Leibniz Research Network "Environmental Crises - Crisis Environments"

Crises are understood as threats that are experienced as urgent, existential, and uncertain in their political consequences, thereby triggering political crisis management. The CrisEn Network analyses various forms of crisis and discusses how specifically changes in the environment are understood and/or (not) con­ceptualised as crisis.

A whole series of risky, interrelated environ­mental changes threaten the well-being of the planet and human livelihoods. In current times, acute as well as long-term, latent crises emerge and exist inter­dependently and parallelly. Acute crises, like violent conflicts, humanitarian crises or unexpected disasters, need rapid joint action and response. Long-term crises, like the climate crisis, additionally pose serious challenges to the entire globe. While it might be difficult to draw a clear line between the different forms of crises, both simul­taneously need social and political handling to address the increasingly dys­functional relationship between people and their social and political environment. The network contributes to adressing these issues with its research and transfer activities.