About this episode
This episode features a discussion with Dr. Esther Marijnen on the intersections of military conflict, conservation, and ecological impacts.
In this episode, we speak with Dr Esther Marijnen, Associate Professor and Political Ecologist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Esther’s work explores the uneasy entanglements of nature, military conflict, and authority - from the militarisation of conservation efforts to the ecological and social impacts left by colonial violence. Drawing on over a decade of field research in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and more recent work in Uganda and Europe, Esther introduces her current project Wounded Landscapes funded by the Dutch Research Council. The project examines how slow violence and historical legacies of conflict reconfigure both environments and the communities that inhabit them. In conversation with host Polly Pallister-Wilkins, they discuss how international conservation organisations engage with these “wounded” spaces, and what their interventions reveal about broader understandings of nature, justice, and repair.
People in this episode
Host: Polly Pallister-Wilkins
Guest: Dr Esther Marijnen
Topics covered
- Green Militarism
- military conflict
- conservation
- ecological impacts
- social impacts
- historical legacies
- nature and justice
Keywords
- Green Militarism
- military conflict
- conservation
- ecological impacts
- social impacts
- Wounded Landscapes
- slow violence
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Wageningen University, Dutch Research Council
Places: eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Europe
More episodes of Voices: The EISA Podcast
- Why is...the Gulf so geopolitically important? · May 8, 2026 · 1h 19m
- Why is...US Dollar Hegemony under Threat? · April 10, 2026 · 44 min
- Why is...Denmark unwelcoming to Refugees? · March 13, 2026 · 38 min
- What is...the Arms Trade? · January 9, 2026 · 1h 6m
- In Conversation with Daniel Quiroga-Villamarín · December 12, 2025 · 39 min
- Why is…the Recognition of Palestinian Statehood Causing Debate? · November 14, 2025 · 58 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Voices: The EISA Podcast podcast page.