Humble geopolitics: rethinking natural hazards in South Iceland

Thesis

This thesis is concerned with the ways that communities in South Iceland are negatively affected by their geologically active environment. I argue that contemporary theorisations of hazards in human geography retain a militaristic preoccupation with catastrophe, antagonism and annihilation that actively impedes a fuller attention to the ways that communities live with hazards. In this thesis, I develop a new set of theoretical concepts which together map out the dimensions of what I term a ‘humble geopolitics’ of natural hazards. Humble geopolitics draws attention to the complex spatio-temporal, non- catastrophic dimensions of geo-tectonic hazards and brings into relief the partialities of official programmes of hazard management in Iceland. I show the value of this reformulated geopolitics by working this concept through three empirical case studies that explore the role of a museum, citizen science and local community groups in catalysing experiences of earthly volatility and configuring modes of public response to it. These case studies illuminate the different space-times in which hazards are experienced, the diverse practices through which public participation is expressed and the different logics that underpin everyday modes of hazard governance. In the conclusion, I argue that this work opens up important new avenues for the geographical study of natural hazards, human geography more broadly, and for disaster risk reduction policy.

Authors: Nayeri, C

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-jnbe0rkop
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Natural hazards; Disaster studies; Iceland; Environmental geography; Heimaey; Westman Islands; Ethnography; STS; More-than-human geography
• Subjects: Geography