Chapter 1. Political Ecology on Pandora.- Chapter 2. Theoretical Influences and Recent Directions.- Chapter 3. Discourses and Narratives on Environment and Development: The Example of Bioprospecting.- Chapter 4. Conservation Discourses versus Practices.- Chapter 5. Gender and Power: Feminist Political Ecologies.- Chapter 6. Climate Mitigation Choices: Reducing Deforestation in the Global South versus Reducing Fossil Fuel Production at Home.- Chapter 7. Pastoralists and the State.- Chapter 8. Climate Change, Scarcity and Conflicts in the Sahel.- Chapter 9. Population Growth, Markets and Sustainable Land-Use in Africa.- Chapter 10. Stocktake and Ways Forward.

“The book describes our common present with unsentimental urgency. Benjaminsen and Svarstad demonstrate the complexity of human engagement with the scarce resources of our planet, and the analytical pathways offered by political ecology. The book’s many vivid examples underscore how power is always part of the equation: people + their environment.” Christian Lund, University of Copenhagen, DenmarkThis textbook introduces political ecology as an interdisciplinary approach to critically examine land and environmental issues. Drawing on discourse and narrative analysis, Marxist political economy and insights from natural science, the book points at similarities, differences and inter-connections between environmental governance in the global North and South. A wide range of carefully curated case studies are presented, with a particular focus on Africa and Norway. Key themes of power, justice andenvironmental sustainability run through all chapters. The authors challenge established views and leading discourses and present research findings that may surprise readers. Chapters cover topics including wildlife conservation, climate change and conflicts, land grabbing, the effects of population growth on the environment, jihadism in the African Sahel, bioprospecting, feminist political ecology, and struggles around carbon mitigation within a fossil fuel-based economy. This introductory text provides tools and examples for both undergraduate and postgraduate students to better understand on-going struggles about some of the world’s most urgent challenges. Tor A. Benjaminsen is a human geographer and Professor of Development Studies at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway. His research is focused on environmental change and its governance within a broad and interdisciplinary political ecology perspective. He is a lead author of the 6th IPCC report and an Associate Editor of Political Geography.Hanne Svarstad is a sociologist and Professor of Development Studies at Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway. Her research is about climate change mitigation, land use conflict, bioprospecting, power, environmental justice, education and alternative sustainabilities.

“Anyone wondering why political ecology has proliferated in the past few years, the new book by Tor Benjaminsen and Hanne Svarstad may have the answer. Filled with conceptually rich frameworks and illuminating case studies, this benchmark exploration into political ecology is a perfect primer for both those new to the field political ecology as well as advanced students and scholars alike. This undertaking is no small feat – mixing years of on the ground research with fresh takes on environmental justice, power and uneven development to deliver a powerful book that is exceptionally timely. Facing cascading social, political and ecological crisis, the multifaceted toolkit of political ecology is needed now more than ever.” (Ben Neimark, University of Lancaster, Lancaster Environment Centre, UK) “The book describes our common present with unsentimental urgency. Benjaminsen and Svarstad demonstrate the complexity of human engagement with the scarce resourcesof our planet, and the analytical pathways offered by political ecology. The book’s many vivid examples underscore how power is always part of the equation: people + their environment.” (Christian Lund, University of Copenhagen, Denmark)

Introduces political ecology perspectives and concepts with particular focus on Africa and Norway Written in an engaging and accessible style with a diverse range of relevant case studies to enhance student understanding Challenges established views with research findings that may surprise readers