New State Department Grant Funds Research on Environment and Migration
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration awarded a grant of $196,670 to Dr. Susan F. Martin, Donald G. Herzberg Professor and Director of the Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM), and Dr. Mark Giordano, Associate Professor and Director of the Program in Science, Technology and International Affairs (STIA). Both are faculty in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. The year-long project, “Environmental Impact of Refugee Campus: Resource Usage and Management,” will examine how the presence of large populations of refugees in camps over long periods of time has affected the quality, quantity, and usage of natural resources.
This effort represents a unique perspective on natural resource usage, with Dr. Giordano contributing essential scientific expertise on water and land usage and the management of shared resources and Dr. Martin contributing her expertise in humanitarian emergencies and refugee policy. As Dr. Martin explains, “Without better management of natural resources, refugee camps can cause serious environmental problems.” Dr. Giordano adds that the research will “offer comparative evidence-based assessments and identify actionable best management practices that would restore environmental integrity for camp and host communities alike.”
Dr. Douglas Howard, a geoscientist with expertise in remote sensing and geochemical, hydrological, and geomorphological processes, joins the team as a senior researcher and will provide environmental assessments and geospatial analysis of the regions. Nili Sarit Yossinger (MAGES ’12), Research Associate at ISIM and the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research, will serve as Program Manager and conduct field work along with Drs. Martin and Giordano. The team is also joined by Uwe Brandes, Executive Director of Georgetown’s Urban and Regional Planning Program. Brandes will be exploring the urban infrastructure relationships between ‘temporary’ refugee camps and ‘permanent’ host communities.
Looking at refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia, the team will use an integrative approach, comparing interviews with local residents, resource managers, academic experts and service providers with analyses of resource management and environmental degradation over time. The study, which will be done in collaboration with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, will make recommendations for improving environmental management in refugee camps.
This project exemplifies many of the strategic goals of the Georgetown Environment Initiative (GEI). Dr. Martin and her team utilize an interdisciplinary approach to examine the interactions of the environment and humans. They integrate humanitarian, scientific, legal and policy dimensions in their analysis of the plight of the increasing number of refugees around the world.