Forests are fundamental environmental resources, crucial for biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration and landscape resilience, and for the survival of all species on the planet. Thus, the...Show moreForests are fundamental environmental resources, crucial for biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration and landscape resilience, and for the survival of all species on the planet. Thus, the phenomenon of deforestation has interested a number of researches, which have identified development dynamics, namely extractivist commodity crop agriculture and indigenous displacement, as its major drivers. Sustainable development (SD) is the most widely accepted approach to curb this phenomenon. However, SD projects have produced mixed results, while opportunities offered by more radical approaches, such as post-development, have been overlooked in the literature. This research takes the example of degrowth as a post-development critique and analyses the case study of the Zapatista Autonomous Communities (ZACs) in the Mexican state of Chiapas. It investigates to what extent Zapatista agricultural strategies mitigate deforestation caused by extractive commodity crop agriculture and indigenous displacement. On the basis of a triangulation of literature review, qualitative content analysis and unstructured interviews, this thesis argues that Zapatista agricultural practices represent a crucial opportunity to mitigate deforestation in Chiapas. Indeed, Zapatista price settlement mechanisms and farming practices offer an effective alternative to extractive commodity crop agriculture and, by fostering the resurgence of indigenous communities, oppose the cultural consequences of indigenous displacement.Show less
The aim of the thesis is to explore the largest environmental movement in Malaysia’s history – the anti-Lynas movement – through a case study analysis. The campaign emerged as a response against...Show moreThe aim of the thesis is to explore the largest environmental movement in Malaysia’s history – the anti-Lynas movement – through a case study analysis. The campaign emerged as a response against the construction of the Lynas Advanced Material Plant (LAMP), a rare earth refinery plant in West Malaysia. The anti-Lynas movement argued that the opening of the facility would have negative environmental and health consequences due to the lack of proper waste management facilities for radioactive components such as thorium and uranium. Despite having scientific evidence and political support within the Malaysia also internationally, the movement was unable to stop the operations of the largest earth refinery plant in the world. The thesis draws on resource mobilization theory and political opportunity structures to explain the outcome of the movement. The objective of the thesis is to analyze the reasons why the movement failed to stop the construction and the operations of the rare earth facility. The results of the thesis argue that the anti-Lynas movement had the necessary resources to emerge and contest the LAMP facility. However, the political context of Malaysia did not allow for the movement to influence the legislation of LAMP.Show less
The achievement of an international legal framework acknowledging that states should seek free, prior and informed consultation (FPIC) of indigenous people for any development project directly...Show moreThe achievement of an international legal framework acknowledging that states should seek free, prior and informed consultation (FPIC) of indigenous people for any development project directly affecting them is considered a milestone in the protection of indigenous rights around the world. Drawing from theories of participatory democracy, the creation of mechanisms for direct decision-making at the local level, such as FPIC, has the potential to enhance the inclusiveness of previously exclusionary governance arenas. However, criticisms have also arisen concerning governing elites’ employment of FPIC to delimit indigenous participation to permitted spaces, inhibiting its counter-hegemonic potential. This thesis analyses the extent to which FPIC mechanisms have enhanced the inclusiveness of resource governance in Latin America. The research is carried out through the study of Morales (2006-2019) administration in Bolivia, considered as the region’s most radical socio-political terrain. In particular, the implementation of FPIC into national law and the consultation process of the Tacana II community in the Bolivian Amazon are the objects of this study. The thesis argues that the impact of FPIC on inclusiveness is ambiguous. Two main reasons have been identified for this: the national economic dependency on natural resources extraction and the judicialization of indigenous claims.Show less
Chinese investment in Latin America has increased significantly during the recent commodity boom of 2002 to 2012. At the same time, this period was accompanied by a wave of resource nationalism in...Show moreChinese investment in Latin America has increased significantly during the recent commodity boom of 2002 to 2012. At the same time, this period was accompanied by a wave of resource nationalism in resource-abundant states in the region. This research aims at explaining Latin America’s increased dependence on Chinese capital, in the light of resource nationalism. Drawing on the case of Venezuela during the Chávez period (1999-2013), this paper uses process-tracing to uncover the role that China played in Venezuela’s development model, which led to the existing Sino-Venezuelan relationship. A combination of speeches, government documents, and newspaper articles was analyzed to reveal the underlying causal mechanisms. The research provides an extensive discussion of Venezuelan resource nationalism and the characteristics of Chinese capital during this period. Building on the established context, I argue that the profit optimization strategy of the Chinese government in the resource sector made it particularly attractive for Venezuela to rely on, as it provided the government with a reliable source of credit and development aid to invest in socio-economic policies. These findings contribute to the existing literature on Sino-Latin American relations, as they show that China does not only serve as a market for Latin America’s commodities. Instead, China is deeply embedded in the region’s resource-led development strategy.Show less
