Research group Prof. Jessica Budds
Development Geography and Environmental Governance

Our group explores processes of socio-ecological change and how they shape the lives, livelihoods, landscapes, and identities of local people, primarily but not exclusively in the Global South. This covers a broad range of issues including water security, adaptation to climate change, natural resource based industries, and urban environments. We are particularly interested in understanding how socio-ecological change is shaped by political and/or economic power relations at different spatial and temporal scales, as well as how the forms that socio-ecological change takes may consolidate existing power structures and discourses.

Six people sitting in a circle in front of a sheet of paper with a light bulb on it. The picture was taken from a bird's eye view from above.

#KAPTalks Lecture on Water Security

On June 5th, Prof. Dr. Jessica Budds gave a # KAPTalks lecture (The Kapuscinski Lectures, initiative funded by the European Commission) on Water Security: A Critical Analysis, hosted by Mzumbe University, Morongo, Tanzania in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Prof. Budds, during the lecture, explored what “water security” means in practice and emphasized that defining it in terms of increasing water supply to only meet its demand is simplistic and, instead, work should focus on understanding and tackling the root causes of water insecurity. This was illustrated with a case study of responses to drought in the central-northern region of Chile in 2014-2015.

The event was promoted by Mzumbe University, via its Kapuscinski Lectures website and Instagram account, and in partner platforms, such as the UNDP website. The lecture was also streamed live to engage a broader international audience. A full recording is available at the EU International Partnerships Facebook page.