Over the past decades, extremist violence and jihadism/religious movements have become an important factor in the political and economic developments of drylands. This evolution has been attributed... Show moreOver the past decades, extremist violence and jihadism/religious movements have become an important factor in the political and economic developments of drylands. This evolution has been attributed to a variety of underlying dynamics that are typical for drylands, including increasing scarcity of land and water due to climate change; a growing population; the poor performance and authoritarian character of states; increasing displacements and resettlements related to large-scale investments; and progressive marginalization and exclusion of specific social groups. In addition, increasing levels of conflict between population groups have provided a fertile ground for recruitment by armed groups for self-defence and religious purposes, often along ethnic lines, and also to secure access to natural resources. The chapter discusses the backgrounds of these movements and shows how a jihadist movement in the Sahel transformed from a terrorist movement into a rural insurgency. Show less
The new connectivity, through mobile phones, social media, and wireless internet, is an agent in social change in the drylands. In this chapter, we present four case studies: the introduction of... Show moreThe new connectivity, through mobile phones, social media, and wireless internet, is an agent in social change in the drylands. In this chapter, we present four case studies: the introduction of mobile apps in Mongolia and Kenya, the role of mobile telephony in the Sahel, and the introduction of online learning in the Negev Desert. Each of these case studies develops an argument around the role of connectivity in ‘giving a voice’ to the people living in drylands. Indeed, as the studies show, the new technology of communication is a resource for such populations, especially when we focus on the benefits of improved communication and access to information. However, the effective use of such a resource is hampered by the lack of knowledge of dryland dynamics among the developers of the new technology and by the imposed power relations of the State. Also, the technology may follow its own pathway, being appropriated by the population in unexpected ways and creating new power relations that may also lead to conflict. Show less
While ecosystems have concrete benefits for human society, these benefits are typically overlooked in decision-making. This is problematic because ecosystems – and thus the benefits that... Show moreWhile ecosystems have concrete benefits for human society, these benefits are typically overlooked in decision-making. This is problematic because ecosystems – and thus the benefits that ecosystems provide – are under increasing pressure from human actions. The ecosystem services concept aims to better reflect the benefits of ecosystems for human wellbeing. As a tool to quantify ecosystem services, their value is often estimated in monetary terms. This thesis investigates whether this approach is valid in ecological terms: do monetary value estimates adequately reflect the ecological status of the ecosystem? Two sets of water-related services in two different types of regions have been investigated: water quantity-related services in global drylands (chapters 2 and 3) and water quality-related services in the Scheldt river basin (chapters 4 and 5). The results show that the selected methodological approach has a dominant impact on value estimates for water-related services, while the ecological status of the ecosystem is of minor importance. This finding casts doubts upon the validity of monetary valuation as a means to take the ecological status of ecosystems into account in public decision-making. Future research should explore how the ecosystem’s ecological status can be better integrated in the valuation of ecosystem services. Show less
