dr. K.M. van Teijlingen (Karolien)

I am a human geographer with a MSc. in International Development Studies (2013) and a PhD in social sciences (2019).

Over the past decade, much of my work has been focused on the political ecology of resource extraction and alternatives to development in Latin America, particularly Ecuador. My research has documented the territorial transformations, conflicts and resistance movements spurred by the expansion of large-scale mining in the Amazon region, as well as the gendered criminalization of land defenders in Ecuador.

Recently, I shifted my focus to the politics of climate change, the energy transition and questions of climate justice in Latin America. I am particularly interested in the new commodity frontiers and geographies of dispossession and extraction that result from ‘net-zero’ policies endorsed by (mainly Western) governments and corporations. I also continue to be involved in debates about post-development, alternatives to development and proposals for radical socio-ecological transformation, with special attention to Buen Vivir in Ecuador and Degrowth in The Netherlands.

In addition to research, I teach courses related to political ecology, environmental justice, climate politics, and the philosophy of science.

In general, my work is inspired by the fields of (feminist) Political Ecology, Critical Geography, Environmental Justice, Critical Development Studies, Decolonial Studies, and Governmentality Studies. Methodologically, I specialize in ethnography, participatory (counter-)mapping and action research.