Environment and Conflict in the Middle East
| Module title | Environment and Conflict in the Middle East |
|---|---|
| Module code | POC3154 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Samer Bakkour (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 10 |
Module description
This module explores the intricate interplay between the environment and conflict in the Middle East. It examines various conceptual frameworks and offers a critical understanding of how environmental factors contribute to and are affected by conflicts in the region. On this module you will explore the impact of conflict on ecosystems and the manner in which environmental challenges such as climate change contribute to and recreate social and political conflicts, for example by promoting competition for natural resources, water or land. In addressing the multifaceted relationship between the environment and conflict in the region and how local and international actors seek to govern these, the module offers unique insight into complex contemporary geopolitics, environmental studies and regional studies.
In the module you will be guided to analyze the root causes, consequences, and potential solutions for addressing the complex challenges arising at the intersection of the environment and conflict in the Middle East.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module introduces you to the diverse ways in which environmental factors intertwine with conflicts in the Middle East.
It will help equip you with conceptual and analytical tools to critically assess the intricate relationship between the environment and conflict.
The module will enable you to critically analyse and evaluate the environmental dimensions of conflict through various theories in International Relations.
It demonstrates and cultivates research skills necessary for investigating and understanding the complex interplay between the environment and conflict and encourages you to engage in independent research projects that explore specific environmental challenges and conflicts in the Middle East.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Develop empirical familiarity with a diverse array of contemporary environmental challenges in the Middle East, examining their origins, manifestations, and consequences within the regional context.
- 2. Critically evaluate and compare different explanations of environmental conflicts in the Middle East, and to encourage critical approaches to the interconnected factors involved
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Develop an understanding of the debates surrounding environmental issues and their implications for regional conflicts.
- 4. Contextualize environmental challenges within local, global, and regional dynamics of the Middle East.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Effective collaboration within a group setting, fostering open dialogue and constructive debate, enabling a collective development of robust arguments and analyses.
- 6. Adapt information retrieval and evaluation, then demonstrate the ability to discern reliable information and critically evaluate its relevance to the specific context of the Middle East.
Syllabus plan
The syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Understanding the interplay: environment and conflict in the Middle East.
- What is the environment? How can we control it?
- What is environmental security?
- Ecological diplomacy: the role of environmental issues in international relations and diplomacy
- How environmental scarcity and competition intersect with conflict
- Resource competition around distribution and access
- Weaponizing water and land: the strategic use of territory and geography for military or geopolitical advantage
- Energy and geopolitics: how the region's rich energy resources influence global geopolitics and contribute to regional conflict
- Terrorism and the environment: explored through case studies
International interventions and cooperation: the role of international organizations and diplomatic efforts in mediating environmental conflicts and fostering cooperation in the Middle East
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 30 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 10 | 10 x 1-hour lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 10 | 10 x 1-hour seminars |
| Guided independent study | 54 | Reading and preparation for seminars |
| Guided independent study | 30 | Researching and writing formative assessments and assignments |
| Guided independent Study | 30 | Researching and writing essay |
| Guided independent study | 20 | Preparing formative presentation |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation (Individual) | 10 minutes | 1-6 | Verbal |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synopsis | 10 | 800 words | 1-6 | Written |
| Essay | 90 | 2000 words | 1-6 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synopsis | Synopsis (800 words) | 1-6 | Referral/Deferral Period |
| Essay | Essay (2000 words) | 1-6 | Referral/Deferral Period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
You will only be required to retake any failed assessments. Marks for any passed assessments will be carried forward. If you have failed any assessments but managed to pass the module overall, you will not be allowed to retake the failed assessments.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Alleson, I. and Schoenfeld, S., 2007. Environmental justice and peacebuilding in the Middle East. Peace Review, 19(3), pp.371-379
Brahma Chellaney. 2015.Water, Peace, and War: Confronting the Global Water Crisis. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Daniel Yergin. 2009. The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power. Simon & Schuster Publisher.
Marcus D. King. 2023. Weaponizing Water: Water Stress and Islamic Extremist Violence in Africa and the Middle East. Lynne Reinner, 2023.
Farmer, T. and Barnes, J., 2018. Environment and society in the Middle East and North Africa: Introduction. International Journal of Middle East Studies, 50(3), pp.375-382.
Paul Sabin. 2004. Crude Politics: The California Oil Market, 1900-1940. California University Press
Peter H. Gleick. 1997. Water, and Conflict in the Middle East: Threat Multiplier and Cooperation Multiplier. School of Advanced Military Studies United States Army Command and General Staff College.
Robert D. Kapla. 2012. The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate. Random House International.
Samer Bakkour.Rama Sahtout. 2023. The Dimensions and Attributes of State Failure in Syria. Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies. Vol. 25, No. 6.
Samer Bakkour. 2023. Beyond genocide: Towards an improved analysis and understanding of the Syrian regime's mass atrocity crimes in the Syrian Civil War. Digest of Middle East Studies. Vol.32. No.4.
Samer Bakkour. Gareth Stansfield. 2023. The Significance of ISIS's State Building in Syria. Middle East Policy. Vol30. No.2.
Sean McFate. 2019. The New Rules of War: Victory in the Age of Durable Disorder. William Morrow Publisher.
Steven Solomon. 2010.Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power, and Civilization. HarperCollins.
William I. Robinson. 1998. Beyond Nation-State Paradigms: Globalization, Sociology, and the Challenge of Transnational Studies. Sociological Forum, Vol. 13, No. 4.
Sowers, J. (2018) Environmental activism in the Middle East and North Africa, in in Verhoeven, H (ed) Environmental Politics in the Middle East: Local Struggles, Global Connections, Oxford University Press, pp.27-52.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/03/2024 |
