The concept of political ecology has been used to promote environmental justice as well as to understand environmental issues. It has emerged as both a field of research and a space for interdisciplinary dialogue, providing an essential framework for analyzing the interactions between humans and nature, with a particular emphasis on the political dimensions of environmental decisions. Nevertheless, political ecology has experienced — and continues to experience — numerous transformations, most notably the rise of decolonial political ecology. This political ecology not only opens up debate on systems of environmental knowledge production, but also addresses environmental justice issues for formerly colonized populations.

Giving rights to natural entities rivers, mountains, or entire landscapes has gained traction worldwide. Traditionally, Western legal systems treat nature as property, not as a legal person capable of defending its interests or claiming damages. Under new frameworks, some jurisdictions grant positive rights to nature, such as the right to maintain evolutionary processes or to be restored when harmed. Others confer full legal personality on natural features. These innovations have sparked vigorous academic debate and are increasingly accepted in mainstream discourse. This text explores the foundational concepts of nature’s rights and the challenges that emerge in specific cultural and linguistic contexts.

The concept of food security has evolved over time to incorporate different aspects, making it multidimensional. deriving from Malthusian ideas about the imbalance between population growth and available resources, food security has become a global issue. Initially focused on production, the concept now encompasses access, use, and stability. Amartya Sen’s work has demonstrated that hunger primarily results from a lack of access. recently, approaches based on food sovereignty, food justice, and agroecology have proposed sustainable, equitable models.

Climate security examines the links between climate change and its effects on peace and security. While climate change does not directly cause conflict, there is consensus that it exacerbates vulnerabilities in conflict-affected areas, and that violent conflict further intensifies climate impacts. However, the securitization of climate change raises questions about whose security is prioritized, reflecting differing global priorities between development and security strategies. The Virunga National Park in the DRC serves as a case study to explore how climate security is operationalized, contested, and can be reframed towards fostering equitable and sus-ainable peace in fragile contexts.

The concept of resilience refers to an individual’s or commu-nity’s ability to overcome a crisis or shock, adapt, and recover despite difficulties. However, amid all the talk about “show-ing resilience,” especially in political rhetoric, some have come to view it primarily as a means of justifying and main-taining a neoliberal model of social organization. Another, more nuanced approach views resilience as a fabricatedpro-cess shaped by power dynamics and relationships between different actors.

The term “Anthropocene” refers to the significant impact of human activities on the earth, affecting everything from climate to biodiversity. this controversial concept has spread from the natural sciences to the social sciences, raising political, cultural and ethical issues. Although it sheds light on the pressures that globalisation places on ecosystems, it has nevertheless been criticized for glossing over historical inequalities and power relations. this has led to the emergence of alternative concepts, such as the capitalocene and the plantationocene. Ruashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRc) is a prime example of these tensions, embodying the contradictions of the Anthropocene through pollution, soil depletion, social inequalities, and neo-colonial legacies.

The forest is often imagined as a wooded area, sometimes with or without birds and animals. However, the significance of forests extends beyond the visual experience. this perception is greatly influenced by cultural, economic, political, social and scientific factors. this contribution outlines the various meanings that have developed around the concept of forest. Drawing on a case study, it also explains how this concept is operationalized in practice and the resulting conflicts that arise when multiple meanings converge in a given situation.

Agroforestry is a practice that long predates its recent con-ceptualization and formal recognition as a scientific disci-pline. it is the practice of combining trees or other ligneous plants with crops and/or livestock on the same plot of land. the goal is to increase agricultural, environmental, and eco-nomic benefits. Agroforestry reflects the way things are done in a given area, as well as the way people, plants, and animals relate to each other.

The concept of habitat encompasses ecological, social, and cultural factors. It varies across different geographical and climatic contexts, particularly in Africa. A vital space for species, habitat is influenced by natural and human factors. More recently, climate change has also become a key influence. Lake Kivu is a prime example of this diversity: a natural space, a communication route, a fishing reserve, and a source of energy, but it is also a high-risk area. The changing uses and perceptions of the lake reveal the tensions between economic exploitation and the needs of local communities. They also reveal the tensions between economic exploitation and ecological conservation, highlighting the increasing complexity of the relationship between human societies and natural environments.

Loss and damage as a concept, refers to the harm caused by anthropogenic climate change that cannot be prevented through mitigation or adaptation. It also designates an emergent field of climate policy addressing these negative impacts. Loss and damage can result from sudden climate related disasters as from more slowly unfolding consequences of global warming. The field of climate policy distinguishes between economic loss and damage and non-economic loss and damage. The debates over how to address loss and damage remain contentious, reflecting tensions between climate justice approaches and technocratic market-based approaches.