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Roots of destruction : exploring the genocide-ecocide nexus through the destruction of olive trees in occupied Palestine and Rojava

Dinc, Pinar LU orcid and Türk, Necmettin (2025) In International Journal of Human Rights
Abstract

Ecological degradation not only affects local and global environments but also threatens the cultural survival of affected societies, exemplifying the phenomenon known as the genocide–ecocide nexus. This article presents the first comparative case study of olive tree destruction in occupied Palestine and Afrin canton of Rojava, highlighting how ecocide serves as a deliberate strategy of cultural and physical extermination in these regions, home to two of the world’s largest stateless groups. Juxtaposing these cases reveals that environmental destruction and genocidal practices are connected and function as tools of systemic oppression. The study also bridges critical genocide studies and the genocide–ecocide nexus with field political... (More)

Ecological degradation not only affects local and global environments but also threatens the cultural survival of affected societies, exemplifying the phenomenon known as the genocide–ecocide nexus. This article presents the first comparative case study of olive tree destruction in occupied Palestine and Afrin canton of Rojava, highlighting how ecocide serves as a deliberate strategy of cultural and physical extermination in these regions, home to two of the world’s largest stateless groups. Juxtaposing these cases reveals that environmental destruction and genocidal practices are connected and function as tools of systemic oppression. The study also bridges critical genocide studies and the genocide–ecocide nexus with field political ecology and critical perspectives on environmental security, offering insights into links between conflict/violence and the environment. Our empirical analysis has three parts. First, we examine common mechanisms of olive tree destruction and appropriation in Palestine and Afrin–damaging, uprooting, poisoning, cutting, burning, stealing, and looting—by Israel and Turkey. Second, we explore resistance strategies by Palestinians and Kurds in response to ecological violence. We conclude by discussing similarities and differences between the two cases and problematising the international legal and political systems that fail to address the destruction inflicted on stateless and marginalised groups.

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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
in press
subject
keywords
environmental destruction, Genocide-ecocide nexus, olive trees, Palestine, Rojava, settler-colonialism
in
International Journal of Human Rights
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:105012633333
ISSN
1364-2987
DOI
10.1080/13642987.2025.2541756
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
id
c7261fa0-a61d-49bc-9e46-57f389e6b72a
date added to LUP
2026-01-13 15:50:17
date last changed
2026-01-13 15:51:27
@article{c7261fa0-a61d-49bc-9e46-57f389e6b72a,
  abstract     = {{<p>Ecological degradation not only affects local and global environments but also threatens the cultural survival of affected societies, exemplifying the phenomenon known as the genocide–ecocide nexus. This article presents the first comparative case study of olive tree destruction in occupied Palestine and Afrin canton of Rojava, highlighting how ecocide serves as a deliberate strategy of cultural and physical extermination in these regions, home to two of the world’s largest stateless groups. Juxtaposing these cases reveals that environmental destruction and genocidal practices are connected and function as tools of systemic oppression. The study also bridges critical genocide studies and the genocide–ecocide nexus with field political ecology and critical perspectives on environmental security, offering insights into links between conflict/violence and the environment. Our empirical analysis has three parts. First, we examine common mechanisms of olive tree destruction and appropriation in Palestine and Afrin–damaging, uprooting, poisoning, cutting, burning, stealing, and looting—by Israel and Turkey. Second, we explore resistance strategies by Palestinians and Kurds in response to ecological violence. We conclude by discussing similarities and differences between the two cases and problematising the international legal and political systems that fail to address the destruction inflicted on stateless and marginalised groups.</p>}},
  author       = {{Dinc, Pinar and Türk, Necmettin}},
  issn         = {{1364-2987}},
  keywords     = {{environmental destruction; Genocide-ecocide nexus; olive trees; Palestine; Rojava; settler-colonialism}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Human Rights}},
  title        = {{Roots of destruction : exploring the genocide-ecocide nexus through the destruction of olive trees in occupied Palestine and Rojava}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2025.2541756}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/13642987.2025.2541756}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}