Geoffrey Dabelko
Adjunct Professor
Geoffrey D. Dabelko is director of the Environmental Change and Security Program (ECSP), a nonpartisan policy forum on environment, population, health, and security issues founded in 1994 at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC. He is also an adjunct professor at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Geoff has held prior positions with the Council on Foreign Relations and Foreign Policy and served as a lecturer at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
For the past 18 years, he has facilitated dialogue among policymakers, practitioners, journalists, and scholars grappling with complex links among environment, population, development, conflict, and security. His current research focuses on environmental pathways to confidence building and peacemaking, with a special emphasis on managing transboundary fresh water resources. Geoff is principal investigator for ECSP’s “Navigating Peace: Forging New Water Partnerships” initiative.
Geoff is co-editor with Ken Conca of Environmental Peacemaking (2002) and Green Planet Blues: Four Decades of Global Environmental Politics (4th edition forthcoming 2010). He blogs regularly on Grist and New Security Beat and is also editor of the annual Environmental Change and Security Program Report.
Geoff is a member of the UN Environment Programme’s Expert Advisory Group on Environment, Conflict, and Peacebuilding, co-vice chair of the Scientific Committee of the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP), contributing editor to Environment, member of the editorial board of Global Environmental Change, member of the Board, Wilton Park USA Foundation, member of the Board of Experts, Center for Unconventional Security Affairs at the University of California, Irvine, member of the International Advisory Board, Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy, Salve Regina University and the PBS “Journey to Planet Earth” television series initiative.
Expertise
International environmental politics; international security; global health; development
Education
M.A. and Ph.D., Government and Politics, University of Maryland; A.B., Political Science, Duke University
Selected Publications
Courses
Courses offered in the past four years.
▲ indicates offered in the current term
▹ indicates offered in the upcoming term[s]
IEPG 8576 - Peacemaking & the Environment
“Environment” and “Peace” are not separate issues: sustainable development is critical to achieving security, and peace is required for effective development. However, we have often failed to leverage opportunities to manage environmental problems in ways that build trust and peace between parties in conflict. Environmental management can help overcome political tensions by promoting interaction, confidence building, and technical cooperation. Environmental peacemaking is an off-shoot of environmental security, a diverse set of arguments about connections among the environment, conflict, and state and human security. This course will focus on environmental peacemaking opportunities to build confidence between and within nations by capitalizing on the dynamics of environmental interdependence. We will discuss environmental pathways to peace at different stages of conflict: 1) environmental peacemaking as conflict prevention; 2) environmental peacemaking as lifeline during conflict; 3) environmental peacemaking as helping end conflict; and 4) environmental peacemaking as making peace sustainable. With a special emphasis on cases drawn from a variety of geographic settings, we will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches all along the conflict continuum and among different types of environmental issues.
Spring 2013 - MIIS
IPOL 8576 - Peacemaking & the Environment
“Environment” and “Peace” are not separate issues: sustainable development is critical to achieving security, and peace is required for effective development. However, we have often failed to leverage opportunities to manage environmental problems in ways that build trust and peace between parties in conflict. Environmental management can help overcome political tensions by promoting interaction, confidence building, and technical cooperation. Environmental peacemaking is an off-shoot of environmental security, a diverse set of arguments about connections among the environment, conflict, and state and human security. This course will focus on environmental peacemaking opportunities to build confidence between and within nations by capitalizing on the dynamics of environmental interdependence. We will discuss environmental pathways to peace at different stages of conflict: 1) environmental peacemaking as conflict prevention; 2) environmental peacemaking as lifeline during conflict; 3) environmental peacemaking as helping end conflict; and 4) environmental peacemaking as making peace sustainable. With a special emphasis on cases drawn from a variety of geographic settings, we will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches all along the conflict continuum and among different types of environmental issues.
Spring 2010 - MIIS, Spring 2011 - MIIS, Spring 2012 - MIIS
