This colloquium will focus on critical perspectives on the ‘securitisation’ of water, land, food, energy and climate change debates. It is organised by the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and the Institute of Development Studies / STEPS Centre.

See a short report of the symposium, including video interviews with the speakers

Download the event announcement (pdf, 539kb)

Working paper: Not another Nexus? Critical Thinking on the New Security Convergence in Energy, Food, Climate and Water
STEPS Working Paper 75, November 2014

Is security the new vocabulary of the post-2015 MDG world? If so, what does this tell us about the institutional and political character of the development industry today? What does it mean to securitise water, food, energy and the climate?  Is this securitisation enhancing local people’s wellbeing and rights or is it allowing new actors to increase processes of enclosure and commodification of existing limited natural resources?  Is securitisation ultimately reducing or increasing the insecurities of poor and marginalised people?

Speakers include:

• Larry Swatuk  (Waterloo University, Canada) A Nexus for Whom? Water resources, social justice and environmental insecurity
• Itay Fishhendler (The Hebrew University, Israel ) Who is securitizing the environmental discourse, why and what are its potential implications?
• Richard A Matthew (Schools of Social Ecology and Social Science at the University of California at Irvine, USA )  Climate change, security and development

Format

Presentations will be followed by a ‘fishbowl’ discussion with several panellists from academia, policy and practice, which will encourage audience participation.  The proceedings of the colloquium will be used to write a Working Paper. All participants will be invited to contribute to the writing process, which will be led by the colloquium’s organisers.

Registration

Participation is free. However, because of restricted numbers, we request you to register by October 16.

To register, please email [email protected] including your name, affiliation, and your focus interest/question regarding the ‘nexus’ theme. Registrations will be confirmed not later than 19 October. Lunch and drinks will be provided.

Location

The Institute of Education and SOAS are located right next to each other.

Nunn Hall is located on Level 4 of the IOE (directions and maps).

The drinks reception will be held in the Staff Common Room is on the first floor of College Buildings – Old Building (see campus map).

Organisers

This event is organised by Peter Mollinga, Laura Hammond and Anna Lindley (SOAS) and Lyla Mehta, Jeremy Allouche and Alan Nicol (IDS / STEPS Centre)