Environmental Politics

ARI’s Environmental Politics Program seeks to place the environment at the heart of research, policy and activism in MENA. The program brings together a network of scholars, practitioners and activists working on environmental justice across the MENA region.

Launched in 2022, the program has since taken part in four UN climate conferences (COPs), published two books, and convened six landmark regional conferences bringing together voices from across the MENA region.

A few key figures

2022
Program launched
4
Research pillars
2
Books Published
30+
Active Civil Society partnerships

Our approach

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. It is inseparable from MENA’s broader political and economic discussions, and requires regular, engaged dialogue between different constituencies and disciplines, as well as an amplification of the voices of those most affected by environmental damage.

Our work also critically examines the role of international institutions, such as the European Union, the World Bank, UN agencies and regional development banks, in setting environmental policies in the region and defining what counts as an environmental hazard or crisis.

Our research pillars

Environmental activism
From land-use protests in Egypt to water mismanagement in Basra, environmental activism is growing across MENA. We study its forms, demands and modes of organization, document State responses, and link activists and researchers across countries.
National governance
National decision-making on the environment in MENA is a black box. We map and analyze governance structures and the politics around them to develop recommendations that address environmental justice concerns.
Local initiatives
Environmental policy is experienced locally, and the local is often where solutions emerge. We document local practices, from ancestral water sharing in Morocco to food sovereignty in Tunisia, and ask whether they can be replicated or scaled up.
Environment in conflict
Wars in Yemen, Syria and Libya are causing severe environmental damage and leaving societies less resilient to droughts and floods. We analyze the nexus of conflict, climate change and environmental governance, and lessons for environmental peacebuilding.

Community of practice

Creating a community of practice to share new ways of thinking about environmental conditions, challenges and potentials.
Movement linkages

Fostering trans-regional linkages among activists and movements advocating for environmental justice.
Local voices

Showcasing the experiences of local communities contending with environmental injustices, and identifying critical locations and margins of manoeuvre for environmental change.

Network of Utility Reform – The NOUR Coalition

The NOUR Coalition brings together ten Lebanese organizations, research centers and universities working on Lebanon’s energy crisis. It exists not as yet another institution, but as a platform for collective knowledge and unified advocacy, avoiding duplicated efforts and developing blueprints to help state institutions rebuild and sustain energy solutions.