The Origins of the Syrian Conflict

Marwa Daoudy is a political scientist with an interdisciplinary approach. Her research program in the last decade has generally focused on the intersection of security, politics, law and economics to examine the problems of water and the question of conflict, with a focus on the Middle East.

Prof. Daoudy's scholarly contributions have focused on three more specific research interests. The first is the relationship between transboundary water resources, power, conflict and cooperation. The second is a critical examination of the climate change-conflict nexus that is applied to developing countries in conflict. The third is the intersection of International Relations theory and Middle East politics in explaining inter-state dynamics in the region after the Arab Spring.

With fluency in written and spoken Arabic, English and French, Marwa focused on primary sources to reflect on these subjects and has published books and articles in both English and French.

Prof. Daoudy has received funding from the Swiss National Foundation, the Feris Foundation of America, Georgetown University, Princeton University and the London School of Economics. Her latest book received the 2020 Harold and Margaret Sprout Award by the International Studies Association (ISA)'s Environmental Studies Section for best books in environmental studies. Her first book received the Ernest Lémonon Book Prize from the French Academy (Académie Française).

This book talk will include a conversation with Adam Mestyan (History, Duke) and Erika Weinthal (Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke)