Thomas Bobo

The politics of ‘green’ in civil conflicts: The environment as a political opportunity

Supervisors: Dr Giuditta Fontana and Dr Emma Foster

Thomas’s research focuses on the intersection of internal violent conflicts and the environment from the political and discursive perspective. He studies how environmental discourses within civil conflict contexts emerge, evolve and are utilised following the rise of environmental issues in the international, national and local political agendas. Thomas’s research examines the use of environment-related arguments and symbols by belligerents. It aims to understand the construction of competing ecological visions and how they can become vehicles for conflict parties to gain legitimacy, foster internal mobilisation, and gather external support. His work currently focuses on the cases of the Zapatista movement (Chiapas, Mexico) and the Polisario Front (Western Sahara).

Profile

Thomas is a graduate in international relations, with a focus on Latin American and Middle Eastern Studies. Before starting his PhD research at the University of Birmingham, he has worked in international technical cooperation in the biodiversity governance, in the United Nations systems, and in the environmental charity sector.

Qualifications

  • Master’s degree in Geopolitics and International Relations – Sciences Po Toulouse (France)
  • Master’s degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies – University Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès (France)
  • MA in Middle East and Mediterranean Studies – King’s College London

Research interests

  • Conflict and peace studies
  • Environmental politics
  • Discourse analysis
  • Post-structural research

Conference papers

The politics of 'green' in civil conflicts: The environment as a political opportunity, PhD Student Masterclass, Development Studies Association Conference, University of Reading (Reading), 27 June 2023

Guerra del agua in Bolivia: Environmental discourse, power and the politics of 'green', Workshop on Conflict Dynamics , University of York and University of Konstanz (York), 14 September 2023

Contact details:

Email: Tgb235@student.bham.ac.uk