Research Focus

Environmental Violence

Environmental violence focuses on the intersection of environmental issues and societal conflicts, examining how environmental degradation, climate change and resource scarcity can act as catalysts for violence and unrest.

“From climate change to toxic pollution and the interactive effects of multiple pollution streams, human health is under siege. Human-produced environmental risks to health and wellbeing are high and contributing to patterns of global morbidity, mortality, economic inequality, displacement, and insecurity. The implications of human-produced environmental harms to global health are complex just as are their causes. The concept of environmental violence offers a potentially robust frame for engaging this issue. We argue that a more specified and structured framework and definition of environmental violence—focusing on human-produced harms by way of pollution emissions—is both timely and beneficial for engaging the complexities of global public health.” - from “Environmental violence: A tool for planetary health research” The Lancet Planetary Health.

Notable Publications

Marcantonio, R., & Fuentes, A. 2023. Environmental violence: A tool for planetary health research. The Lancet Planetary Health, 7(10), e859–e867.

Environmental Management

Environmental management involves the administration of policies and procedures that aim to reduce the impact of human activities on the environment. It seeks to balance human needs with the planet's ability to cope with the resultant stress, aiming for sustainability.

Notable Publications

Lame, M. and Marcantonio R. (2022) Environmental Management: Concepts and Practical Skills. Cambridge University Press 

Underwood, A., Marcantonio, R., and Crippa, P. (2024). Transboundary air pollution modeling, policy, and management. Environmental Management.

Environmental Peacebuilding

Environmental peacebuilding examines how environmental cooperation can be used as a strategy to prevent, resolve and recover from conflict. It involves integrating environmental considerations into peace processes and conflict resolution, recognizing that sustainable peace is often dependent on the sustainable management of natural resources.

Notable Publications

Marcantonio, R. (2024). The Glaring Gaps:  Environmental Violence and Peace Research and Practice. Peacebuilding.

Marcantonio, R. 2022. Toxic Diplomacy Through Environmental Management: A Necessary Next Step for Environmental Peacebuilding. World Development Perspectives, 28, Article 100471