Ukraine (Wikimedia Commons) CMES Director participates in a public panel to discuss the wider repercussions in the Middle East. The Russian invasion has ended the post-Cold War era in Europe bringing war and death, civilian casualties, and refugees to Ukraine. The panel of Lund University experts will consider: Why history matters to the invasion and conflict? What does the invasion mean for Putin

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/russian-invasion-ukraine-why-history-matters-and-what-will-be-impact - 2025-08-21

CMES scholars Seyed Amir Naghibi, Behshid Khodaei and Hossein Hashemi have authored the article "An integrated InSAR-machine learning approach for ground deformation rate modeling in arid areas", available in the Journal of Hydrology. Land subsidence is an increasing human-induced disaster that not only damages building and transportation structures but also diminishes the water storage capacity o

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/measuring-groundwater-induced-land-subsidence-iran - 2025-08-21

Cover: Transnational Press CMES scholar Sarah Anne Rennick has edited the volume "Reassessing Activism and Engagement Among Arab Youth", published by Transnational Press London (2022). This collective volume contributes to the conceptual understanding of Arab youth and their relationship to politics by making explicit how civic engagement in seemingly ‘apolitical’ fields can be conceived as a form

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/reassessing-activism-and-engagement-among-arab-youth - 2025-08-21

New CMES Newsletter about upcoming events and recent research activities and publications. The CMES Newsletter provides an up-to-date overview of Middle Eastern research, activities and events at Lund University and beyond. The Newsletter includes a message from the director, latest research news, upcoming events and recent publications by CMES scholars. Read the latest issues of the Newsletter Si

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/read-latest-cmes-newsletter-26 - 2025-08-21

Photo: Ahmed Akacha on Pexels CMES scholars Pinar Dinc and Lina Eklund have co-authored an annotated bibliography about the Syrian climate-migration-conflict nexus, together with Gianna Angermayr (Lund University). The bibliography is available to read online. The scientific debate about the Syrian civil war being linked to climate change that manifested through a prolonged drought took off in 201

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/syrian-climate-migration-conflict-nexus - 2025-08-21

Source: Arya Azar et al. 2022 CMES Deputy Director Ronny Berndtsson has co-authored the article "A hybrid approach based on simulation, optimization, and estimation of conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater resources" together with Naser Arya Azar (University of Tabriz), Zahra Kayhomayoon (Payame Noor University), Sami Ghordoyee Milan (University of Tehran), HamedReza Zarif Sanayei (Shah

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/estimating-sustainable-groundwater-use-iran-through-machine-learning - 2025-08-21

Demonstrators during the Iraqi October Revolution. Photo: Mondalawy on Wikimedia Commons Sarah Anne Rennick has co-authored the paper "National Ambition, Divergent Vision: Consensus and Fracture Among Iraqi Youth Activists of the Tishreen Movement" together with Adel Bakawan. Since October 2019, Iraq has been witnessing a mass protest movement, heavily though not exclusively centered in Baghdad an

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/consensus-and-fracture-among-iraqi-youth-activists - 2025-08-21

CMES scholar Pinar Dinc has authored "Environmental Racism and Resistance in Kurdistan", available online (open access) in The Commentaries. Environmental degradation is identified as a key factor that threatens the future of life on Earth, but such generalised reading entails that conceal the uneven effects of environmental degradation. When environmental degradation takes place on the lands of t

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/environmental-racism-and-resistance-kurdistan - 2025-08-21

CMES scholar Lina Eklund has co-authored the article "Societal drought vulnerability and the Syrian climate-conflict nexus are better explained by agriculture than meteorology” together with Ole Magnus Theisen (Norwegian University of Science and Technology), Matthias Baumann (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Andreas Forø Tollefsen (Peace Research Institute Oslo), Tobias Kuemmerle (Humboldt-Univer

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/effects-drought-agriculture-pre-war-syria - 2025-08-21

The Pufendorf Institute at Lund University has produced a short video about the the research theme "Hydrosolidarity 2.0: Ethics and Conflict Resolution in International Water Governance." Participating from CMES are Researcher Dalia Abdel Hady, Director Karin Aggestam and Deputy Director Ronny Berndtsson.

