Introduction to the Special Collection
Geography and environmental case studies are regularly one and the same. Unpacking environmental case studies requires a geographic framework, examining how flows—economic, environmental, cultural, political—intersect in an absolute location and define the uniqueness of place. Geography and case studies are inherently interdisciplinary. Most case studies are inherently geographic (and everything happens somewhere).
The case studies in this collection, drawn from articles published in Case Studies in the Environment between 2022 and 2023, demonstrate the diverse ways that geographic theories and methods can assist in the analysis of environmental cases, and equip readers with better problem-solving skills. These manuscripts demonstrate the way in which space and place are active actors in creating environmental problems, and perhaps provide a map for navigating potential solutions.
Upholding geography’s cartographic tradition, Müller and colleagues chronicle the use of participatory mapping with respect to wind turbine planning in Switzerland. A winner of the 2022 Prize Competition Honorable Mention, Participatory Mapping and Counter-Representations in Wind Energy Planning: A Radical Democracy Perspective shows how the cartographic process could demonstrate multiple discourses and intersections of protest. In addition, it includes a number of beautiful maps which show a sophisticated understanding of cartographic principles.
In Barriers and Facilitators for Successful Community Forestry: Lessons Learned and Practical Applications From Case Studies in India and Guatemala, Jamkar et. al propose an analytical framework for evaluating community-based forest management projects using community capital, markets, and land tenure. They demonstrate the robustness of this framework at study sites in India and Guatemala.
In The Bronx River and Environmental Justice Through the Lens of a Watershed, Finewood et al. look at environmental justice using a multi-scalar place-based approach. Using the Bronx watershed as a case study, the authors demonstrate how environmental harm caused upstream aggregates in the downstream flow to less-enfranchised communities, causing disproportionate harm.
In a lyrical and unique contribution, Cherry River: Art, Music, and Indigenous Stakeholders of Water Advocacy in Montana, Davidson narrates the story of a music performance designed to bring awareness of drought conditions in Montana. On a deeper level, the performance fostered community engagement, particularly between indigenous and non-indigenous communities. The manuscript casts the arts as a space of collaboration and advocacy.
Turia et. al, in Monitoring the Multiple Functions of Tropical Rainforest on a National Scale: An Overview From Papua New Guinea (part of the special collection, Papua New Guinea’s Forests) evaluate the effectiveness of national forest inventories in Papua New Guinea, ultimately using rigorous sampling methods to recommend an expanded approach.
The urgency of today’s environmental problems demands interdisciplinary approaches and broad ways of linking together seeming disparate pieces. It involves looking at individuals not in isolation but as parts of networks, and at multiple scales. Geography exemplifies these approaches. We are proud to feature articles from the field of geography, physical and human, wrestling with environmental cases for the good of humanity and nature.
Davidson, J. C. (2022). Cherry River: Art, Music, and Indigenous Stakeholders of Water Advocacy in Montana. Case Studies in the Environment, 6(1), 1813541.Turia, R., Gamoga, G., Abe, H., Novotny, V., Attorre, F., & Vesa, L. (2022). Monitoring the Multiple Functions of Tropical Rainforest on a National Scale: An Overview From Papua New Guinea. Case Studies in the Environment, 6(1), 1547792.
