Water, Coal & Oil: Environment, Capitalism and the Making of the Modern Middle East & North Africa

This course examines the dynamic relationship between capitalism and the environment across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a region shaped by diverse landscapes: from the fertile valleys of the Nile to the arid expanses of the Sahara and the coastal economies of the Mediterranean and Arabian seas. By tracing the ecological transformations that accompanied the expansion of capitalist economies, we will explore how global markets, imperial projects, and local and global investors reshaped the region's environments and economies. Each week, we will focus on a key energy resource, such as water, food, animals, timber, coal, and oil, drawing from a range of secondary and primary sources, including official documents, travelogues, and climate datasets.