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/want-learn-more-about-hydrosolidarity-and-conflict-resolution-middle-east - 2025-08-21

CMES Deputy Director Ronny Berndtsson has co-authored the article "Urban Flood-Risk Assessment: Integration of Decision-Making and Machine Learning" together with Fereshteh Taromideh (Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University), Ramin Fazloula (Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University), Bahram Choubin (West Azarbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/urban-flood-risk-assessment-through-machine-learning-iran - 2025-08-21

CMES Deputy Director Ronny Berndtsson has co-authored the article "Can Potato Crop on Sandy Soil Be Safely Irrigated with Heavy Metal Polluted Water?" together with Tarek Selim (Port Said University), Samah M. Elkefafy (Suez Canal University), Mohamed Elkiki (Port Said University), and Ahmed A. El-kharbotly (Suez Canal University). The article is available in the journal Water. Heavy metal (HM) ac

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/crop-irrigation-heavy-metal-polluted-water-egypt - 2025-08-21

New CMES Newsletter about upcoming events and recent research activities and publications. The CMES Newsletter provides an up-to-date overview of Middle Eastern research, activities and events at Lund University and beyond. The Newsletter includes a message from the Director, latest research news, upcoming events and recent publications by CMES scholars. Read the latest issues of the Newsletter Si

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/read-latest-cmes-newsletter-27 - 2025-08-21

CMES supports writing retreats on Middle East research with the aim to finalise an article, book chapter, edited volume or a book for publication in peer-reviewed outlets. Two writing retreats will be granted during the autumn of 2022. CMES offers office space and modern research facilities in a stimulating work environment on historic premises. Administrative, practical and technical support is a

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/now-open-cmes-call-writing-retreats - 2025-08-21

Cover: Palgrave Macmillan CMES researcher Pınar Dinç has edited the book "Authoritarian Neoliberalism and Resistance in Turkey: Construction, Consolidation, and Contestation" together with İmren Borsuk (Berlin Forum Transregionale Studien & Stockholm University), Sinem Kavak (Lund University) and Pınar Sayan (Beykoz University). When: May 2, 12:00-13:15 Where: CMES (Finngatan 16) and on Zoom To jo

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-book-launch-may-2-authoritarian-neoliberalism-and-resistance-turkey - 2025-08-21

Photo: Linda Eitrem Holmgren On May 18, CMES scholars will be showcasing their ongoing Middle East research with posters on display at Finngatan 16. Come mingle, learn something new and enjoy some drinks, snacks and sweets! 18 May 2022 13:00 to 16:00 CMES scholars presenting their research: Ali Mansourian (Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science) – AI and Sustainable Dust-Storm Control in the Mid

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/welcome-cmes-open-house-may-18 - 2025-08-21

We are happy to announce the launch of the CMES YouTube channel with brand new content on the latest in Middle East research! Want to learn more about what is happening in the Middle East in terms of climate change, authoritarian regimes or migration? Or perhaps you are interested in democratic reform, the war on terror or hydrosolidarity and peacebuilding in the MENA region? Then the CMES YouTube

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/launch-new-cmes-youtube-channel - 2025-08-21

CMES welcomes applications for travel grants and research initiation from employees at Lund University. Application deadline: May 30, 2022 Travel Grants CMES provides travel grants for conducting field work in the Middle East and conference/workshop participation with paper presentations focused on Middle East research. Applications are open to employees at Lund University.  Grant period: autumn 2

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/now-open-cmes-calls-travel-grants-and-research-initiation - 2025-08-21

CMES will host two events on democracy and gender-just peace in the MENA region (in Swedish) on July 6 during the Almedalen week in Visby. All welcome! Please note that the events will be held in Swedish! Democracy in the Middle East (Demokratispaning i Mellanöstern) July 6, 2022, 11:15-12:15, Hästgatan 13 in Visby The contemporary Middle East and North Africa is populated by authoritarian one-par

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-almedalen - 2025-08-21

Shia Shrine in Iraq. Photo: Mhrezaa on Unsplash Welcome to a CMES Roundtable about current research on transnational Twelver Shiism with LU researchers Oula Kadhum, Fouad Marei, Stefan Williamson Fa, Nada Al-Hudaid and Yafa Shanneik! May 19, 15:00-16:30, at CMES (Finngatan 16) The Middle East has witnessed radical changes in the last 20 years with regimes being removed by foreign intervention (Ira

https://www.cmes.lu.se/article/cmes-roundtable-may-19-resistance-diaspora-and-sensory-material-culture - 2025-08-21