Francesca’s research agenda explores both environmental peacebuilding and environmental warfare in the Middle East. Her first project, in collaboration with Professor Udi Sommer, expanded the framework of environmental peacebuilding to cases not typically covered in the field, such as the UAE and Israel, which collaborate on environmental projects involving both the public and private sectors. This work was published in World Development and Strategic Assessment. Currently, she investigates the cultural, psychological, and gendered drivers behind environmental warfare. Drawing on soldier testimonies and spatial analysis of environmental destruction in Gaza, Colombia, and Ukraine, her work bridges environmental studies, security analysis, and conflict transformation, aiming to inform future peacebuilding efforts.
