Forest Defenders: Explaining the Violent Politics of Illegal Logging in Romania
Publisher: Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development
Author(s): Adéla Pokorná and Miriam Matejova
Date: 2023
Topics: Conflict Causes, Governance, Renewable Resources
Countries: Romania
Romanian environmental activists have been subjected to violent attacks for protecting their forests from illegal logging. This article traces the drivers of this conflict, revealing complex relationships between corrupted institutions, economic dependence, and cultural beliefs entrenched in Romania’s religion and recent history. Examining the drivers of environmental conflict in new democracies and new EU members – like Romania – may help reveal weaknesses and opportunities in EU structures in the context of nature conservation and environmental protection.