SustainAbility Conflicts in tHe European semi-peripheRy (SACHER)

The SACHER project will analyze the dimensions, dynamics, and implications of sustainability conflicts within the Western Balkans/Eastern European context. The project will use an interdisciplinary theoretical lens grounded in sustainability science, environmental sociology, political ecology, and other pertinent disciplines to elucidate the underlying causes and complexities that contribute to the emergence of sustainability conflicts in semi-peripheral regions. The project will also explore the interplay of historical, social, political and economic, and environmental factors that drive conflicts in this region. The research will delve into the ideational dimension of sustainability as framed by elites (political parties, public administration), and look into what the forestry and water conflicts related to sustainability mean for the significance of this notion in the Western Balkans. The project will combine desk research paired with empirical insights, assessed through discourse network analysis, and draw from a wide array of sources, including primary data: qualitative interviews with activists, politicians and governmental leaders. By conducting methodologically diverse analysis of these conflicts and integrating theoretical frameworks, the project will aspire to develop strategies and recommendations that can guide policymakers, stakeholders, and communities toward more sustainable and inclusive development in Eastern Europe.