ARI’s Environmental Politics Program seeks to place the environment at the heart of research, policy, and activism in MENA. We approach the environment not simply as a set of natural resources, but also as a shared public space, a domain of public health, and an arena of political economy. For us, environmentalism is not a “technical” issue, but rather inseparable from MENA’s broader political and economic discussions, requiring regular and engaged dialogue between different constituencies and disciplines and an amplification of the voices of those most affected by environmental damage.
The program brings together a network of scholars, practitioners, and activists to:
- create a community of practice to share new ways of thinking about environmental conditions, challenges, and potentials;
- foster trans-regional linkages among activists and movements advocating for environmental justice;
- showcase the experiences of local communities contending with environmental injustices; and
- identify critical locations and margins of manoeuvre for environmental change.
