Organizer: Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Representative Office in Central Asia
Deadline: 25 September 2025, 23:59 (GMT +5)
Submission email: centralasia.info@rosalux.org
We invite concise analytical concept notes (max 200 words) for papers that examine the social-ecological transformation (SET) in Central Asia from people-centered perspectives. Selected authors will produce full analytical papers under RLS contract.
By “social-ecological transformation” we mean systemic changes in how societies organize production, energy, land, water, mobility, and care – so that ecological limits and social justice are jointly met. International debates frame this as a just transformation beyond narrow “green growth,” aligning with approaches that challenge extractivism and the “imperial mode of living,” and that expand democratic control over commons and infrastructures.
The region faces accelerated glacier retreat threatening melt-water-fed rivers (Amu Darya, Syr Darya), intensifying drought/heatwaves, and rising disaster risks; air pollution in major cities (e.g., Almaty, Bishkek) remains a top health burden; and legacy hazards (uranium tailings) and Aral Sea dust storms compound vulnerabilities. These pressures intersect with coal-dependent energy systems, CBAM-exposed industries, water-energy-food trade-offs, salinized and degraded lands, and labor migration. A just pathway must protect livelihoods, redistribute risks, and democratize resource governance, especially in mono-industry towns and rural communities.
By “social-ecological transformation” we mean systemic changes in how societies organize production, energy, land, water, mobility, and care – so that ecological limits and social justice are jointly met. International debates frame this as a just transformation beyond narrow “green growth,” aligning with approaches that challenge extractivism and the “imperial mode of living,” and that expand democratic control over commons and infrastructures.
The region faces accelerated glacier retreat threatening melt-water-fed rivers (Amu Darya, Syr Darya), intensifying drought/heatwaves, and rising disaster risks; air pollution in major cities (e.g., Almaty, Bishkek) remains a top health burden; and legacy hazards (uranium tailings) and Aral Sea dust storms compound vulnerabilities. These pressures intersect with coal-dependent energy systems, CBAM-exposed industries, water-energy-food trade-offs, salinized and degraded lands, and labor migration. A just pathway must protect livelihoods, redistribute risks, and democratize resource governance, especially in mono-industry towns and rural communities.
Key issues for proposals (illustrative, not exhaustive):
- Water & climate: glacier/snowmelt decline, heat extremes, drought/flood risks, transboundary governance, Aral and Caspian Sea impacts.
- Energy & green hydrogen: coal remains dominant, but mega-projects on green hydrogen (e.g. Kazakhstan’s Mangystau, Uzbekistan pilots) highlight new export-oriented models. Key questions: water use, ecology, land rights, local jobs, and whether benefits stay in the region amid energy poverty and heating crises.
- Air quality & health: urban PM2.5 and regional dust storms; distributional impacts on low-income communities.
- Land, food, and rural livelihoods: salinization/land degradation, irrigation efficiency, nexus trade-offs.
- Risk & legacies: uranium tailings and community-centered remediation in Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan/Tajikistan/Uzbekistan.
- CRMs & geopolitics: uranium, copper, lithium, and rare earths draw the EU, China, Russia, and Turkey into competition. Extraction risks deepening extractivism and ecological harm unless communities gain real voice and benefit.
- Governance & rights: participation, equity, and public interest in planning; community-led models and social protection in transitions.
What to submit
Send ONE (1) merged PDF only containing, in this order:
- Concept note (max 200 words) stating question, approach, and sources;
- Track record (selected publications or relevant work experience);
- CV (3 pages max).
Eligibility & expectations
- We welcome academics, policy researchers, journalists, and practitioner-analysts working in/on Central Asia.
- Approaches may be qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods; all must be research-grounded (recent academic/policy literature, datasets, or field evidence).
- Papers should center community welfare, equity, labor, and democratic governance within ecological limits (left-of-center lens, without overt ideological language).
Timeline
- 25 Sep 2025 – deadline (23:59, Almaty).
- By 3 Oct 2025 – contracting of selected authors.
- 5 Nov 2025 – first draft due.
- Nov – early Dec 2025 – revisions, finalization, and publication.
Length & deliverables (for selected authors)
- Final analytical paper: 2,500–3,500 words and an executive summary (≤250 words). Please, cite sources as hyperlinks within the text.
- Clear use of recent academic/policy sources; include regional/national data where applicable.
Submission & contact
- Email: centralasia.info@rosalux.org
- Subject line: SET-CA 2025 – [Your Name and Surname]
- File name: SET-CA_2025_[Surname].pdf