Land use refers to an economic practice of the natural environment’s transformation into the built environment through the management of semi-natural areas. The term, in general, includes people’s activities interacting with different terrestrial ecosystems. Various uses of land have different consequences for the environment, such as increased or lowered CO2 emissions (Searchinger et al. 249). Thus, land use can be more or less efficient in generating benefits for society.
Geopolitics presents a more complex term that in the past referred to the country’s potential in international relationships, territorial expansion, and military strategies sourced from its geography. Now, geopolitics is associated with the social constructions that change with time depending on the political, economic, and technological conditions and changes (Vakulchuk et al. 2). Different levels of geopolitics at neighborhood, city, and state levels influence land use decisions through urban policies, which can cause environmental problems. For example, Al-Assad’s geopolitical strategy of increasing Syria’s isolation from the world included changing land use to expand farmlands (Andersen). Unsustainable agriculture, in his case, caused a lowering of the groundwater level, which resulted in increased droughts.
Furthermore, besides causing adverse environmental outcomes, geopolitics can also create barriers to implementing solutions to environmental problems. For example, a bad geopolitical climate increases food production, negatively affecting agricultural sustainability. Lastly, in addition to increased food insecurity risks, geopolitics presents risks for the environment by exporting natural resources, which negatively influences landscapes and ecosystems. If governments were more concerned about environmental safety than geopolitical climate and prioritized sustainability-focused policies, there would be fewer barriers to solving environmental problems.
Works Cited
Angersen, Inger. “Nature: The Fertile Ground for Geopolitics and Sustainable Development.” WildCRU Conservation Geopolitics Forum, 2019, Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre, Worcester College, Oxford, United Kingdom. Lecture.
Searchinger, Timothy, et al. “Assessing the Efficiency of Changes in Land Use for Mitigating Climate Change.” Nature, vol. 564, 2018, pp. 249-252. doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0757-z
Vakulchuk, Roman, et al. “Renewable Energy and Geopolitics: A Review.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 122, 2020, pp. 1-12. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2019.109547