About ESDLA

Santa María del Lago wetland in Bogotá, Colombia. Photo: Germán A. Quimbayo Ruiz (2016)

Environment, Society and Development in Latin America Research Group-ESDLA:

We are a research group at the University of Eastern Finland, focusing on a variety of issues dealing with the relations and interplay of society and the environment in Latin America from the perspectives of environmental politics, human geography, and sociology. We critically examine how development is conceptualized and promoted in the region, as well as the material impacts of these processes. We investigate societal contestations and power relations related to topics such as forestry, hydropower construction, nature conservation, and urban nature. Our research is currently focused on a number of Latin American countries: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru, and we most typically examine the issues of environment, society, and development through local case studies.

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