A sustainable Middle East in a turbulent world?

Bringing together researchers from across Lund University, this panel explores the prospects and challenges of achieving sustainability and peace in the Middle East amidst escalating ecological pressures, political instability, and ongoing conflicts. Bringing together interdisciplinary expertise from peace diplomacy, political ecology, human geography, and water resource engineering, the discussion examines how environmental degradation, protracted conflicts, everyday peacebuilding and diplomacy intersect, shape the region’s future and the possibilities for a more sustainable future in the region.

This event will be held in English.

Participants:

Moderator: Lisa Strömbom, CMES and Department of Political Science.

Speaker: Karin Aggestam, CMES and Department of Political Science.
Title: “The prospect of sustainable peace diplomacy”.

Speaker: Pinar Dinc, CMES and Department of Political Science.
Title: “No Sustainability Without Peace: Rethinking Sustainability Through Peace Ecology and the Kurdish Question”.

Speaker: Maria Andrea Nardi, CMES and Department of Human Geography.
Title: “The challenges of everyday life peacebuilding with nature in North and East Syria”.

Speaker: Hossein Hashemi, CMES and Department of Water Resources Engineering.
Title: “The Middle East Under Pressure: Drought, Dust Storms, and Sinking Land”.

Additional Information

No registration required. The event is free and open to all.
Organiser: Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies
 

The event is part of Sustainability Week 2026, which runs between 13-18 April. Sustainability Week is an annual event in Lund organised as a joint venture by Lund University and Lund municipality. The week serves as a platform for bringing together ideas, raising public awareness and for inspiring sustainable change.