Esther Marijnen

Esther Marijnen is an Associate Professor at Wageningen University & Research's Sociology of Development and Change group. Her current research focuses on the Veni project 'Wounded Landscapes' (2021-2024), examining how slow violence and colonial legacies of conflict reshape nature-society relationships in Africa. She has conducted fieldwork in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since 2013, with planned expansions to Uganda and Burundi.

• Previous Positions: Assistant Professor at Ghent University's Conflict Research Group (CRG), Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield
• Education: PhD from Vrije Universiteit Brussel, MA in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University

Marijnen's research bridges political ecology, conflict studies, and environmental governance. She critically analyzes militarized conservation practices, particularly in Virunga and Garamba National Parks, exploring intersections between environmental interventions and violent conflict dynamics. Her work challenges dominant narratives about conservation in fragile states, emphasizing historical continuities and local perspectives.

Key article trends show focus on green militarization, colonial legacies in conservation, human-environment interactions in conflict zones, and epistemological violence. While her work addresses environmental challenges like climate change and resource governance, it consistently interrogates power structures and ethical dimensions in conservation interventions.

• Scientific Awards: Veni Grant from the Dutch Research Council (NWO)