Relationships and care sustain climate activism under repression
Environmental activism does not cease under repression and armed conflict – but it changes. A new doctoral thesis from the University of Gothenburg shows how activists in Myanmar have adapted their work following the 2021 military coup, and how issues of environment, security and everyday life become intertwined.
As global warming intensifies and conflicts increase around the world, it is becoming more common for climate change and security threats to affect people’s lives at the same time.
– For example, extreme weather events such as floods and droughts can coincide with political instability, violence and repression, says Pernilla Nordqvist, PhD in Peace and Development Research at the School of Global Studies.
In her thesis, she has examined the situation of environmental activists in Myanmar after the military coup in February 2021. The space for environmental engagement has shrunk dramatically. At the same time, violence has increased and insecurity has become part of everyday life.
– Many activists have been forced to shift from working on long-term environmental protection to also dealing with more immediate concerns about safety for themselves and others, says Pernilla Nordqvist.
Despite this, engagement continues – but in different forms. Activists adapt how and where they organise, reduce their visibility and find new ways of working.
Care, emotions and relationships keep activism alive
The study shows that relationships and care are crucial for environmental activism to continue under difficult conditions.
– Activists both give and receive care within families, local communities and networks. At the same time, care for land, forests and water is central to their engagement, says Pernilla Nordqvist.
The thesis also highlights the role emotions play in activism. Fear, grief, guilt and exhaustion are part of everyday life – but so are humour, pride and anger.
– Several activists describe how they use humour, creativity and a sense of community to cope with stress, build solidarity and sometimes challenge social norms, such as gender hierarchies, says Pernilla Nordqvist.
Environmental activism in Myanmar is therefore not only about protests and major political events, but also about how people care for one another, resist, and make everyday life work in a difficult and complex situation.
Different ways of understanding security
The experiences of activists in Myanmar also point to a broader question of how security is understood and defined. Security is often viewed from a state and military perspective, where the focus is on protecting the state. In such contexts, activists may be portrayed as a threat and, in many cases, criminalised.
– But in activists’ everyday lives, security is instead about relationships, care and the possibility of continuing to live and engage, in close interaction with land, forests and nature, says Pernilla Nordqvist.
The study thus offers a more nuanced and human understanding of what environmental activism entails, particularly in authoritarian contexts.
Pernilla Nordqvist successfully defended her doctoral thesis in Peace and Development Research on 27 March 2026.
Title: Navigating an environment-security nexus: risk, care, and emotions in environmental activism in Myanmar