students on a study abroad trip working in the field

Climate Clashes | Climate Governance | Climate Justice

Great Hall, Global Scholars Hall
University of Oregon
October 17-19, 2024

Climate change is one of the most urgent issues of our time. It crosses cultural, social,
political, and economic boundaries, revealing the interdependence of human societies.
Addressing its impacts will require unprecedented cooperation and conflict management
on local, regional, and global levels, such as intergovernmental efforts to mitigate its
effects under future climate scenarios. Climate change also demands individual,
collective, institutional, and systemic reflection on our consumption patterns, living
practices, and responsibilities—to each other, to ecosystems and diverse species, and to
future generations.

The effects of climate change vary by region, amplifying unpredictability. Droughts, floods,
hurricanes, and rising sea levels disrupt our sense of place, undermining local knowledge.
In the Pacific islands, sea levels are rising; in Southern Africa, droughts are intensifying.
India faces erratic rainfall and floods, while Australia and the U.S. West endure prolonged
wildfires. Glaciers melt in the Himalayas and Arctic, and desertification spreads in the
Middle East and West Sahel. These local impacts are part of a global crisis, with causes
and effects crossing borders. Yet, communities face unequal burdens in an unequal world.

This conference will focus on interdisciplinary, multidimensional, and multi-scalar
approaches to understanding climate change and the conflicts it both mirros and
generates, with an emphasis on using this knowledge to drive meaningful change.

Conference Organizers:
A. Aneesh
Yvonne Braun
Matthias Vogel

For more information about the conference, please contact Meaghan Bogart.

For more information about the School of Global Studies and Languages, please visit the
GSL Website.