Doctoral Researcher
Laura Betancur Alarcón is a doctoral researcher in ‘Water security for whom? Social and material perspectives on inequality around multipurpose reservoirs in Colombia’. Her research explores hydrosocial relations, rural livelihoods, and inequalities within the complex interplay of climate extremes, biodiversity loss, energy infrastructures, and armed violence. She integrates insights from human geography, sustainability science and environmental anthropology in her ethnographic and transdisciplinary research.
Currently, she is engaged in collaborative research with riverine leaders, hydrologists, and energy scientists to understand the fluctuating dynamics of dammed rivers in Colombia and co-develop transformative pathways for their health and future. This interdisciplinary approach bridges scientific knowledge with community expertise to address critical freshwater challenges.
She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science from Lund University, Sweden. Over nine years in the environmental sector, she has contributed as a research assistant, writer, lecturer, and journalist across diverse organisations, including academic institutions, media outlets, and international NGOs.
Research Interests
- Interdisciplinary critical water studies
- Human-environment interactions in violent contexts
- Environmental narratives, public opinion, and information flows
Selected Publications
Betancur-Alarcón, L., & Krause, T. (2020). Reaching for the Mountains at the End of a Rebelocracy: Changes in Land and Water Access in Colombia’s Highlands During the Post-peace Agreement Phase. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2020.546821
Betancur-Alarcón, L (2016). Medellín la ciudad del pasado violento que ganó el premio ‘Nobel’. In Endara and Monroy. Hábitats justos, diversos y sustentables. Contribuciones ciudadanas a solucionar desafíos urbanos. Frederich Ebert-Stiftung FES (Fundación Friedrich Ebert) Ecuador. ISBN 978 -9978-94 -162-1. 2016. Quito, Ecuador.
Betancur-Alarcón, L. (2015). Agua y territorio: paisajes desvanecidos. Análisis del discurso sobre el agua en el conflicto socioambiental generado por la construcción de la hidroeléctrica Ituango EPM en Antioquia. In Macassi and Acevedo. Confrontación y diálogo. Medios y conflictos en los países andinos. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung FES (Fundación Friedrich Ebert). ISBN: 978-612-47099. 2015. Lima, Perú.
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