APN | Beirut

12 May 2025

As part of the Sixth Annual Environmental Politics in the Middle East and North Africa Conference, organized by the Arab Reform Initiative in Lebanon under the theme "Rethinking Justice in Environmental Transitions During Times of Conflict and Crisis", APN Agricultural Advisor Hassan Al Jaajaa emphasized that the concept of a just environmental transition in our region must be rooted in our unique political, social, and environmental contexts. Chief among these is the reality that wars, conflicts, occupation, and genocide pose structural barriers to achieving any genuine environmental or developmental transformation.

Al Jaajaa spoke during a session titled "Just Transition in the Shadow of War: How to Integrate Notions of Environmental Justice in Post Conflict Reconstruction and Recovery".

He highlighted the importance of incorporating environmental justice principles into reconstruction and recovery policies following conflict, stressing the need to consider the environmental and social inequalities that are often exacerbated in times of crisis. He asserted that a just environmental transition cannot be separated from the political, social, and economic realities facing the region.

He added that true climate solutions cannot be implemented without addressing the root causes that brought us to this point. A just environmental transition is not only about renewable energy or emissions reduction, it is also about justice, sovereignty, and the rights of people to access their land and resources.

The conference, which brought together researchers, experts, and policymakers from across the region, featured in-depth discussions on the potential for achieving environmental justice amid ongoing conflicts and occupation, and the resulting impacts on communities and natural resources.