Sören Köpke
Research Interests: Political ecology of conservation, global food system transformation, social dimensions of climate change and adaptation
The Conservation State: Towards a political ecology of state agency in biodiversity conservation
Considering the need for intensified action on biodiversity loss, it is salient to understand the political character of nature conservation. The research project proposed in the scope of the FIAS fellowship at CUT Rennes aims at a theoretical understanding of state agency in nature conservation from the critical perspective of political ecology. While halting biodiversity loss is an urgent policy priority, state-led conservation practices have a historical record of stark human right violations. In the face of this tension, there is a necessity to critically conceptualize state agency in the conservation context, and to open up the debate on fair, effective and scientifically sound modes of conservation action. Yet a coherent political theory of state agency in conservation is absent from the literature. This research project aims to fill this research gap by addressing the rationale, the underlying mechanisms, and the strategic pathways of the state in conservation.
Sören Köpke is a political scientist. He was awarded a PhD (Dr.rer.pol.) from Technische Universität Braunschweig in 2018 for a dissertation on drought, development and environmental conflicts. He holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and English and American Studies from Leibniz University Hannover and studied at National University of Ireland, Galway. His research focuses on social-ecological dynamics of agriculture and the international policy of environmental change. In this context, he conducted field research on several occasions, mostly in Sri Lanka. Sören Köpke taught bachelor- and master-level courses at the Institute of Social Sciences, TU Braunschweig, in climate policy, political ecology, water management and international relations from 2012 to 2016. His current research is on biodiversity policy, wildlife management, and environmental governance.