantly grounded illustration of the absurd gap between climate-crisis discourse and the lived realities in the Sahel. Benjaminsen shows how conflicts and damages, speciously blamed on climate change, are a product of socio-historical political-economic forces. This book is a tour de force – a must-read for anyone working in the Sahel, or in drylands worldwide. Indeed, the findings apply to many other environmental discourses and ecozones. Benjaminsen shows exactly how climate-change discourses cloud out the social production of injustice.’
– Jesse Ribot, American University, US
‘This is an important and accessible synthesis of Tor Benjaminsen’s work, that demonstrates convincingly how international climate policies in the Sahel rely upon problematic mis-readings of local contexts, to deeply damaging effect. If you want to understand what’s wrong with contemporary climate security and justice frameworks, then read this book.’
– Jan Selby, University of Leeds, UK
– Nina von Uexkull & Lion Kircheis, Journal of Peace Research
‘The problems of the Sahelian region have long been used to illustrate simple environment and development narratives, with climate-induced environmental scarcity now presented as a major cause of the problems of insecurity in the region. Tor A. Benjaminsen takes a grounded and historically contextualized political ecological approach to demonstrate convincingly how these simple but destructive narratives have flourished within a socially-produced ignorance stemming in large part by a lack of recognition of the knowledge, humanity, and rights of Sahelian people. It is a must read not only for those interested in the region but in climate justice and security more broadly.’
– Matthew Turner, University of Wisconsin-Madison, US
‘This is a brilliant, must read book based on decades of research, and written with great care and understanding; using climate justice debates, Tor A. Benjaminsen effectively challenges the simplistic narratives about the claimed connections between insecurity, conflict and climate change. Further he demonstrates how these representations of the Sahel have served to dispossess and restrict people.’
– Rosaleen Duffy, University of Sheffield, UK
‘Climate Security and Climate Justice is a brilliantly grounded illustration of the absurd gap between climate-crisis discourse and the lived realities in the Sahel. Benjaminsen shows how conflicts and damages, speciously blamed on climate change, are a product of socio-historical political-economic forces. This book is a tour de force – a must-read for anyone working in the Sahel, or in drylands worldwide. Indeed, the findings apply to many other environmental discourses and ecozones. Benjaminsen shows exactly how climate-change discourses cloud out the social production of injustice.’
– Jesse Ribot, American University, US
‘This is an important and accessible synthesis of Tor Benjaminsen’s work, that demonstrates convincingly how international climate policies in the Sahel rely upon problematic mis-readings of local contexts, to deeply damaging effect. If you want to understand what’s wrong with contemporary climate security and justice frameworks, then read this book.’
– Jan Selby, University of Leeds, UK
Contents
Contents:
Preface
1 Climate security, climate justice and recognition
2 Colonisation, desertification and forest governance
3 Pastoralism, moral economies of resistance and jihadism
4 Materialist political ecology of a farmer–herder conflict
5 Green transformation, afforestation, land dispossession and context
6 Climate security and climate justice: taking context and science seriously
Bibliography
Preface
1 Climate security, climate justice and recognition
2 Colonisation, desertification and forest governance
3 Pastoralism, moral economies of resistance and jihadism
4 Materialist political ecology of a farmer–herder conflict
5 Green transformation, afforestation, land dispossession and context
6 Climate security and climate justice: taking context and science seriously
Bibliography
