The State and Nature: The Middle East

In this course we will study the environmental history and current environmental issues of Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, asking such questions as: How do states gain power through environmental governance? How is conservation practice political? How is water governed and how is it a political tool? What is the intersection between policy, politics, and the environment? The objectives of this course include providing students with an understanding of human-environment relations theory by addressing the regional specifics of modern environmental and social histories of these countries. We will study animals, water, and forests in the literature of Non-Governmental Organizations, UN Environment reports, media, policy papers, and academic literature. 3 hrs. sem.