American University, Washington, DC

About the Center for Latin American & Latino Studies

The Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS), established in January 2010, is a campus-wide initiative advancing and disseminating state-of-the-art research. Our faculty affiliates and partners are at the forefront of efforts to understand economic development, democratic governance, cultural diversity and change, peace and diplomacy, health, education and environmental well-being. CLALS generates high quality, timely analysis on these and other issues in partnership with researchers and practitioners from AU and beyond. Learn more about us.

https://www.american.edu/centers/latin-american-latino-studies/

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Religion and Climate Change | American University, Washington, DC

Climate change is dramatically altering the planet and affecting human livelihoods in ways that elicit religious response.

Building upon earlier CLALS work focused on forms of religious engagement with environmental conflict in Latin America, this project deepens understanding of the relationship between religion and the effects of climate change across multiple regions of the world.

In the process it addresses three interrelated questions: the role of religion in ongoing public discourse on climate change, religious sources of environmental knowledge that inform community responses to climate change, and the ways that climate change also drives religious change.

A collaboration between Latin Americanists and Caribbeanist researchers along with scholars and practitioners focused on South Asia and the South Pacific, this project transcends the geographic barriers which too often constrain conventional area studies initiatives.

Dialogues across regions and religions have given special attention to three features of climate change, with a focus on water: the effects of glacial melt in the Andes and Himalayas, climate-related stress upon urban water systems in South America and South Asia, and the vulnerabilities of small island archipelagos in the Caribbean and the South Pacific.

With generous support from the Henry Luce Foundation, this project is led by Evan Berry, an Assistant Professor of Environmental Humanities at Arizona State University. Project co-principal investigators include CLALS Director Eric Hershberg and CLALS Research Associate Professor Robert Albro.

https://www.american.edu/centers/latin-american-latino-studies/religion-and-climate-change.cfm